Some seriously long overdue reviews...

[Johnny_Z]

Wow... its been such a long time... I guess I don't know where to begin.

 I see a lot of new faces here, but some of the older members
might remember me from a while ago under a different name.
"ZooJohnnyZETA" ring a bell?

 Anyway, I was seperated from my beloved Hookah Forum about 6
months or so ago due to some rather serious medical issues that
involved a lot of doctors bills and time off work, which led to a loss
of employment and a lot of debt, which soon led to a cash flow of zero
and a lack of an internet connection. But these days my medical
situations have been resolved, debts have been paid, and I'm back
online again. Woo-Hoo!!!

 To Mr. Bubble, sorry I didn't reply to your email from a few
months back. I just got it the other day and was going to reply but
then I decided making a personal apperance at our favorite smoker's
forum would be a much more fun


 And to all those who sent me samples of their ma'assell out of
the kindness of their hearts only to have me vanish into thin air, I
give you my deepest and most sincere and humble appologies. It was just
beyond un-cool for me to leave all of you hanging like that and I very
much hope you can forgive me.

 
 However... I was planning on waiting another week or so until I
started posting on this forum again, as I have been working furiously
to get the reviews written for all these ma'assell samples that were
sent to me. Wait..no... lets be honest here. I havn't been "working
furiously"... I've been relaxing the whole time and enjoying the hell
out of all this great hookah smoking

But what I mean to say is that I wanted to finish writing all the
reviews I owe to my friends here before I returned, but after spending
a few days looking on at the forum and not posting I simply couldn't
resist waiting any longer!  I havn't finished all the reviews I
owe to you guys yet, but these five I've finished in the past few days
should be a good start...

My memory is a little foggy and I can't remember exactly who sent me
what, as all my samples to review got stored in the same box until I
was able to once again return to the Hookah Forum and review them. So
my appologies for not being able to give credit to the people who sent
me the flavors, but I'm sure if you were one of the people who sent me
something then you know who you are. Also know that I am extremely
grateful for every last one of them



But enough of the mushy stuff (no offense Mushrat ), its time to smoke!

First up we have...
 Al-Amir - Triple Apple
 HookaH HookaH - Apple
 Al-Fakher - Cola
 Al-Qemah - Apple
 Nakhla - Mandarin



=================
Al-Amir - Triple Apple
=================


Appearance : Very fine typical Al-Amir cut. Blood red in color, soaked
in molasses, and much like Al-Fakher in texture only slightly sandy
feeling in texture.


Smell : An extremely sweet candy apple smell. Mouth wateringly good
baked apple smell with a subtle hint of cherry in the background.


Flavor : Sweet and smooth baked apple flavor. Theres the tinniest hint
of licorice in the background, but its really barely noticeable. The
licorice doesn't stand out by itself, but I think it really helps the
sweet baked apple flavor to coat your mouth and throat, letting it
linger on for a minute or two after taking a puff.
The flavor isn't quite as strong as Al-Fakher Apple (my
current favorite apple flavor) and tends to start to fade out a little
after the first half hour or so of smoking. Its a good flavor in it’s
own right, but it is a little light... and be warned that it can burn
rather easily. It doesn't really become harsh when it burns, but it
tastes positively foul. So if you choose to try this Al-Amir flavor,
just be sure not to allow it too much heat and to smoke a little slower
then normal or else you risk ending up with a really nasty taste in
your mouth.


Smoke Density :  Not too thin, not too thick. It starts out rather
thin, but does gradually become thicker until it almost reaches the
thickness of Al-Fakher. Unfortunately by the time you get it thick
enough to cloud the air with big white plumes of smoke its gotten hot
enough that it starts to burn. It wont get thick enough to make you
cough (even if it does begin to burn) and is still relatively
satisfying.


Buzz :  Its really a middle of the road sort of thing. Theres a
definite buzz you get from smoking it, but its not strong enough to
make you loopy like Nakhla can be. Its fairly relaxing but not really
intoxicating in any way. Not really strong, but not really light
either... pretty average.


