Many Mo Samples

[MR Bubble]

Holy Pokey! I just got home and was greeted by a package in the mail box. It's been 14 years since I last got a package from London. King Mo sent more than a fist-full of wonderful looking and smelling samples of various brands and flavors. I do not know if I will get around to them tonight, but I just want to take the time to thank Mo for the trouble, cost, and generosity of sending them. When I do smoke them, I will use this thread to do a review.
MR Bubble

[King Mo]

Glad they arrived. Never can be too sure with transatlantic postage .
no problem at all, my pleasure.  look forward to hearing what a hardcore nakhlan (from the planet nakhla) thinks about it
Enjoy
 

[MR Bubble]

Of course I will give my honest impression of them. So far, so good judging by the wonderful smell coming from the bag. Customs enjoyed it, I'm sure. Now realize that I'll be judjing them up against the withering heights of Nakhla's standards.
Thanks again and take care!
MR Bubble

[cypress]

Yea thanks King Mo for the samples.  I got a kick on the
description of the package. Flavored molasses samples. I wonder how
customs took that.  Congrats on the 2012 Olympics. Sorry to hear
about the terrorist attacks. I hope this didnt affect you. 

[MR Bubble]

Yeah, I just got in from work and notice he hasn't logged on today. Everyone say a special prayer/affirmation for King Mo. Then when he logs on, we can go back to sparring.
Then lets just say a few prayers/affirmations for all those involved in the misfortunate tragedy in London.
MR Bubble

[King Mo]

man, one of the stations is a 3 minute walk from my home. Police everywhere.
My mother and sis were going to that station, and were inside, but had to leave as the incident had just happened. They came back home this morning telling me about all the chaos and injured people, and then saw the news and the scale of the whole thing.
Thanks for the mention guys, it's amazing how close to home these things were. These people kill innocents in Iraq, even my friend who is an Iraqi, lost his father who was abducted and murdered by these scum.
I really hope they are all caught and destroyed. They represent no cause, other than that of the destruction of Islam. (they are not even close to being Muslims).
Just my two pennies worth. Back to Shisha, Enjoy the smoking
I ordered some golden charcoals to try them and see how they are. My local shop ran out of charcoal, and I really don't want to buy swiftlites that will stink up my house.
 
 

[MR Bubble]

Howdy Mo! Glad you and you family are fine. So here goes review #1. Tonights grab from the bag is Romman Double Apple.
This stuff looks like it had a bad day. I've had Romman before, but this is cut even looser than before. But, that's just the cover of the book and I will not judge. Thesmell is really nice, like a good Double apple shoud be. The taste will play tricks on you though. When you first lay the coals on and start smoking (first few minutes) it really reminds me of Nakhla single apple, but with a tad more sweet flavor. Finally (just when I was concerned) it happened. The double apple taste kicked in, mildly at first then grew in strength. A really nice double apple. I've heard a lot of stories of the strength of the liccorice flavor, but I'm not getting it. Not that it isn't powerful, it is. But it's not all liccorice I'm getting, and not mint or menthol. I can't put my finger on it, but I've tasted this before. Remember those red cinnamon hard candies you can get. At least I think you can still get them. Imagine a red apple, a green apple and one of those red, firey cinnamon candies being shoved in your chops. It's a spicey double apple. Oh dude,  have I lost my mind here? I can distinctly taste a hint of 2 different apples behind the fire. It almost burns the tip of my tongue!. Am I going to live through this? If you want any more flavor detail, then I can't help you. This is just plain weird. Liccorice? Bah-humbug! I really sense tha tone of the apple flavors is the apple peel! It has that bitter-apple peel taste. Go figure. I like this. So, here is the emoticon run-down.
Flavor:  for originality. Who cares what the tobacco looks like? I mean, some of the ugliest looking books I've ever read were....Uh, well....Okay, they sucked. But this cover is ugly, but it's really good!
Smoke-density:  Puffy, puffy, puffy! Lots of thick, white smoke billowing out of my face. Very good.
Buzz-Factor: A rather sloppy Nakhlaish buzz. In fact I think I'm more stupid from this than with the "Big-N."
Nose- hitability: I really feel like I'm doing a no-no with this stuff. I give it just shy of 4 carpet tacks. Really flips my wig.
Satisfaction: Yes, I'm happy. I smoked my first bowl of it late last night, but didn't want to do the review until I figured out the spicey flavor, and was very satisfied afterward. Didn't crave a cigarette for the longest time.
Final thoughts: Well now, This is very original for me due to the lack of liccorice (it does have some in it) but it is a well flavored double apple with a cinnamon twist for the kicker. However, the strongest double apple I've had to date still is Mushrat's Sara double apple. Now THAT is the ultimate liccoricey double apple. But just like you are probably grumbling about, "this isn't about how much liccorice it has in it, Bubble!" I think it is a smashing success for the distinctly 2 different apple flavors with the fresh change to this maybe-cinnamon flavor. So, for those three things, I give this a big. In people talk, that means a 10! Or is it a 9.5? Who cares- close enough!
But 10 or no 10 this is still not my standard double apple. I'm a traditional guy and look forward to the liccorice coating with my apple and there are two brands that get my "standard" double apple stamp. This Romman gets my "Exotic excellence award" for 2005! Yes, I will have this on hand now for the holidays to go with my Christmas Spice Pepsi! 
Thanks again Mo. And Thanks Mathazer for promoting this stuff so strongly.
Cheers fellows and fellowettes,
MR Bubble.  So if you want some fun, take o-bla-di-bla-da!

