Tag: Flower of the Year

BLAZED MAGAZINE 2026 THC CHALLENGE

Written by getblazed on July 10, 2026. Posted in News. No Comments on BLAZED MAGAZINE 2026 THC CHALLENGE

Flower of the Year & Beverage of the Year Competition Underway

The race for the 2026 Blazed THC Challenge is officially underway as Blazed Magazine prepares to recognize the best products in the industry during the week of the CHAMPS Trade Shows in Austin this October.

The mission is simple: bring together some of the most respected brands, personalities, cultivators, and beverage makers in the industry to determine who will earn the titles of Flower of the Year and Beverage of the Year.

This year’s competition will feature ten brands in each category, creating what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated independent cannabis competitions in the Southwest.

The Flower of the Year division is already assembling an impressive lineup of cultivators and brands looking to claim the 2026 championship. Serving on the judging panel so far are Scott Brown of Zour Stash and comedian Stoner Rob. Blazed Magazine is currently seeking three additional judges to complete the five-person panel responsible for evaluating this year’s flower entries.

Early entries in the Flower category include Pur Life, Vibes Cannabis, Bigz Recreational, Errganix, and Wyatt Purp. With five brands already committed, Blazed Magazine is actively seeking five additional flower brands to complete the field of ten competitors.

The question facing cultivators across the region is simple: Can your flower defeat the field and become the 2026 Blazed Flower of the Year?

The Beverage of the Year division is shaping up to be one of the most competitive categories of the entire challenge. Leading the field is Legacy Sponsor South Beach Brewing Company, the beverage brand associated with rapper Rick Ross. Joining the competition are Cheech & Chong’s High and Dry, Lyfted Lemonade, Wyatt Purp Seltzer, Looper D9 Sodas, and Rizzy Extra Lemonade Tea.

The Beverage Challenge is designed to showcase the rapid growth and innovation occurring within the hemp-derived beverage sector throughout Texas and the Southwest, a category many believe represents one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry.

The timing could not have been better for the Blazed team to attend the Hemp Beverage Expo in Austin last month, where staff members made valuable industry connections and opened discussions with prospective competitors and sponsors for the 2026 competition.

Those relationships are already helping fill out the Beverage of the Year field and are expected to bring several additional regional and national brands into the competition before entries close later this year.

Blazed Magazine intends to present the awards during the week of the CHAMPS Trade Shows in Austin on October 14th, bringing together competitors, judges, retailers, distributors, and media partners for one of the largest cannabis industry gatherings in Texas.

The target field for the inaugural competition remains straightforward: ten Flower brands, ten Beverage brands, two champions, and one full year of bragging rights.

Blazed Magazine welcomes submissions from brands interested in joining either category and completing the 2026 lineup. Whether your specialty is premium flower or innovative hemp beverages, now is the opportunity to compete against some of the biggest names already entered into the challenge.

For information regarding participation, sponsorship opportunities, or judging inquiries, contact Russell Dowden at blazed@stonednews.com, call 575-578-4928, or reach the Austin office at 512-897-7823.

Additional information, rules, and registration details are available at BlazedNews.com/THC-Challenge.

Blazed Magazine’s message to the industry remains simple:

Lead the industry. Inspire the competition.

Blazed Texas Flower Challenge

Written by Stone Slade on January 4, 2026. Posted in News. No Comments on Blazed Texas Flower Challenge

Inside the judging, the winners, and why Texas growers held their own.

The Blazed Texas Flower Challenge brought together serious heat from across the country. Twenty one entrants. Five judges. One simple scoring system designed to cut through hype and get straight to the flower.

Each entry was scored from 1 to 5 across four core categories: Aroma, Taste, Visual Aesthetics, and Efficacy. No gimmicks. No brand bias. Just the plant, presented as-is. As one of the five judges, I can say this confidently: the overall quality level was high. There were no throwaway entries. Even the lower rankings showed care, intention, and solid cultivation fundamentals.