Overall Impression : Its a decently tasty apple flavor that coats the
throat well and can be quite relaxing. Well, at least its relaxing and
tasty until it begins to burn *ack!*. Its got a good thickness to the
smoke and a relaxing buzz to match, but to be honest it’s “easy to
burn” nature and rather mild flavor would make me choose Al-Fakher or
perhaps even Nakhla Single Apple over this in a pinch. Its a decent
apple flavor for sure, but there are much better out there to choose
from. If you already have Al-Amir Triple Apple then go ahead and smoke
it, because it’s a pretty good flavor. But if your looking for a top
notch Apple flavor there are better options out there.


Rating : 6.8 out of 10







=================
HookaH HookaH - Apple
=================


Appearance : Looks dark brown soup in a bag. The cut is so fine it is
literally a puree. Much finer than Al-Fakher and definitely the finest
thing I have ever seen. Be careful when loading the bowl with this
stuff as it has the potential to clog the air holes if not packed
extremely loosely.


Smell : An interesting sort of “chemicals & green apple candy”
smell. It is rather strange, but not offensive and certainly intriguing.


Flavor : Almost exactly like a mild Nakhla (single) Apple. Its like
they took one of my favorite apple flavors and added a couple drops of
vanilla extract to it. Although not the most original version of Apple
I have ever tasted, it is quite pleasant and in no way offensive. I do
wish the flavor was a bit stronger though.


Smoke Density : This one is extremely thick. Its just as thick as
Nakhla or Al-Fakher and possibly a little bit more so at times. I think
a lot of the thickness can be attributed to the cut of the ma’assell.
The extremely fine particles of massell tend to clog up the holes in
the bowl a bit, which means most of the time having to pull a lot
harder then normal to get a good puff. This slower pace of smoking
definitely ups the density of the smoke , but it did eventually give me
a bit of a headache from having to pull so hard.


Buzz : Its a very heady smoke. Not the kind that makes your body all
relaxed and tingly, but more of a general “swimming” feeling in your
brain. Its very relaxing but not quite strong enough to glue you to
your chair for the duration like Nakhla often can.


Overall Impression : Although it’s very nice in it’s own right, I find
it far too similar to Nakhla Apple to warrant buying a jar of it. 
The flavor, buzz, and smoke density are all very nice but I find all
the same characteristics in Nakhla Apple. And not only is the Nakhla
Apple less expensive, but it seems to have a more pronounced flavor
(plus I can buy it locally). And having to be extra careful in loading
the bowl and getting a headache from having to pull too hard for a
decent puff was a big drawback as well.
  I would say that if you are a big fan of Nakhla
Apple but find the buzz to be a little too strong and think it would
taste good with a drop of vanilla in it, then you might want to check
out HookaH HookaH Apple. Otherwise I’d say your best off sticking with
Al-Fakher Apple or Nakhla Apple for a good single apple flavor.


Rating : 7 out of 10

[dizzing]

!!!  wow, that's one heck of a comeback post!you probably don't remember me, but i was around back in the days you were still here - i just did a lot more lurking and my posts were fairly infrequent.. these days i've run out of better things to do i guess anyways, good to see you back!  and nice job with the reviews...

[Johnny_Z]

=================
Al-Fakher - Cola
=================


Appearance : If you’ve smoked Al-Fakher before, you know the drill. If
not, it’s a very finely chopped ma’assell that contains extremely
little stem material and is absolutely drenched in that special sauce.
In this case the color resembles that of it’s namesake, light brown
cola color all the way.


Smell : It really smells like the way cola tastes! Or more accurately
perhaps, those little cola flavored and soda bottle looking gummy
candies you can find at any bulk candy store. To be honest, it smells
to enticing to go on talking about the smell any longer... its time to
smoke!


Flavor : Do you prefer Pepsi or Coke? It really doesn't matter which
you like best, if you like either of those two sodas then I have a
feeling that you are really going to like this! Al-Fakher Cola has a
definite and real “cola” flavor to it for sure. Its nicely sweet and
satisfying without being overly sweet, and after smoking for 10 minutes
or so I have came to the conclusion that the flavor is more akin to
that of Coke than Pepsi. And not the often metallic tasting Coke you
get in cans, I mean the real stuff that comes in glass bottles. I think
the best way to describe the flavor of this ma’assell is like a cross
between the Coke in glass bottles and those little cola flavored gummy
candies. Also, like the vast majority of Al-Fakher products, the flavor
of Al-Fakher Cola is strong and pronounced and will last a good hour or
so. It does not leave you guessing as to what flavor your smoking and
searching your taste buds to to find hints of flavor underneath a bland
smoke like other companies Cola flavors may (*cough cough* Al-Waha Cola
*cough cough*).  