[alen]

Hey Hookah brothers i just wanna inform that i got all goodies from Mo too(thanks alot Mo and good to hear that you and your family are allright) 
 it was a real fine collection of samples and i tried to make a review last night but i have some problem to post so it didnt work(seems that its not only me having problems with the forum right now ?) anyway the samples were really great and i found some new favorites that im gonna order in the future
im just home over the day but im hope the forum is ok when im back next time and then im gonna try to review some of my new favorits
thanks again Mo and take care down there - and to all the rest of you - have a nice summer
Alen

[MR Bubble]

Howdy kind and gentle peoples, tonight we're going to look at another sample Mo sent. Tonight's random pick is Al Qemah grape. My first concern is if there is a recent QA problem wit hthe Fakher people. The only difference between the stems in this and and Nakhla are the length of them. The girth are the same as well as the quantity. No big deal. I just consider them to be like a soup bone. You know, helps the flavor in the bag. Gotta keep smiling. The smell is somewhat of a grape and there is enough sauce left over to spread on your biscuit if desired. The flavor isn't quite what I expected. But then again Mo always claimed this to be not the most desireable grape. I must agree. How can I describe this....Let's see....."Dark" is a word that comes into my head. I don't mean a Concord grape versus a white grape either. I detect a slight grape taste to it but it is not up to full speed as being a grape. No, not the toxic waste type of grape Nakhla's El Basha puts out. Just a deep, dark hint of grape that is masked by dark sweetness of some substance that isn't bad, but isn't something I'd pay money for. I always accused the fakheline of being a sweet wad of goo until I tasted the right flavors and must agree they are really good. But this is a wad of dark, sweet goo. Imagine this: You have a spoon of dark brown sugar, but a small gnat's pinch of grape drink mix(the drink mix is pretty accurate mix) that you shoved in the middle of the sugar. You shovel it in your mouth, take acouple crunches and swallow it down. You say, "Damned that is sweet, but there was this slight hint of grape in there." That's what we have here. Of course, this has to be for the folks who don't want an over-powering fruit taste, but a hint of fruit with their tobacco. That's okay, and I can't blame them. But this could be just a bit more grapey to call it grape flavor. There is nothing wrong with the taste. That is, there is nothing that makes me go "yuck." Just short of the amount of flavor (besides a wad of sweet goo) that makes me want it on a regular basis. Not a loser, but far from a success. I will pick AL Amir grape over this any day at any price.
Flavor: -Nothing nasty like we all know is out there. A pleasant, thick, darkish sweet with a hint of grape to it. I'm not barfing, but I'm not jubilant either. I'm here, it's here and we just get along.
Smoke-density:- Just like God said it should be. I always praise Nakhla for its high smoke density but the Fakher has a smoke that is "silky" looking. I can't say it's any thicker, or any better, but it just seems whiter and silkier. Make sense?
Nose-hitability:  Ah... maybe a 2 carpet tack rating, but I get a better sense of "grape" through the nose with this one, which is a good thing.
Buzz-Factor:  A medium buzz. Fakher always has a "tight, controlled" type of buzz to me and this is no different.
Closing thoughts: It's smokeable. No nasty Lucky Strike taste to it or something from Three Mile Island. It is pleasant to smoke, with a hint of grape to it that falls short of a grapey experience. What grape is there is an accurate grape taste, but shrouded in too much dark wads of sweet goo. I'm really looking forward to the regular Fakher grape he sent me and I really do appreciate the samples once again. I believe Mo and I see eye to eye on this one.
Have a great night!
MR Bubble

