Forgotten cannabis strains: Blue Velvet

In the 1990s, Dutch Passion worked closely with DJ Short, the original breeder of the Blueberry family, to bring these genetics to Europe. This included the original Blueberry strain and its siblings including Blue Velvet, Blue Moonshine and Flo. 

Cherished cult classics like Blue Velvet have left a permanent mark on cannabis history, even if they’ve disappeared from today’s marijuana seed catalogues. Blue Velvet was a grower’s favourite - known for her deep hues, velvety smooth smoke and the supremely enjoyable high. Blue Velvet is one such gem featured in the ongoing ‘Forgotten Strains’ series of articles - where legendary varieties go under the spotlight with inside info from the breeders.

Blue Velvet cannabis strain story

The 1990’s arrival of Blueberry, Blue Velvet, Blue Moonshine and Flo was greeted with great affection initially in Amsterdam and then around the rest of Europe & beyond. These fine quality cannabis seed varieties may not have been the heaviest yielders but they were adored for their exquisite taste, dank dark-fruit aromas and blissfully enjoyable highs. 

Blue Velvet is a 50/50 sativa/indica hybrid. Many of the repeat growers would say that the indica genetics tended to express themselves somewhat more clearly than the sativa genetics during growth. 

Blue Velvet was created by blending a Mexican Oaxacan Gold together with a special and carefully selected Chocolate Thai to form a ‘Purple Thai’ parent.  The Purple Thai was then crossed with a beautiful Afghani Indica specimen; the resulting offspring are Blue Velvet. 
She produces very tasty weed with fruity/floral flavours alongside a thick hashy taste which will remind growers of the Afghani heritage in Blue Velvet. 

What made Blue Velvet special

Blue Velvet made a huge impact on growers who had never seen terpy, fruity genetics bred to such impressive standards. Back in the 1990’s these genetics made quite an impression on the rapidly expanding cannabis market.

Many growers had never tasted or smelled anything quite as juicy-fruity as Blue Velvet or Blueberry before. Feedback from the early growers was remarkably positive and before long the Blueberry cannabis seed collection had a cult following.

With an appealing grow and smoke profile Blue Velvet feminised seeds were a particularly popular choice: 

• Medium height, fast flowering in 8–9 weeks.
• Thrived indoors and in greenhouses. Grew outdoors in warmer, sunnier mediterranean style climates.
• Known for resin-heavy buds.
• Iconic appearance deep blue & purple hues with overlying silvery white trichome sheen. Especially when grown in cooler bloom conditions.
• Aroma & flavour: Sweet, fruity, blueberry-muffin with notes of dark forest fruit and hash
• Effects: uplifting, creative high balanced with body relaxation.

Legacy of Blue Velvet

A jar of well cured Blue Velvet buds was hard to beat in the 90’s. She delivered more than just an outstanding visual appearance. The consistent high-THC effects and smooth powerful high were legendary. Yields were solid though perhaps not quite on par with some of the real XXL cultivars that were to emerge in the following 20-30 years. 

It was that connoisseur Blue Velvet combo of juicy, terpy flavours with a shimmering frosty bud appearance & blue/purple hues that most influenced later cannabis seed varieties. Even today many still regard iconic 90’s originals such as Blueberry & Blue Velvet as the forefathers of the modern love affair with colourful strains and intensely sweet fruity flavours.

“Blue Velvet is renowned for its calming and uplifting effects, making it a popular choice for those seeking stress relief. However, beginners should proceed with caution due to its potent cerebral high.” - Leafwell

Top 3 modern alternatives to Blue Velvet

Blue Velvet may be gone, for now. But there are still some great alternative varieties with similar genetic lineage that are more than capable of satisfying the nostalgic Blue Velvet fan. 

Blueberry

Blueberry is the mother of the multi-cannabis cup winning Blue family of cannabis seeds. The ‘Blue Family’ is a professional selection of the best genetics to emerge from the 1990’s Dutch Passion link-up with DJ Short. Blueberry is a predominantly indica hybrid whereas Blue Velvet is a more balanced hybrid with a silky smooth clean vape. But the same sweet fruity taste is there as well as a famously powerful high. Expect the same autumnal hues in the buds, especially with cooler conditions in the cannabis flowering phase.

Auto Blackberry Kush

When Blueberry was crossed with an original Dutch Passion gene bank hash-plant the remarkable Auto Blackberry Kush was born. With red/purple buds and very high THC levels this indica autoflower seed variety is one of the fastest growing strains in the Dutch Passion collection. She can be ready to harvest just 8-9 weeks after autoflower seed germination. The dark berry flavours and smooth Blueberry-style effect are more than reminiscent of the great Blue Velvet.

Blue Auto Mazar

Blending two classic genetic lines such as Blueberry & Mazar produced Blue Auto Mazar. An autoflower cannabis seed variety which takes around 10-11 weeks to complete her life cycle. Blue Auto Mazar is simple and fuss-free to grow. She has a full-bodied aroma and flavour along with a wonderfully smooth indica effect. Blue Auto Mazar produces a strong, cheerful and calming effect.  The Afghan hash x dark fruit aroma is memorable, with bud appeal complemented by blue hues in cooler bloom rooms.

Will Dutch Passion ever bring Blue Velvet back?

There are no current plans, but the Blue Velvet genetics are still in deep-freeze at a couple of safe locations - so perhaps a future re-selection & re-introduction would be possible. With the latest LED grow lights, UVA/UVB supplemental lights, modern grow methods etc it’s quite likely that THC levels around 20%- 25% would be possible.

However, there is currently huge demand in the cannabis seed market for modern XL yielding cultivars with loud flavours often with the latest US genetics. So for now, Blue Velvet is residing gracefully in deep freeze.

Final thoughts and bonus tips

It’s always good to see modern interest in some of the legacy strains from the 80’s, 90’s and earlier. Blue Velvet, Blueberry and some of the old classics evoke a great deal of nostalgia. Especially among those who were around at the time and can remember the original hype around the buds - if you could get them. 

Without doubt Blue Velvet and the Blue family of cannabis seeds were unforgettable new genetics which completely refreshed grow options for European growers keen to see the best from North America.