Smoke Density : Excuse my coughing there, but if this smoke gets any
thicker I think I’m going to start coughing again! You guessed it, like
most all Al-Fakher flavors Cola produces immensely thick and satisfying
clouds of smoke while somehow remaining completely smooth and easy on
the lungs. Don’t be afraid to pile on the coal with Al-Fakher, it can
take a lot of heat and produce super thick (and totally smooth) smoke
with great flavor and will rarely ever burn.


Buzz : Just like the smoke, the buzz is nice and smooth. A mild feeling
of relaxation that will put your whole body and mind at ease. Whether
it’s first thing in the morning, the middle of the day, or kicking back
at night the buzz from this and most other Al-Fakher  is a
peaceful and calming one thats perfect for any occasion. Always nice,
but never too strong as to interfere with what ever other work or
activities you may be doing at the time.


Overall Impression : In my opinion this is truly a top notch Cola
flavor. Its certainly the best I have ever tried and carries all the
qualities of a superb smoke. Delicious and strong long lasting flavor,
excellent smoke thickness, and a nicely relaxing “all purpose” buzz
combine together to produce a fully satisfying smoke that should appeal
to anyone looking for a good Cola flavor. If you know of a better Cola
flavor please let me know, because as far as I’ve found they just
doesn’t get any better then this.


Rating : 10 out of 10





=================
Al-Qemah - Apple
=================


Appearance : Since Al-Qemah is made by the same people who make
Al-Faker, you’d think the cut of the manacle would be the same as
Al-Faker, chopped very fine with almost no stem material and absolutely
drenched in liquid. Al-Qemah however seems to be a bit chunkier then
your standard Al-Faker, with the tobacco cut into decently long small
strips. Threes a little bit more stem material, but not too much. But
it is just as soaked in molasses as most Al-Faker and the color of this
particular flavor is a deep red.


Smell : Al-Qemah Apple has quite an interesting smell to it. Its like a
cross between Al-Faker Apple and Al-Faker Grape (both of which are
excellent flavors in my opinion) with a hint of high quality pipe
tobacco in the background.


Flavor : I’m actually finding the flavor of this one a bit difficult to
describe. Its a like a mild version of Al-Fakher Apple with a
distinctly floral note in the background. And when I say theres a
floral taste to the smoke I don’t mean a strong and overwhelming one
like you would find in Rose flavors, but more of a subtle and pleasant
potpourri note that lingers behind the already mild apple flavor.
Suprisingly, the flavor isn’t incredibly strong on this one. Its not
bland by any means, but still not as strong as you would expect a
flavor from Al-Fakher to be.


Smoke Density : Standard Al-Fakher offering here... and by “standard” I
mean it gets as thick as you could possibly want without getting so
thick as to become harsh and make you cough up a lung when you try to
smoke it. As with other Al-Fakher flavors you can really pile on the
coal for this one and still not have it burn. If you want to use a
little heat, use a little, if you want to use a lot, use a lot.
Regardless of how much coal you use its not likely that you’ll be be
accidentally burning a bowl of a Al-Fakher any time soon.  Another
big thumbs up to Al-Fakher one this one.


Buzz : Where am I again? Oh.. uhh...yeah...umm... this is some strong
stuff. If your palms arnt sweating yet then your probably not smoking
Al-Qemah. I think its safe to say that the buzz you’ll get from
Al-Qemah flavors is equal to that of the strongest offerings from
Nakhla. Its not strong enough to make you feel sick to your stomach
like that utterly horrible Hookah Splash stuff does, but it will
definitely put your brain into orbit. 


Overall Impression : While it lacks the sheer strength of flavor that
most Al-Fakher products carry, the flavor it brings is still just as
strong as almost anything you’ll find in brands like Nakhla and Al-Waha
that generally wouldn’t be considered “premium”. But while the flavor
can be a little light for my tastes, the incredible density of the
smoke and mind numbing buzz certainly makes up for it. If you smoke the
hookah more for the buzz then the flavor but still want something of a
“premium” quality, with a good taste, to put in your hookah then you
may very well find what your looking for in Al-Qemah.  If your
looking for a big buzz but the flavor of Al-Qemah Apple doesn’t sound
right for you, I highly recommend the Al-Qemah Strawberry (which tastes
like a cross between a really good strawberry preserve and a high
quality pipe tobacco).