[John Deere]

Those were some of the most animated reviews I have ever seen.[img]http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/smileys/smiley36.gif[/img] I'm glad your a fan of Romman double apple now, welcome to the club. Incidentally, what are the most licoricey double apples? I like anise a lot, and I have only tried Nakhla, Al waha, and Romman Double Apples. let me know!

[Seandoo]

Hmm...I think this thread might add onto my quest for the perfect double apple =)
I'll see if I can find any 50g boxes for cheap online of this romman double apple you all speak of.

By the way, I want to thank mushrat - just got his package of Sara
double apple today - man does it smell good. I'll be sure to try it out
very soon =)

[King Mo]

Great reviews as usual. Always nice to hear a different take on things.

I must say, I'm glad you used the word 'dark' to describe the Qema
grape. I felt like using it for that flavour (can't remember if I did),
and perhaps the apple flavours like Qema Apple, Amir 3 apple and a
couple of others.

[MR Bubble]

John Deere, to answer your question: I give the most liccoricey flavor to the Sara XXapple. You will like it. Yes, I adored the Romman XXapple, but I feel you have some good stuff with Nakhla's XXapple, but only if it is relatively fresh. I will startd getting my Nakhla "main-stays" in the Jars (apple, XXapple, Strawberry, etc..) because they go weal really fast once you open the box.
If you like liccorice a lot, look at my review of the Abed Alkader liccorice I did a couple weeks ago.
Thanks for the compliments. I will be doing another review tonight, I hope.
MR Bubble

[John Deere]

Where exactly does one find this elusive sara double apple, I cant seem to locate it.

[MR Bubble]

Mushrat gets it from a local store. Maybe if you talk really super nice to him.... And it is some good stuff. Really packs a liccorice punch.
MR bubble
Oh, just to let you know, I may not be doing any review tonight. I am about hookah'd out right now. I've been trying to get my Syrian hookah technique down and have been having bad luck. Keeps giving me a nasty hot sensation. It has a pretty good size bowl on it, which I have been filling half way up, one coal broken into 4ths, and lots of little holes. In other words: the makings for a good smoke. I think the problem is, since it's a smaller machine, the water vase is just a little too small, giving a rougher smoke. Oh well. It was just an experiment: "can I buy a 30 dollar hookah in the U.S. that smokes good?" Most of you have heard the story of the smallish one I bought in Egypt for an emergency week of smoking. I still wish I would have held onto it. It was a wonderful hitter! Had the same size base as the large jobs. And it costed about $10. I figure over here it would go for about $55. We pay alot for these things. Oh well, the little Syrian job is pretty to look at and I'm not sorry for getting it.
Be good all you hookah-heads!
MR Bubble
 

[cypress]

I agree and the Sarah 2 apple. It does pack a good anise punch. 

