Af Melon Help...

[Barnaby]

Ok, so everyone and their brother on this forum, and other hookah forums pretty much say AF is the end all be all short of Tangiers and some select other few.. I have not yet had the chance to try any until now. Up until now I've smoked Tangiers, Romman, Al Waha, Nakhla, Layalina, Fantasia, and Fusion.


Now everytime I've opened a box of shisha, it more or less smells like what it is supposed to be. Some much closer than others, but for the most part it smells like it should.

On to the tub of AF Melon I got. manufacture data is Nov 2007, says it expires next year. I got the box from H-S.com. Open it up, take out the tub. All nice and fancy, with a little handle and everything. Open the tub, got the resealable baggie inside.

Open it up, and find the red mess that is AF. But what is this smell? It sure doesn't smell anything like melon. Infact, if anything, it kinda smells like a mix of rotten fruit and food coloring..

So I go to smoke it, and it atleast tastes better than it smelled, but I wouldn't go as far to say as it tasted like cantaloupe.. I have no idea what it does taste like, but not melon..

I'm going to give it another try, as I'm thinking.. Ok.. Maybe it's sat in this bag for too long and needs to air out alittle. I let it sit for maybe 30 minutes, but I had to do some other stuff, so I didn't get a chance to see if it really helped or not.

So, 1st impression is not too good.. The AF is almost a mush due to the extreme fine cut. There is a SHITLOAD of stems in it. More so than I think I've seen in any other shisha. It pretty much smells funky as all get out.. Nothing like opening a bag of tangiers, and it smells exactly like what it is. Shit, even Romman smells like what its supposed, it just happens to kinda suck..

Bad tub? This is how it is? Needs to air out? Thoughts? Hate for dissing the AF? Anything would be good.

I also have a tub of grape that I haven't opened, so we'll see what that has to offer, but so far, AF seems to be lacking if this is how it is...

It does not smell like ketchup btw.. Just kinda like plastic is the best way I can describe it.. Just off.. completely odd and fake smelling.. I dunno..

[Tom1]

I've been able to save a bad batch of AF Cola (tasted like vinegar), It still wasn't great but considering it wasn't smokable, it worked out nicely. Just spread it out on some tinfoil for a few hours and mix it up every once in awhile. Edited November 12, 2008 by Tom16689

[mushrat]

hmm..
af melon is one of my old favorites too. I hope it was just a bad start and not a sign that the stuff is going down hill.

[Barnaby]

I've been able to save a bad batch of AF Cola (tasted like vinegar), It still wasn't great but considering it wasn't smokable, it worked out nicely. Just spread it out on some tinfoil for a few hours and mix it up every once in awhile.

That's what I'm thinking that maybe it does need to air alittle to get rid of what I'm guessing is the bag smell.. I don't think something can sit in a bag that long and not pick up some kinda of odd taste.. I dunno.. maybe it just went bad.. I don't see how though since it's pretty much triple sealed, and the exp. date is next year..

[Barnaby]

hmm..
af melon is one of my old favorites too. I hope it was just a bad start and not a sign that the stuff is going down hill.

melon was one of the first flavors of hookah I ever had when I first had it, so its always been kind of a fall back flavor for me. I had my hopes up of this being some of the best melon I tasted.. it was just kind of off..

I dunno.. If this doesn't end up tasting right, think H-S would exchange it?

[Hojo]

For what it's worth, Melon was the first AF flavor I tried, and it smelled like vinegar. I was horrified, especially since, as you said, everyone seems to love it. Give other AF flavors a try, though, because AF is easily my favorite brand.

[Barnaby]

For what it's worth, Melon was the first AF flavor I tried, and it smelled like vinegar. I was horrified, especially since, as you said, everyone seems to love it. Give other AF flavors a try, though, because AF is easily my favorite brand.

hmm... I have the grape laying around, I'll probably open it up to see what it smells like later. Dunno if I'll have the chance to smoke it.. I just wish I new if this is either how the melon is, or if it's just bad..

[Guest DJ_HOSSEIX]

if the date on your AF melon is from 2007 then you have a bad batch. I have a july 2008 batch that smells amd tastes like cantaloupes.

[Barnaby]

if the date on your AF melon is from 2007 then you have a bad batch. I have a july 2008 batch that smells amd tastes like cantaloupes.

hmm.. pretty sure it is.. Think I can get it exchanged? And is there any kind of proof from AF saying, yes this was a bad batch so I can show H-S and get them to exchange it?

[drabin]

I mean its worth a try to exchange it but AF would never say exactly its a bad batch because then no company would buy it to sell.