Rating : 7.5 out of 10






=================
Nakhla - Mandarin
=================


Appearance : Its your basic Nakhla all the way. Decently moist, but not
soaked. I think it really feels more sticky rather then wet. Fairly
coarse cut with little bits of stems here and there. I’m sure there
were some logs in the full sized box, but thankfully the person who
sent me the sample seems to have picked through the ma’assell to omit
any large stems from my sample. But as I said, this is your standard
light brown colored Nakhla ma’assell.


Smell : Like a shot of pure orange citrus extract straight up the nose.
I think Nakhla Mandarin smells even more “orangey” then Nakhla Orange
does. Theres also a slight sweetness to that you don’t get from
Nakhla’s regular Orange flavor, which seems to fit in well with the
“Mandarin” description.


Flavor : I can say with complete certainty that this is the most
perfectly real orange flavor I have ever tasted in a ma’assell. The
sweet candy orange flavor of Al-Fakher has it’s charms, but Nakhla
Mandarin is perfectly 100% real orange tasting. Every note of it is
perfect... from the sharp citrus spike on your tongue, to the depth and
strength of the orange flavor itself, to the mild sweetness that
lingers in your mouth after exhaling. I thought Nakhla’s regular Orange
flavor was the most realistic Orange I have ever tried, but Nakhla
Mandarin goes above and beyond the call of duty to deliver nothing
short of perfection in the department of flavor accuracy.


Smoke Density : Nice and thick! With the right amount of heat (I use
one standard Three Kings quick-light charcoal and a steel screen as
opposed to foil) you get a good thick and satisfying smoke thats only
slightly thinner then that of Al-Fakher. Still, no qualms here. Due to
the fact that Nakhla ma’assell is more “sticky” then it is “wet” there
is the potential to have it burn if too much heat is used, but I didn’t
experience any burning in my session with it.

Buzz : Its definitely there in good force, but not the “hit by a truck”
feeling that you may get from other Nakhla flavors. Its quite a bit
stronger then what you would get from Al-Waha or even Al-Amir, and is
just a little stronger then that of most Al-Fakher and Romman flavors.
Pretty strong without being mind numbing.


Overall Impression : Nakhla Mandarin is a perfect example of why the
word “premium” does not always mean “superior” when applied to
ma’assell. There are a good number of premium Orange flavors out there
that have never managed to capture the total realism of Nakhla Mandarin
(i.e. Al-Fakher, Romman, Al-Amir, etc). While there are some great
candy tasting orange flavors available, if you want a real true to life
orange flavor then Nakhla is only one I’ve found that will deliver it.
Nakhla Orange is a superbly realistic orange flavor, but Nakhla
Mandarin takes it one step further to provide complete and utter
realism in every aspect of the flavor. While it may be extremely
difficult to find, if your looking for a realistic Orange flavor then I
urge you to search and search until you can find a good source for this
really rare flavor. Theres really nothing I would change about it!


Rating : 10 out of 10






I hope you've enjoyed the reviews I've finished so far! And remember,
it doesn't matter what brand your smoking, or what flavor your smoking.
What really matters is that you like what your smoking! 


Oh, and just so everyone here knows... all ma'assell flavors are being
reviewed in a single hose "Sphinx" Egyptian hookah from
www.hookah-shisha.com . Also, I use a steel screen instead of foil and
use Three Kings quick-light charcoals. People's impressions of flavors
may vary due to the hookah setups they are using, so for reference
thats what I use most of the time.


 Thats all for now, but keep your eyes open for me reviews of the
following ma'assell within the next few days. I'm doing my best to
crank out 1 or 2 a day (And the fact that I'm trying to cut back or
quit smoking cigarettes by smoking the hookah more often helps too)...


Afzal - Strawberry
El-Basha - Cappuccino
Al-Qemah - Grape
Habibi - Apple
Al-Fakher - Arc Sous
Al-Fakher - Apple
Al-Waha - Raspberry

[Sonthert]

I forget, what company makes Al Quema? Al Fakher?

