[Cannabis Review] - Black Tie CBD: Bolo Runtz Indoor (1 oz Trim/Shake)

 

Close-up of Black Tie's trim/shake




Here's Part 1 of my THCa strains review.  For this one, I decided to go for quantity > quality and pick up an ounce for the lowest price I could find.  Hence, Black Tie CBD's $31 ounce of trim and shake ($43.04 with shipping/tax included).  I've seen mixed reviews for this vendor, but most of the bad ones were from years ago so I thought, why not stock up and get as much quantity as I can while the gettin's good since Trump's got a ban scheduled for November?  Obviously buds are preferable but is this really that much worse in terms of quality, or do I just enjoy the appearance of buds?  How much of a role does bag appeal really play in the end result when it comes to effects? 

I'm about to find out.  (Dun-dun-duuuuun).

Bolo Runtz whole flower

Pretty sure this is my first time EVER buying an entire ounce at one time and I'm excited, even if it is just the nasty bits.  One of the biggest PROS about trim/shake aside from the price is that it requires minimal breaking up or grinding and is ready to be rolled up or packed in a pipe or bong as-is.  (Speaking of bongs, my notoriously anti-drug mother bought me a nice glass bong for "Christmas" but agreed to give it to me early in light of this special circumstance, which was nice.  Of course she also called me a "homo" recently, so that wasn't great.  Just a regular week in Bipolarworld I suppose).   

Shady Pines, Ma.

 

Anyhoo, Bolo Runtz is described as a 50/50 hybrid strain descending from Gelato x an unnamed Zkittlez Family strain.  And y'all KNOW how much I love Zkittlez.  THCa content is 26.80% on this batch, which was harvested in November 2025.  Honestly that's a long time ago but I'm withholding judgment until I give it a try.  Aroma is described as pine gas, sweet earth, creamy citrus and herbal diesel.  Yum.

I ordered this on a Friday afternoon and received it the following Monday morning, which was damn impressive.  Packing and stealth were perfect, with nothing about hemp or CBD on the outer packaging.  As someone who's had a domestic order of hemp seized by law enforcement in the mail, that was important.  The last thing I need right now is a(nother) heart attack.  Inside was a sealed bag containing the good stuff.  Still no smell, but the second I ripped the seal off the bag (but before I'd even opened it), the strong smell of skunk hit my nose hard.  When I actually opened the bag, it was game on!  🦨💨  Upon second whiff, I could detect more of a nuanced scent--notes of berries and soft herbal sweetness were apparent.  I'm not usually big on smell when it comes to weed, but this is truly impressive for trim/shake.  

The flavor is actually tastier than what I'm used to as well:  very soft and inoffensive.  It burns evenly in a joint and has a smooth, gentle high that I really enjoy.  I feel clear headed but definitely am in less pain than when I started, and I've only finished about 1/3rd of a joint.  Don't wanna smoke too much in case the landlady comes up here, but there's really no need--I'm already about as high as I'd wanna be on a Monday morning. The texture isn't overly dry or unpleasant either like you might expect.  No real comedown to speak of with this strain, and the munchies are manageable.  Kinda ideal for my needs.  

My photos

Additional experiments reveal more of the same--this is good stuff.  As good as anything I've gotten in local medical dispensaries.  And I definitely chose the right strain to stock up on, as this shit is the closest thing to my beloved Zkittlez as anything I've found.  

My conclusion:  While this looks like the worst homegrown you ever smoked as a Gen X teen growing up in the Midwest, it hits like dispensary weed in both smell and effects.  There's nothing about the actual quality of this weed that's lower than if it were in bud form, and it's actually more convenient to roll as it doesn't require any grinding or breaking up.  It's ugly as hell to look at, but don't be fooled--once you smell it you know it's high quality stuff.  And once you smoke it you forget that it's shake or even THCa weed. 

This was not the review I expected to write but I'm pleasantly surprised.  I could see myself buying a few more of these ounces before the Big Stupid Ban in November.  It's high quality, budget-friendly & goes a long way in terms of quantity.  Now to figure out how to store it long-long term, because ain't no way I'll be using all of it in a timely manner.

Price:  4.8 of 5 stars

Packaging/Stealth:  4.9 of 5 stars

Shipping Time:  4.9 of 5 stars

Effects:  4.8 of 5 stars

Aroma:  4.9 of 5 stars

Overall:  4.9 of 5 stars