Newbie looking for some shisha advice.

[AwD]

I'm really green here - I just started smoking hookah in December and have only been out 4 times, though I have my own hookah in the works now. I first went out to a lounge for my birthday with some friends who also have never smoked. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially sharing a hookah with a couple of people - the social aspect was great. Sharing the same shisha and hose created a nice connection between us that I think wouldn't have been there with multiple hookahs/hoses.

What wasn't awesome was the shisha choice. I left it up to the proprietor to select something for me - he probed my taste preferences with a few questions and we settled in on something that I can't quite remember the name of, and he offered to change the bowl if it was something I didn't like (damn sporting of him if you ask me). Well, I didn't care for the flavor, but I'm not the kind of guy to send something back as long as it's not offensive. I was surprised (and a little disappointed) that it was devoid of any tobacco flavor. It tasted like some sort of blue soda with a bit of mint. I hated the mint (it made the hit feel "cold" and insipid, despite huge clouds) and was glad it was very faint. To me, the fruit flavoring tasted like cheap candy. This candy flavor is something I'm trying to get away from. In short, I would begrudgingly smoke this if someone else ordered and paid for it.

The next month I went in I saw Social Smoke's version of white gummy bear on the board and HAD to try it. Now, I know what you're saying  "You didn't like that your last shisha tasted like candy then you pick out a shisha named after a candy???" Well, you don't understand my affinity for gummy bears. I liked this shisha, but only for my love of gummy bears and because it tasted JUST LIKE the white ones - Haribo brand in specific. I would gladly smoke this shisha if someone else picked it, but would never order it myself again. 

Last month I gave Al Fakher mango a shot - we're getting better here - still flavored with some sort of artifice, but less fake tasting. Also, the smoke felt a bit more substantial and I could taste a tiny bit of tobacco in it - which is good. I'd be pretty happy with this one every once and a while.

This week, I gave Al Fakher Double Apple a shot. I liked it much better as it a more natural flavor. A very subtle apple swimming in a sea of star anise. I couldn't taste any tobacco, but the anise flavor was difficult to navigate, so it may have been there and my tongue isn't attuned to hookah enough to taste it. Normally I merely tolerate anise flavor, but I really liked this shisha, though I wouldn't mind a bit of tobacco flavor - I am smoking tobacco, after all. Also, it had a thicker mouthfeel and a deeper sugar flavor more akin to brown sugar.  While there is room for improvement, I would gladly pick and smoke this shisha again. 

Another thing I'm not a huge fan of on most of the shishas I've had is that they remind me of vaping. I've taken a few drags off of friends vapes and don't care for how "light" the smoke feels. I'd guess this is the VG in the shisha. 

If I could have a bespoke shisha, it would be: no mint, slight tobacco flavor, natural flavor (chef's choice on flavor), darker sweetness and heavier smoke (not thicker clouds, just a more substantial smoke feeling). With so many options out there, there must be something for me, I just don't know where to even start! 

Edited March 31, 2019 by AwD

[shawn78600]

Keep it basic in the beginning, stick to Al fakher BlueMist, Kiwi, Mint ect in your range also StarBuzz has some amzing mix flavours. Id recommend youtube to get some mix lessons.

My fav Blue mist 30%,CitrusMist 30%,Kiwi 30%, Mint10%

The best Mix ever try it out and good luck 

[Jawmichael]

On 7/23/2019 at 1:56 AM, shawn78600 said:

Keep it basic in the beginning, stick to Al fakher BlueMist, Kiwi, Mint ect in your range also StarBuzz has some amzing mix flavours. Id recommend youtube to get some mix lessons.

My fav Blue mist 30%,CitrusMist 30%,Kiwi 30%, Mint10%

The best Mix ever try it out and good luck 

+1

[LuvHookah]

so interesting post/Thank's

[Growley Monster]

I am very partial to Al Fakher Double Apple. It is my personal favorite. Not having a lot of tobacco taste doesn't bother me. But you could maybe mix the Double Apple with some straight Burley pipe tobacco or even a little Prince Albert which is mostly Burley I believe. You could also try a straight Cavendish in there instead of Burley or in combination. Now that I think of it, a Cavendish would probably go well in such a mixture. See your local tobacconist. A real one, not a head shop. If you see bongs, leave LOL! You want the shop that has a big walkin humidor full of cigars, and racks and racks of briar pipes. Ask for an ounce of straight Burley and an ounce of Cavendish. No flavoring added. It won't cost all that much. Start out mixing in about 25% pipe tobacco, and increase until you find your sweet spot. Be sure and let the mixture stand a few days to saturate the pipe tobacco with the shisha juice, before trying it in the hookah. Try both tobacco varieties, and try a little of both, in the shisha. Want tobacco taste? Add tobacco.

Another interesting adjunct to try mixed in your shisha would be Bull Durham. Yeah, the cowboy cigarette stuff in the little cloth sack. Worth a try. Cheap as dirt. Bugler bills itself as a mixture of "Turkish and Blended" cigarette tobacco whatever that means. Cheap enough to try. Might be just the thing for added tobacco taste.

I do not like all those popular blue and purple  and bubblegum flavors that remind me of a urinal cake. I like the aforementioned Double Apple, Double Apple with Mint, Grape, Green Apple, and a few others, and I prefer the Al Fakher brand. You could try Egyptian or Syrian brands, too. Nakhla is one of those to try. I don't care for it all that much but it might be just what you are looking for.

Oh, and I forgot about Tangiers. They have a Noir lineup that has a lot of tobacco flavor, and their Burley lineup, too. Give them a try. These are more tobacco-y than most commonly available mixtures.

Edited October 25, 2019 by Growley Monster
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