[mushrat]

Johnny! Your home from peru! We'd thought you'd been run over my an elevator!
Damn good to see you again. Sorry to hear about the medical problems, but I guess any hospital stay you can walk away from is a good one...
Why didn't you revive your old self?
Anyway, keep up the reviews! They don't quite have the same...narrative flair of your old onse, but I guess you're just out of practice...I hope...Always looked foreward to reading your reviews.
When you run out there's all sorts of new stuff for you to try.... Like Starbuzz, Tangiers, and the new Nakhla Chocomint....
All you others should check back for some of his older stuff...under ZooJonnyZeta. For example....
[url="http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1003&KW=zjz"] http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/forum_pos...asp?TID=1003&am[/url] p;KW=zjz
Welcome back!

[Johnny_Z]

Aww thanks Mush!! 

 It certainly is good to be back in good health again... had some
serious stomach problems for a bit (ulcers, too much acid production,
etc.) but I'm back in good health these days. You know you can't keep a
good hookah smoker down forever


 As far as my old nic... well, to be perfectly honest, it seemed
too long LOL I guess I just felt like shortening it to something more
simple and my new one seemed like a pretty good choice.


And maybe I am a little out of practice when it comes to the reviews.
It has been a damn long time and my creative writing side hasnt gotten
a whole lot of exercise sense then. But even if they arn't as good as
the used to be, as long as people find them to be a useful tool when
considering what ma'assell to purchase and what to avoid, then job well
done I say!


 I do have a heck of a lot of new flavors to try though! Not only
the ones I have left to review, but even some new brands! I am
seriously drooling over the prospect of Starbuzz, as they seem to have
some really unique flavors and have gotten rave reviews from pretty
much everyone who's tried them. And if Starbuzz is one of those sweet
"candy" type ma'assells, then all the better I say! When I'm not
writing reviews I've found myself smoking Al-Fakher flavors pretty much
exclusively. Al-Fakher Apple, Strawberry, Grape, Cola, and Orange have
been my real favorites the past month or so. So these days I think I've
deffinately been prefering the "candy" sort of ma'assell. (And I'm not
even metrosexual!)
 
 So yeah, I've got some plans to pick up a few Starbuzz flavors
sometime after my birthday in a few weeks (gonna be 21! W00t!!)


But since the Starbuzz is still a few weeks away for me, its now time for.....



=================
Habibi - Apple
=================


Appearance : Imagine a blood red colored molasses soaked Nakhla. It
doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of stems as Nakhla, but is still
a pretty coarse and chunky cut. The big difference here is that this
stuff is really drenched in molasses. Its not quite “swimming” in it,
but believe me, its soaked.


Smell : This has got to be the only Apple flavor I have ever smelled
that smelled like black cherries!  Or perhaps more accurately, it
smells like a cross between Al-Fakher Apple and black cherry cough
syrup. Definitely a strange one we have here! I’m almost a little
scared to smoke it... almost.



Flavor : I think I went into this one with really high hopes, as this
flavor came highly recommended to me and is the original blend of
Habibi Apple before they re-made it. So it should be noted before I
talk about the flavor, that this version of Habibi Apple is no longer
available to buy. And I hate to say this ( I really do) but perhaps its
a good thing that they re-made it... because in my experience with
Habibi Apple I found it to have a flavor so light that it hardly tasted
like anything. Theres a little hint of something floral with a touch of
cherry flavor when I inhale, but as soon as I finished inhaling the
flavor was gone. After about 15 minutes or so of smoking (when the
smoke starts to thicken up) the flavor does increase slightly. At that
point I still felt that it was rather bland and under powered, but the
flavor I did get definitely told my brain “cherry” and “floral”. I
couldn't taste anything that reminded me of an Apple flavor, but I
suppose if the strength of the flavor were doubled or tripled it might
make a nice Cherry.
 

Smoke Density : The density and quality of the smoke itself is pretty
darn good. It takes about 10 or 15 minutes to reach it’s full
thickness, but when it does it thickens up nicely. Its not quite as
thick as Al-Fakher (or even Nakhla) gets in general, but it is
definitely acceptable in my book. For a while I thought the smoke was
going to be about as thin as the flavor was, but it did thicken up
nicely.