[MR Bubble]

Heads up! I did a bowl of the AF grape last night just to get a feel for it before I do a formal review. Will be doing it tonight. Right now, all I can say is:
Buzz Factor: Make it go away!
MR Bubble

[MR Bubble]

Al Fakher grape.
Last night's initial trial of this stuff was a little less than I expected, given all the rave over it. Tonight's smoke is SO MUCH MO BETTER! Yes, pun intended. First, I want to comment on all the "soup bones" in the mix. I don't remember Fakher being quite like this. But who cares? Especially after tasting what I'm tasting tonight. So, forget about the appearance and cut and wetness and.... You've heard it all abefore about Fakher. Last night's smoke was a much too bright sweet. Overpowering and too hard to make out the grape. Just a overly sweet wad of goo. Tonight, I cut back on the heat just a little and am greeted by the great grape! Like the Quema, this is a darker sweet (to me) but a more accurate type of sweet. This is sweet as we know it that comes from very ripe, big concords. I know the picture shows white grapes, but to me, I'm getting dark Concords. DO any of you know about Welches frozen concentrate grape juice? The dark stuff that stains everything? I loved it when I was a kid, and I don't know if they still make it, but this reminds me so much of it. The juice had a slight;y sour tinge to it that this doesn't, but I can taste the deeply, sweet purple grape in it. Wonderful images of childhood. For those of you who have had Al Amir grape, this is a bit more accurate tasting, but I love the Al Amir also because it is slightly tilted toward a "cartoon" grape. Not a bad thing because I need a cartoonish hint to help me decipher the flavor sometimes. But I don't need a hint tonight. Last night, with a bit more heat, I could have used a few clues.
Flavor: Thanks for the memories..... I love flavors that bring on the past. Not as tobacco taste heavy as the Quema, but what tobacco there is is complimentary to the flavor. Dark sweetness, but one which is just right for a ripe grape.
Smoke density:  Just like Fakher usually is. Not the densest smoke, but has that silky quality that is different from others.
Buzz-factor: Last night: Mind-bending. Tonight with adjusted heat: Very relaxing and "tight and controlled."
Nose-hitability: Last night: Four carpet tack rating! My eyeballs started sweating! Tonight:  Loser!
Final thoughts. I have weird tastes. I guess after all these months (a year and a half) I guess I just needed to get that off my chest. But it's true. I do have strange massel tastes. I even kinda like Nakhla's grape with it's undertones of toxic waste. It's a cartoon grape to the max. I dearly love Al Amir's grape for it's deep, ripe sweet flavor. But this stuff almost takes the cake. My problem is, I can't decide which of the two I like the best. Amir or Fakher. Hmm. They are slightly different. One is slightly cartoonish, giving me that gentle nudge toward "Grape!" and the Fakher, being a shade (just a bit) more realistic, only requires it's natural flavor to nudge me toward the GRAPE conclusion. Hmm. The one negative I have for this is that I just finished the bowl and already want a cigarette. It just doesn't satisfy me in a smoker's way, but such a wonderful smoke this is! But there is something more I'm looking for. I don't know exactly what it is, but as soon as I find it in a grape, I'll let you know! So, if we must do number ratings, this one gets an 8.5. But don't be surprised if it creeps up to a 9 very soon.
MR Bubble

[Seandoo]

hmm I think I might have to disagree - tried out mushrat's sara double
apple and man was that some good stuffs. Not that anybody here hasn't
expressed a dislike...but I can't stand black licorice stuff like
nyquil...but this was a nice flavor I was able to enjoy with my
"vanilla buddies" - so props to mushrat for weening some of my friends
away from the layalina vanilla =)

it's just funny because we all hate black licorice but enjoyed the sara double apple a lot

so what does the romman one taste like in comparison? i heard about a certain "bite" to it...maybe that's what i'm looking for?

