Key Takeaways
- NYC Diesel is a sativa-leaning hybrid bred by Soma Seeds, a seed company based in Amsterdam.
- It won the High Times Cannabis Cup sativa category four years running, from 2001 through 2004.
- Leafly lists its parents as Mexican and Afghani landraces, a different family tree from Sour Diesel’s Chemdawg and Super Skunk.
- Leafly’s top flavors for it are grapefruit, diesel and chemical, and its top terpenes are myrcene and caryophyllene.
- NugHub carries NYC Diesel and NY Diesel from Jetpacks and STIIIZY at our Forest Ave shop and for delivery.
A strain called NYC Diesel should have a Bronx birth certificate, or at least a Queens one. It doesn’t. The strain named after our city was bred by Soma Seeds, a seed company based in Amsterdam, and it made its name winning cups over there.
New Yorkers adopted it anyway, and so did we. We keep it on the shelf at Forest Ave, and since the name sounds so close to Sour Diesel, we put the two side by side further down.
The NYC Diesel strain at a glance
NYC Diesel is a sativa-leaning hybrid bred by Soma Seeds in Amsterdam, known for a sour grapefruit smell sitting on top of classic diesel.
Open a jar and the first thing you get is citrus. Sour grapefruit and citrus zest, then the fuel rolls in underneath. It’s diesel, but brighter than the gas-station funk the name suggests.
Leafly’s strain page lists it as a hybrid that leans sativa, and it goes by a few other names too. You’ll see New York Diesel, New York City Diesel and NYC Sour Diesel on labels, and they all point back to the same strain.
NYC Diesel’s Amsterdam origins and Cannabis Cup run
Soma Seeds, an Amsterdam seed company, bred NYC Diesel. It won the High Times Cannabis Cup sativa category every year from 2001 through 2004.
For all the hometown branding, NYC Diesel comes from Soma Seeds, which is headquartered in Amsterdam, and according to Soma Seeds’ Wikipedia entry it took the sativa category at the High Times Cannabis Cup four years in a row, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Four straight wins is a big part of why the name still shows up on menus more than twenty years later.
Leafly traces it back to two landraces, the old regional strains that a lot of modern genetics come from. One is Mexican, the other Afghani.
NYC Diesel vs Sour Diesel
The two share a diesel nose, but Leafly lists NYC Diesel as Mexican x Afghani and Sour Diesel as Chemdawg x Super Skunk, two different family trees.
It’s an easy mix-up, since both have diesel in the name and people describe both as energetic. Side by side, NYC Diesel is the citrusy one. Sour Diesel, per Leafly, leans harder into diesel, chemical and skunk. If you want the full Sour Diesel story, our Sour Diesel history covers it.
| NYC Diesel | Sour Diesel | |
|---|---|---|
| Parents (Leafly) | Mexican x Afghani landraces | Chemdawg x Super Skunk |
| Top flavors (Leafly) | Grapefruit, diesel, chemical | Diesel, chemical, skunk |
| Top terpenes (Leafly) | Myrcene, caryophyllene, pinene | Caryophyllene, myrcene, limonene |
| How people describe it (Leafly) | Talkative, uplifted, energetic | Energetic, uplifted, talkative |
NYC Diesel’s grapefruit and fuel flavor
NYC Diesel smells like sour grapefruit over a diesel base, with a sharp, slightly chemical edge. The citrus is what sets it apart.
Leafly’s top flavor notes for NYC Diesel are grapefruit, diesel and chemical, in that order, so the fruit leads and the fuel follows.
Jetpacks describes its NYC Diesel the same way on our menu, a fuel-forward nose backed by citrus zest and a sour grapefruit bite. STIIIZY’s NY Diesel vape lists citrus, fuel and spice.
On the terpene side, Leafly puts myrcene and caryophyllene at the top. Our myrcene guide and caryophyllene guide explain what each one brings to the smell.
NYC Diesel as a sativa-leaning hybrid
Leafly lists NYC Diesel as a hybrid that leans sativa. People describe it as talkative and upbeat at first, easing into something more relaxed later.
On Leafly, the effects people report most for NYC Diesel are talkative, uplifted and energetic. Leafly’s write-up says it starts in the head and settles into a relaxed, full-body feeling over time.
Leafly also calls it a good fit for social settings, which tracks with the talkative reputation. How it lands for you will come down to the batch and your own tolerance.
NY Diesel, New York City Diesel and other names
Leafly lists New York Diesel as another name for NYC Diesel. Brands use the names a little differently, so read each product page for details.
On our menu you’ll see both spellings. Jetpacks uses NYC Diesel, while STIIIZY goes with NY Diesel. STIIIZY calls its version a New York exclusive.
Different growers mean different batches, so a Jetpacks jar and a STIIIZY vape with the same strain name won’t smell exactly alike.
Where to buy NYC Diesel on Staten Island
NugHub carries NYC Diesel and NY Diesel flower and vapes at our Forest Ave shop on Staten Island and for delivery. The menu shows what’s in today.
Lately we’ve had it in two formats.
- Flower with extra frost. Jetpacks Powdered Donuts NYC Diesel is a 3.5g jar of flower coated in THCa crystals. Our THCa diamonds guide explains what that coating is.
- Something pocket-sized. STIIIZY’s LiiiL NY Diesel is a 0.5g all-in-one vape.
Stop by Forest Ave or order delivery. Shop NYC Diesel on our menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NYC Diesel the same as Sour Diesel?
No. Leafly lists NYC Diesel’s parents as Mexican and Afghani landraces and Sour Diesel’s as Chemdawg and Super Skunk. Both have a diesel smell, but NYC Diesel is more citrusy.
Who bred NYC Diesel?
Soma Seeds, a seed company headquartered in Amsterdam. NYC Diesel won the High Times Cannabis Cup sativa category from 2001 through 2004.
Is NYC Diesel a sativa or indica?
Leafly lists it as a hybrid that leans sativa. People most often describe it as talkative, uplifted and energetic.
What does NYC Diesel smell like?
Sour grapefruit over diesel, with a sharp chemical edge. Leafly’s top flavors are grapefruit, diesel and chemical.
Is NY Diesel the same as NYC Diesel?
Leafly lists New York Diesel as another name for NYC Diesel. Brands use the names differently, so check the product page for each batch.
Where can I buy NYC Diesel in Staten Island?
NugHub carries NYC Diesel and NY Diesel from Jetpacks and STIIIZY at our Forest Ave shop and through delivery.
If you like your diesel with a squeeze of citrus, NYC Diesel is the one to grab next time you’re on Forest Ave.