Buzz : How I felt about the buzz was pretty much the same way I felt
about the smoke thickness. It was really thin and mild at first, but
after about 15 minutes or so it got strong enough to make me not really
care about the fact that I couldn't taste much in the flavor. Its got a
nice sort of “puffy marshmallow brain” feel to it. Like if I stuck my
finger through a hole in the side of my head my brain would squish
inwards and then pop back into it’s original shape... much like a
marshmallow. Mmmm yes... thats it exactly... lightly cherry flavored
marshmallow sponge brain....



Overall Impression : This flavor turned out to really be as odd as it
smelled. It was supposed to be Apple, but came out tasting like a
pretty bland and slightly floral Cherry flavor. The smoke density was
pretty good and it never once burned on me. I did like the buzz though!
It was a mellow floaty one that almost had me speaking in tongues for a
few minutes... which can either be very good or very bad, depending on
who your smoking it with I suppose.
I guess what it really comes down to is that while it
wasn’t really a bad smoke, I wouldn't call it a good one either. It was
nice to try, but I really don’t think I’d want to buy it... which is
good in a way, because you can’t buy it anymore. But even if you could
find an old box of it, I think there are a lot better flavors out there
to stuff your bowl with.

Remember kids, friends don’t let friends smoke flavorless ma’assell.


Rating : 3.5 out of 10

[pavlakos_politakos]

i guess i  havent met you dude but im glad to meet such a great reviewer of moassel.glad your back bro.

[Johnny_Z]

Woah! Thanks for the kind words paviakos_politakos! 

 So I was sitting around this morning thinking about what I'd like
to smoke and feeling pretty groggy. I don't think I slept quite enough
last night and really needed something to wake me up and get me
energized. So what better way to start the day then with a nice big
bowl of....




====================
El-Basha (Nakhla) - Cappuccino
====================


Appearance : Business as usual, its just another day in the Nakhla
neighborhood. A light brown colored ma’assell thats lightly moist and
sticky and just as chunky as any other Nakhla. Beware the stem squad.



Smell : Its got a really nice strong smell. Smells just like freshly
roasted coffee beans with a little touch of chocolate in the
background. If your someone who likes coffee you’ll probably feel torn
between wanting to smoke it and wanting to just sit around smelling it
all day. Finger lickin’ good!


Flavor : Have you ever tried smoking a cup of light roast coffee? Yeah,
me either! But if you were able to succeed at it I can only imagine
that it would taste something like this. Its got a really pleasant
“light roast coffee” kind of flavor, but with none of the bitterness
that coffee generally leaves in your mouth after taking a sip (which is
why I generally don’t drink much coffee). So you take the flavor of
light roast coffee, remove all the bitterness from the aftertaste, and
viola! El-Basha - Cappuccino!
I should note though that I experienced a
really strong Mint type coolness to the smoke that lingered in my lungs
for quite a while after smoking. This may be attributed to the fact
that I used a different hookah then usual for this flavor, as I have
heard that coffee flavors can often linger in the hookah and hose for
quite a while. And its been so long since I last smoked the hookah I
used for this one ( the “Junior w/ Case” modern hookah from
www.the-hookah.com ) that I really have no idea what the last flavor I
smoked in it was...although its starting to seem pretty likely that it
was Mint LOL


Smoke Density : Good stuff!  Good stuff! Nice and thick in that
typical Nakhla fashion. Not quite as thick as Al-Fakher, but it was
still darn good. Nothing at all to complain about here.



Buzz: Despite the fact that the box states this flavor is an
“Ultra-Light” I still got a nice and fairly strong buzz from it. 
Maybe its because I smoked it first thing in the morning, but my brain
was definitely swimming in that coffee coffee coolness. I’m not quite
ready to call it “The best part of waking up”, but my brain is groovin
on the El-Basha in my cup.



Overall Impression : While this was the first coffee flavored ma’assell
that I have ever tried, I gotta say I was quite pleased with it. I’m
going to assume that the mint type coolness I experienced was due to
the hookah I was using it in and not some freakish tendency of El-Basha
Cappuccino. And even though it tasted more like a cup of light roast
coffee (with perhaps a dash of cream in it) than a cappuccino I still
found myself really enjoying it. If you like the flavor of coffee, but
hate the bitterness that comes with it, then perhaps you’d be better
served by El-Basha instead of Folger’s.
Now that I’ve tried
El-Basha Cappuccino I’d really like to give Al-Fakher’s version a try
and see how they compare. But for now, I  can safely say that I
really enjoyed this flavor and would smoke it again when I was in the
mood for something not so sweet and fruity. The council of Elrond
approves!