[MR Bubble]

Seandoo, I did a review of the romman one on this same thread. Look up a few.
Some people may mistake the liccorice taste in most xx apples for the other stuff like the touch of mint or menthol, or whatever it is. The sara doesn't have all that with it and has the more pronounced liccorice, so you and your friends may be enjoying the higher quality liccorice taste that is in it, while disliking the other brands other additives, and blaming the liccorice on the "bad taste." Understand?
MR Bubble

[cypress]

I tried Al Amir Grape last night and I see what you are talking about
the "cartoon" grape feeling. I think I am going to smoke it 1 more time
for a good review.  As a quick note the al amir grape remided me
of Messina Hoff Port Wine. I actually had to pour me a shot to taste to
go along with it.

As far as the Sara 2 apple, I did forget to mention in my review that
there was not a hint of mint like I am use to in Nakhla's. I hate candy
black licorice but in Sarah it brings a smooth overpowering flavor.

[MR Bubble]

Hey Cypress, how do you like the AL Amir grape?
MR Bubble

[cypress]

Its not bad. I still enjoy the AF Grape better. I am about to light up
here in a few so I will be writing a review on it in the next couple of
hours. 

[mushrat]

Was reading back and realized i missed a few days on this topic, including Mo's family's close call. Glad everyone is ok.
Sorry for the interruption.

[MR Bubble]

hey gang, sorry for not being consistant with my reviews. I'm smoking a new flavor for a night fist without reviewing it to get a taste of it first, then smoking it again the following night while I type these reviews. By doing this, I'm hoping for a more accurate picture of the taste. So, tonight's flavor pick is AF Apple. This is not the first time I've reviewed this flavor. The first time was last spring. I was only mildly impressed. I was taken off gaurd by the spiced apple preserves taste of it then, as I am now. I know I talked about the cinnamon taste of the Romman double apple, and this can be described as having a "cinnamon sprinkled on apple pie" taste too, but they are two completely different cinnamon tastes. The romman xxapple is more of a hot, cinnamon candy tatse, while the cinnamon in the falker apple is more of a natural, powdered cinnamon. Two completely different aminals. The apple itsself is a sweet, red apple including the tart apple peel thrown in for good measure. Liccorice anyone? If there is, it's just a pinch to give it that dark, deep sweet. A good kind of dark, deep sweet (not to be confused with Quema grape). So, let's judge this thing in the important qualities.
Flavor: Oh yea, very good. I'm more impressed this time round. The only problem I'm having is me. Seems the bright satar coals I have burn a bit hotter than what I'm used to. They also take up more area on the head than the three kings. So, when I break them into quarters ALL of the holes are covered and this makes the smoke a little harsher than I'd like. I will experiment with useing only 3 of the quarter pieces. This is how I handle the large 40mm coals. Works perfectly with them and it may with these also. However NOTE that it is not burning. MRS Bubble brought up a point here. This, like all AF flavors have a slight cocconut undertone while burning cool. This is noticeable when you first get it going, but eventually goes away. Not quite sure what it is, but it reminds me of some cocconut oil.
Smoke density: Fakher silkiness. Thick, but not the thickest, with a white silky quality that has always been consistant with this brand.
Buzz-Factor: Nothing to rave about. The standard Fakher tight, controlled relaxing mellow.
Nose-hitability:A solid 3 carpet tack experience.
Closing time: Oh yessir. No complaints here. This is a massel for people who are looking for realism in an apple. One thing I've noticed is that in order to ge tthe optimum flavor, the temperature has to be almost perfect. For me, this occurs just before the middle of the smoke session. Once it get's a little too hot, the realistic flavor of the tobacco fades into an overly sweet wad of goo that can be confused with almost any flavor of AF out there. The temperature has to be just right to maintain the flavor intended. So for any temperatur shortcomings I have, then it's my fault, but for the tobacco itsself it is a deep, super sweet apple with a hint of "apple pie cinnamon" that is remarkable for its realism. You know you have a special smoke when you can actually decide what kind of apple it is! I would love to experiment with different coal combinations with this one. Because I truly believe this may be the best apple out there. I will give this a 9.0. Just because I can't commit it to a 10. The reason is that I want to try every apple out there (they're my thing) to decide which one really is the best. I don't know, but this just may be it.
SO put that in your pipe and smoke it!
MR Bubble