From what I understand Seattle Greg bred and holds the genetics to the original NL5... The old, original NL5 cut everyone speaks of is a special plant that was genetics made by Seattle Greg.
But the cut that went to Europe/Nevil, did originally come from seeds that Seattle Greg made. They hybridized it with something else, and everyone from then on calls the Hybrid, NL5. Sensi Seeds ect, but as of about 10 or so years, Sensi no longer advertises their NL as NL5. Only as NL. I believe they lost the original Male genetics. Though the NL5 from late 80s0-90s-mid 2000s Sensi Seeds NL5 was extremely potent, and stacks up against almost anything. Id buy it now if they had it.
Also from what I understand, Seattle Greg has given Todd McCormick some of the Original NL5 Seeds the old clone came from. I believe the popular clone Nevil got comes from 1984, or earlier.
Todd plans on breeding the NL5 to Mel Franks Original Haze for NL5 x Haze seeds. Todd also has a killer Original Nevils Haze Male.
Todd as of right now has the Real Deal PURE as the driven snow HAZE SEEDS. Straight from Mel Frank, who got them from Skunkman decades ago. These are the real, unadultered thing. But remember only about 10% are highly desirable.
But when NL5 seeds from Holland were being sold, they were using a different male to make their version of NL5. Thus the confusion. I also always thought NL5 was clone only. It IS, if you go by the really old clone everyone is familiar with, but it seems Seattle Greg does have the original genetics saved back. Ive also heard SG also recently gave someone else some of the seeds.