Rating : 7.7 out of 10

[dizzing]

interesting... i may have to go pick up a box of this stuff post haste...i'm tired of the ol' nakhla strawberry, or melon, or, well, any flavor of nakhla that iv'e ever tried before really - i wish there were a way to get some other brands here without ordering

[Johnny_Z]

So I was out and about today looking around a few local hookah shops...
and during my travels I found a 250 gram box of a flavor I have been
trying to find for a really long time!
 
 And while I do have 5 or 6 reviews of some older samples to
review, the moment I took a wiff of this flavor I knew I had to rush
home and smoke it immediately!

 So without further ado, I present you with my review of a
ma'assell that rocked my world in every possible way a ma'assell can...



=================
El Nakhla - Cola
=================


Appearance : Much softer and wetter  then your standard Nakhla for
sure. Perhaps I just got a really fresh box, but this stuff is really
wet to a level of being “juicy”. The cut is your standard Nakhla, but
the moisture level is much higher! Its a lightly golden colored
ma’assell that has about the moisture content of most Al-Waha.


Smell : To be completely honest, I don’t think I have EVER smelled any
ma’assell that smelled this good!! The smell can only be described as a
total explosion of cherry cola candy. Its as if I was standing right
over the production line inhaling the scent of the cherry cola candy
being freshly made! I don’t think any language has the words to
describe how overwhelmingly strong and delicious this smells!



Flavor : This is truly astounding! I know I rated the Al-Fakher Cola at
10 out of 10, but while it doesn't taste quite as strong as it smells,
the strength of and quality of this flavor definitely surpasses
Al-Fakher on every count. A full bodied and rich Cola flavor with a few
drops of Cherry in the background that really complete this incredible
flavor. It even leaves that distinct bite in the back of your throat
that would get from taking a big drink of a cold soda! I think it’s
safe to say that my search for the perfect cola flavor has ended right
here!!



Smoke Density : Thick, thick, and double thick. You like it thick? You
got it! Rich and dense, clouds of pure smoking goodness cast a white
veil over all they survey.



Buzz: TRAIN-WRECK. Both myself and my smoking partner found this to be
the strongest buzz we have had in the past year or so. I actually had
to put the hose down every few minutes so I could regain my focus
enough to write this review. The buzz on this flavor is downright
narcotic. Welcome to Nakhla World 2006.



Overall Impression :  Truly the most wonderful Cola flavor I have
ever (and most likely ever will) taste. As much as I love Al-Fakher,
their Cola flavor simply cannot compete with that of Nakhla. Everything
about it was absolutely perfect and the only negative thing I could
possibly say about it is that the buzz is really too strong to have it
be something I could smoke every day. The flavor is certainly one I
could enjoy every day, but the buzz is a monster that could will likely
cripple the brain of even the most seasoned hookah smoker. I also
really loved the fact that it tasted more like cherry cola then a
regular cola (as I prefer cherry coke over regular coke).  If you
are looking for a truly wonderful and strong “cherry cola” style Cola
flavor you really do owe it to yourself to buy a box of Nakhla Cola. I
don’t care if all you smoke is Al-Fakher and have sworn to never touch
Nakhla again, you still owe it to yourself to pick up a box of this! I
bought my box of Nakhla Cola at a local store, but you can find it
online at  www.southsmoke.com (Currently I haven't found anywhere
else that stocks Nakhla Cola). This flavor has without a doubt secured
it’s place in my collection for years and years to come. If I gave
Al-Fakher Cola a 10 out of 10, I have no choice but to double that
rating for the Nakhla version...



Rating : 20 out of 10

[MR Bubble]

Johnny, what about the nose-hit? C'mon, Johnny, nose hit! Nose hit! Nose hit!
Awesome reviews buddy.
MR Bubble

[Monil]

Dammit costs me £4 ($7) plus shipping to get hold of 50g of Nakhla cola. Nice reviews though - much appreciated. I didn't know you before but all the same, welcome back!