But a few stood out immediately, and by the time the scores were tallied, Texas growers had made it clear they belonged at the very top of the field. How the Judging Worked All flower was evaluated blind. Judges worked independently, focusing on consistency across categories rather than chasing one standout trait. Loud aroma without flavor did not carry the day.

Pretty buds without effect did not either. The highest scoring entries delivered balance. Clean terp profiles. Proper cure. Flavor that translated from nose to exhale. And effects that matched expectations.

First Place Winner Raw Gas Club – Animal Mintz

Animal Mintz took the top spot for good reason, and its win carried extra weight. In a national field, a Texas-grown entry rose to first place, setting the tone for what would become a strong showing from in-state cultivators. This evenly balanced hybrid brought everything together in one jar.

From the moment it was opened, the aroma hit with sweet mint, cookie dough, and a sharp edge of diesel and pine. The flavor followed through cleanly, with a minty cookie inhale and a lightly nutty vanilla finish. Visually, the flower checked all the boxes. Forest green buds, bright amber hairs, dense trichome coverage, and a sticky resin coat that spoke to proper harvest timing and cure.

The effects sealed it. A heavy cerebral onset that eased into full-body relaxation without immediately knocking you out. Potent, but not sloppy. With reported THC levels in the mid to high 20s, it delivered long-lasting relief and deep sedation when leaned into. This was a complete flower. No weak links.

The Rest of the Podium Second place The Dope Co. – Super Buff Cherry Third place Geremy Greens – Koolato Third place marked another big moment for Texas.

Geremy Greens secured a podium finish with Koolato. This one deserves special mention. Koolato was my personal top flower of the competition. The terp profile stood out, the structure was dialed in, and the overall presentation showed real grower intention. Geremy Greens also grows a Texas Shoreline cultivar that I would love to see in future competitions. If Koolato is any indication, that one could be special. Beyond the Podium: Depth of the Field Just outside the podium, the competition remained tight, with several entries separated by only fractions of a point.

Fourth place went to Loud Puff with Scented Marker, a standout that impressed judges with its distinct terpene profile and overall balance.

Fifth place saw a three-way tie, underscoring just how competitive the field was this year. Dank Fil A earned its spot with Dank Poison, while A Treez delivered a strong showing with Wid Bill OG. Rounding out the tie was Moon Man, whose Pink Gumbo brought enough flavor and effect to keep it firmly in the top tier. The runner-up category featured a deep bench of quality cultivators. Sixth place was shared by Wyatt Purp and Endozondo, both of whom submitted flowers that consistently scored well across aroma, taste, and efficacy.

Seventh place went to Legend Cannabis Co. with Legend Candy, a clean and well-executed entry that hovered just outside the top six. Eighth place was another three-way tie, with Happy Cactus (Dante’s Inferno), Haze Connect (Dumb Gas), and EZ Grown (Sherb n Runtz) all landing in striking distance of one another. Each brought something different to the table, but all demonstrated solid cultivation and curing practices. Ninth place followed the same pattern, with 3GCC (Northern Haze) and Gruene Botanicals (Turbo Glue) finishing neck and neck.

Rounding out the top ten was Errganix with Jokers Candy, a respectable finish in a crowded and competitive lineup. Finally, several entries earned honorable mention for their effort and presence in the field. Green Diamond, JK Distro, Reggie & Dro, Looper, and Dope Pros all contributed to the overall depth of the competition and helped make this year’s Blazed Texas Flower Challenge one of the most competitive to date.

When you step back and look at the full field, one thing is clear: the margin between placements was thin, the quality bar was high, and Texas growers were not just competitive, they were leading the charge.

A Texas Takeaway Two of the top three finishers were Texas growers, and that matters. It shows that craft cultivation here is not just catching up, it is competing nationally.

Clean grows, strong genetics, and real attention to detail are becoming the norm, not the exception. The Blazed Texas Flower Challenge proved one thing clearly: when the plant is judged honestly, Texas flower belongs in the conversation. And based on what I tasted, this is only the beginning.