[Tom1]

Just ask them about it on the Live chat support they have. They've always been by far the best IMO when it comes to customer service. When things go wrong that are completely out of their hands that they could easily shrug off they go out of their way to make it right. For example last winter My rotator vase shattered while trying to take it apart, they replaced it and sent some samples.

[Barnaby]

Just ask them about it on the Live chat support they have. They've always been by far the best IMO when it comes to customer service. When things go wrong that are completely out of their hands that they could easily shrug off they go out of their way to make it right. For example last winter My rotator vase shattered while trying to take it apart, they replaced it and sent some samples.

I'm talking to them right now about it. Just don't want to go thru the hassle of exchanging it, if either I need to let it air out, or this is just the way it is..

we shall see!

[Heffalump]

Keep us updated! Was just about to order some

[Barnaby]

H-S gave me a store credit for it, so that's all good atleast.. I just wish I had a definative way of saying, yup.. it's bad.. will need to take it out when I get home and check it out. pretty sure though its rotten.. LAME!

Hope my grape is ok!

[racemyghost]

Their grape is excellent. Ive never had any issues like everyone always keeps mentioning.

THeir melon on the other hand, ive never been a fan of. Thats one flavor AF F'd up on. If you're in search of a great melon, pick up some Nakhla Sweet Melon.

[rigor]

I've had the grape issues with both reg AF Grape and their Golden Grape. However, I still consider AF to be a great brand. Definitely give their Peach, Mint, and Watermelon a try, as I don't think anyone would be disappointed with those. The new AF Lemon Mint mixed with their Cherry is a great mix I threw together just last night - was kind of like Cherry Lemonade.

Good luck

[Barnaby]

Their grape is excellent. Ive never had any issues like everyone always keeps mentioning.

THeir melon on the other hand, ive never been a fan of. Thats one flavor AF F'd up on. If you're in search of a great melon, pick up some Nakhla Sweet Melon.

Hmm.. this is good to know then, that quite possible its not a bad batch, and it just sucks.. saves me from wanting to try it again.. I've had nahkla sweet melon, and while it was good, it was alittle too sweet.. Might try tangiers melon blend.. I have to say, I haven't had anything bad from Tangiers as of yet.. shit is always solid..

[Barnaby]

I've had the grape issues with both reg AF Grape and their Golden Grape. However, I still consider AF to be a great brand. Definitely give their Peach, Mint, and Watermelon a try, as I don't think anyone would be disappointed with those. The new AF Lemon Mint mixed with their Cherry is a great mix I threw together just last night - was kind of like Cherry Lemonade.

Good luck

Not a fan of Mint, but I'll probably try the Peach and the Watermelon. I've heard good things there... But it's probably going to depend on what the grape is like. If it has the same oddness as the melon did, I might just write off AF all together. 2 tubs with that same attribute would very much ruin AF for me. But I really want to refuse to think that this is just the way it is. It has to be bad. There is no way it would get good reviews the way it is.

[staygone]

AF inconsistancy again eh? Classic AF.

Nakhla Sweet melon is a good one.

-QM

[NickReppinThe909]

i have only had one "bad batch" of AF ever and it was only a overly dry package of cola. i think all this crap about af being "inconsistent" just comes down to personal preference for taste not a poor quality shisha

[mattarios2]

agreed

[staygone]

When a company has inconsistancy over a wide spread of consumers, that says something.

I wish I had the luck of some people, but I figure why bother when I can't trust them.

-QM

[Bulldog_916]

Nakhla Sweet Melon and Al Waha Melon > AF Melon.

Buy Nakhla. It tastes amazing, like fresh cantaloupe in your mouth. /thread

[chinamon]

Buy Nakhla. It tastes amazing, like fresh cantaloupe in your mouth. /thread

yup. nakhla sweet melon tastes just like fresh cantaloupe.
af melon, on the other hand, tastes like mild cantaloupe mixed with a little honeydew. its not bad but its a little bland.

[Barnaby]

Pretty sure mine is bad. smelt it last night, its definately rancid. I chucked it. Opened the grape tub I had. smells ok, bout what I expected it to. It seems less of a mush too vs. the melon. I wondered if it was already opened, as the inner package was covered in juice, but it didn't seem to be. Looks like it just had a spray of shisha juice over the package.

I've had the nakhla sweet melon before.. its pretty good, albeit extremely sweet.

Oh well.. I dunno if I want to try another tub of AF or not really.. Guess it depends on how good the grape smokes.. I might give the watermelon a try... We'll see..