[HookahDuck]

AWSOME reviews man! I really appreciate it when people take the time to put that much detail into the reviews. I went and picked up a box of Nahkla 2x apple this afternoon(which im enjoying now). But you have me wishing I would have grabbed the cappucino or cola sitting next to it

[mushrat]

Thats starting to sound more like the old reviews...
BTW: pharaohs has been discussed before.. it's been spelled pharoh.
[url="http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/search.asp?KW=pharoh&SI=PT&OB=1"] http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/search.as...sp?KW=pharoh&SI[/url] =PT&OB=1

[Johnny_Z]

Thanks for the link Mushrat! I might give Pharaoh's Exotic Peach, Extreme Strawberry, or Cherry Cola a try one of these days.

But today, its time for some...


=================
Al-Waha - Raspberry
=================


Appearance : Looks a lot like a chunkier and stringier Al-Fakher to me.
Not too many stems and pretty soaked in molasses, but cut in long thin
strands in that typical Al-Waha kind of way. Its been a while since I
last smoked Al-Waha but this looks pretty much like I remember it
looking.



Smell : The closest thing I can relate the smell to is a raspberry
cough syrup. Mind you I have never seen nor smelled a raspberry cough
syrup, but just imagine a cherry cough syrup that used a 
raspberry flavoring instead of cherry. The raspberry part smells nice,
but the cough syrup aspect (the strongest aspect of the smell) does
make me a lil’ nervous about smoking it. But, as they say, the show
must go on!



Flavor : If I didn’t know this was supposed to be Raspberry, I would
have no idea what this flavor was. Maybe I’ve become jaded in my years
of hookah smoking, but I seriously can’t find much of any flavor to
speak of in this smoke. It leaves a little aftertaste of something
slightly floral, artificial, and vaguely sweet... but theres nothing
about this one that tells my brain “raspberry”. This is really about as
bland as ma’assell gets when it comes to flavor.



Smoke Density : It was decent at best. Never really got to the level of
thickness I find in the likes of Al-Fakher and Nakhla, but it wasn't as
thin as a brand like Sultan. Theres really not much to speak of here...
it was alright, but just barely passable.



Buzz: Really mild and relaxing... nothing too special though. It did
get me mildly buzzed and mellowed out, which somewhat compensated for
the sheer lack of anything resembling flavor. Just kinda washed over me
with a warm and calming feeling of general wellness.



Overall Impression : I’m gonna be perfectly honest here... I smoked
Al-Waha Raspberry for about 15 minutes before I just couldn't take it
any longer and needed to smoke something with real flavor. My partner
put down the hose and didn’t want any more after about 5 minutes, so I
felt I did well holding out as long as I did. To make a long story
short emptied all the Al-Waha Raspberry out of the bowl and loaded it
up with one of the most flavorful ma’assells I had (in this case I
chose Nakhla Orange). After a few minutes with the Nakhla Orange I
handed the hose over to my partner and his exclamation of utter delight
echoed my feelings to a tee. With that, the remainder of the Al-Waha
Raspberry sample was cast down into the depths of the trash can, never
to be seen again.



Rating : 1 out of 10  (And a 10 out of 10 for the Nakhla Orange that followed it)

[Sonthert]

Has anybody seen/tried Sahara brand? They took over Hookah brother's marketing area.

[dizzing]

actually, the second hookah I ever bought was sahara brand - i got it from southsmoke as one of their "traditional" hookahs (i think thats what line it was, anyway).  itw as a 30" (i think) 3-hoser..  the vase was handblown and not quite straight, nor was the stem, but it fit together well enough.  the thing was a beast, but i must admit that it leaked in several places, not the least of which being around one of the hose stems.  i think they may have upped their quality standards since then, however, because my local head shop carries them now and i saw quite a few nice looking ones on the shelf last time i was there.

[Tony]

[quote name='Johnny_Z']Flavor : I think I went into this one with really high hopes, as this
flavor came highly recommended to me and is the original blend of
Habibi Apple before they re-made it. So it should be noted before I
talk about the flavor, that this version of Habibi Apple is no longer
available to buy. And I hate to say this ( I really do) but perhaps its
a good thing that they re-made it... because in my experience with
Habibi Apple I found it to have a flavor so light that it hardly tasted
like anything.  [/quote]

I just picked some of this stuff up at a shop near me. How can I tell which rev- it is?

[steve07]

Have'nt had the pleasure to me you but your reviews are great, keep them coming.