NASC Journal

From Seed to Smoke: Insights, Inspiration and Dank prose directly from the NASC team

The Making of the Black Goliath Auto

Dirty Bird Genetics Celebrates the Launch of their first Autoflower 

By: Beth Mathieu, owner of Dirty Bird Genetics

Dirty Bird Genetics Alpha Series - Black Goliath Auto Fem is available Friday, February 13th! This release is limited to 100 packs so don't miss out!

Black Goliath Alpha Series Cannabis Seeds by Dirty Bird Genetics

Dirty Bird’s release of the Black Goliath Auto marks a very special occasion for our team as the proud launch of our first-ever autoflower strain. At the time of this drop (Feb 2026), our autoflower program is 18 months in the making, and it’s still in its infancy all things considered. We anticipated that we would work most strains for several generations before achieving the stability we were looking for in order to release them. But out of the 100 auto breeding projects we’ve done over the past 18 months at Dirty Bird, the Black Goliath Auto (Anvil F7 x Sour Gorilla) genetics stood out enough to become not just a tester drop, but an elevated Alpha Series drop. In deciding to release these, we tested three cohorts of the F1 seeds, and we were able to observe about 75 plants total. We wanted to be sure of these genetics before letting them out into the wild, and at this time, we feel the strain has more than proven itself. 

The Black Goliath is one of those strains that will stand out in any garden due to its dark purple flower (the photos do not do it justice), incredible, dense yields, and a terpene profile that ranges from pine to skunk to cherry chapstick. For an F1, the stability and homogeneity of the Black Goliath is quite remarkable. We credit this, in large part, to the Anvil F7 powerhouse mother we selected to breed with (a heartfelt shout out to Gnome!). The Anvil F7, a wildly stable IBL by all accounts, is your classic indica: it’s short and stout with a strong central cola, solid purple flower, and bright green foliage. The Anvil definitely brought its A-game to this cross, lending to the low PVI, the dark purple (almost black) flowers, the high density, above-average yields, and the elongated central cola. 

Black Goliath Auto on day 31 looking super consistent
Anvil Auto - photo credit to Gnome 

The Sour Gorilla, on the other hand, brought the sugar and the terps to the cross, and it helped stretch out the otherwise super-compact structure of the Anvil. The Sour Gorilla mother that we used in this creation is our own cross of Humboldt’s Sour Apple Auto x Fastbud’s Strawberry Gorilla Auto. The Sour Gorilla Auto is wonderfully sugary and appley, and it grows like a typical hybrid of medium height and density. 

Sour Gorilla Auto (Sour Apple x Strawberry Gorilla) by Dirty Bird Genetics

Combined, the Black Goliath’s Anvil F7 x Sour Gorilla lineage came together wonderfully. In looking at the pictures below, you’ll see that this is strain with very strong central colas. In the spirit of experimentation, we topped 10 plants just to see, but the untopped plants definitely outshined them. I will note that we test all of our autos exclusively in three gallon pots, and I do expect that in a larger pot size, this strain would have done very well topped because the plants do create a very even canopy. Play around with topping if you’re into that, and if you’re not, this is going to be a great set-it-and-forget-it morphology. 

Overall, we are really proud of this creation and excited for you to grow it at home and give us your feedback. These seeds are very limited. We were only able to release 100 (3) packs. That said, we will be continuing to work these genetics forward,  and we are really looking forward to bringing you more in the near future as we continue to perfect this great cultivar. 

As always, Happy Growing! 

Beth + Team Dirty Bird 


More Dirty Bird Genetics Articles


Shop Dirty Bird Genetics

Contact Us

Email:
[email protected]

Mailing Address:
PO Box 2724
Waterville, ME 04903

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Service:
Mon. to Fri.: 9am to 4pm EST

Shipping:
Monday – Friday


Disclaimer: Cannabis seeds are sold as souvenirs, and collectibles only. They contain 0% THC. It is imperative that you check your state and local laws before attempting to purchase seeds, and we are not liable for what you do with seeds after receiving them. The statements on this website and its products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult your doctor before use. North Atlantic Seed Company assumes no legal responsibility for your actions once the product is in your possession and is not liable for any resulting issues, legal or otherwise, that may arise.