Private Reserve

Private Reserve is an alternative name for OG #18, which is also listed as Private Reserve OG or OG 18. It was bred by Reserva Privada, a sub-label of Amsterdam-based DNA Genetics, and by its own account derives solely from OG Kush: in one sowing of feminized OG Kush seeds, plant number 18 stood out for a more sour taste and a yield at least 1/3 higher. The breeder feminized this selection again and released it as a separate strain.

Genetics and Origin:

According to the breeder, Reserva Privada's OG Kush had previously circulated only as a cutting and traces back to the Christopher Wallace cut. For OG #18, Reserva Privada names OG Kush as mother and father. One strain description classifies it as S1, while another additionally lists Chemdog genetics as a parent. The breeder, by contrast, mentions Chem Dawg only as a comparison for the yield and fuel flavor of its selection.

Reserva Privada reports 3 competition placements: 3rd place in the Indica category at the High Times Cannabis Cup 2007, 2nd place in the same category in 2009 and 1st place in the Hydro category at Spannabis 2011. Another strain description, by contrast, dates the Cup wins to 2009 and 2010.

In breeding, OG #18 frequently serves as a parent, for example for Cannalope Kush and Double Alien 18 from DNA Genetics or for Gas Candy, Cherry 18 and Holy Grail OG from Crockett Family Farms.

Versions from Different Breeders:

Reserva Privada lists OG #18 only as feminized seeds and gives 9 weeks of flowering. The Vault Seed Bank is the source of a Private Reserve OG from regular seeds, whose lineage is tentatively given as a cross of a Private Reserve OG with Hell Face on Fire. About 67 days of flowering are stated for this version; the breeder places it behind other OG strains in its program for yield and points to an increased demand for calcium and magnesium. Another entry under the name Private Reserve has no pedigree and gives 19 % THC and myrcene as the leading terpene; whether the same genetics are behind it remains unclear.

Aroma and Flavor:

Reserva Privada describes the scent as sour fuel with lemon, earthy musk and hash. In grow reports, the flowering plant smelled strongly of gasoline with a slightly sour note or pungently of kush, while hash dominated the flavor, with a citrus tone in some phenotypes. Consumers mention diesel, pine, earth and skunk. Deviating from this, one person found the taste sour like spoiled milk, another sweet like lemonade with lime. As the leading terpene, 2 strain descriptions give limonene, followed by myrcene and linalool.

Effects:

The breeder speaks of a euphoric, tingly effect that gives way to relaxation and sleepiness. User reports similarly describe a euphoric onset followed by body relaxation that extends to sedation at higher doses; 2 reports describe a slow onset. Others find the strain clear and focused, without a dampening effect. Growers who cultivated it themselves call it narcotic and at the same time activating, with a psychedelic note. One initially considered it very head-heavy and revised that after the 2nd run.

Side effects mentioned are dry mouth, dry eyes and headaches. One report under the name Private Reserve describes pronounced paranoia.

THC Content:

One strain description gives 16 to 23 % THC for OG #18, another around 1 % CBG.

Cultivation:

Besides the breeder's 9 weeks, other strain descriptions give flowering times that are partly shorter and partly longer; in 4 documented indoor grows, flowering took between 63 and 72 days. One description puts the indoor yield at 400 to 500 g/m², another gives 600 to 800 g per plant for outdoor cultivation and a harvest from late September to early October. The statements on height contradict each other: one description speaks of rather small plants, another of tall-growing plants.

Grow reports describe bushy plants shaped like fir trees, with numerous long side branches. In one indoor grow in soil, they grew from about 20 to about 60 cm after the switch and were ready for harvest after 65 days. The dried buds turned out very hard and compact, with a favorable bud-to-leaf ratio and heavy resin coverage; according to one report, the density makes machine trimming more difficult. 2 growers noticed no susceptibility to mold, while another report warns of mold. Verdicts on uniformity also differ: 3 feminized seeds produced nearly identical plants in one grow, while in another the phenotypes differed slightly between kushy and citrus-leaning. Cuttings rooted poorly in one case. The reports rate the care effort from low to high.