About Nakhla Wetness ...

[mattarios2]

So i just spoke with Karabetian Import & Export Inc. which btw seem like really cool people over there. I originally called to ask about the new mizo flavors to see when their expected date of arrival was, compared to the place over in Seekong, and we got off topic so i was asking him about how the previous nakhla used to be really dry, but lately the nakhla i have been receiving has been actually pretty damn juicy.

He claims they requested it dry from nakhla in egypt. He said nakhla has different "kinds" of nakhla if you will, and many middle eastern people prefer it dryer than moist. He said most of their customers are middle eastern and they always requested it like that. But as of late they are seeing people prefer it to be more moist so now they are requesting the moist stuff from them and he said all of the new stock of nakhla you get from them, will be very wet, not dry like it used to be.

Anyone have any idea if any of this is valid?

I told him maybe it was just old stuff and now they changed their recipe to make it not dry out so fast? He said no, we specifically requested it dry, but they don't do that anymore ... ideas people, thoughts?

[NimbleCow]

Will it be possible to know which vendors are selling wet or dry?

[mattarios2]

no idea, but Karabetian Import & Export Inc. claims everything they are getting is the wet stuff now, btw they are the main importer of nakhla. There are only two in the USA.

So it seems once the old stuff is sold and weeded out, it should all be the new wet stuff.

[twoapplesplease]

wow thanks for the info on this Karabetian imports & exports They have the tobacco I've been looking for for years
the nakhla bahrini apple

[NimbleCow]

It looks like HC is out of Nakhla Double Apple, so perhaps they are waiting on this new stuff from this distributor?

[Kapten Kanel]

Opened my first mizo package ever like yesterday, i was almost loling at the amount of juice, like "this is where all the juice from the standard line gets?!?"
I have never seen any wet standard nakhla, the nakhla mandarine i got in my newest order was the standard dry/sticky one, i was kind of suprised because there was no aluminum bag, only the plastic one, doesnt this mean i have got a lower quality version? Or is it just mizo that gets a aluminum bag now? Because i remember having 250g of nakhla cherry and that came in an aluminum bag. hmmm that was kinda repetive...

[mattarios2]

every mizo and normal line 250g box ive gotten has had an aluminum bag around it with the the plastic bag on the inside.

[Kapten Kanel]

every mizo and normal line 250g box ive gotten has had an aluminum bag around it with the the plastic bag on the inside.

This would then mean ive gotten a lower quality version? Because i remember reading that somewhere. Ordering from the states to sweden to get some quality shisha and then recieving a lower quality nakhla feels...bad...

Please, if anybody has any info about this please share!

[mattarios2]

i heard the fake nakhla doesnt have the yellow and blue seal around the box, did yours?

[Kapten Kanel]

i heard the fake nakhla doesnt have the yellow and blue seal around the box, did yours?

It did, it looks legit, i bought it from a very reputable vendor (no names until im sure about this issue). I dont believe any fake nakhla actually exist, just differnet qualitys of it.

[antouwan]

i heard the fake nakhla doesnt have the yellow and blue seal around the box, did yours?

It did, it looks legit, i bought it from a very reputable vendor (no names until im sure about this issue). I dont believe any fake nakhla actually exist, just differnet qualitys of it.

another european member posted a thread a WHILE ago and the different 'kinds' of nakhla were explained. something about 'export quality' or something

all the nak that i bought (like about 10 boxes of it recently) all came in an aluminum bag and is rather moist and smokes great

[Kapten Kanel]

i heard the fake nakhla doesnt have the yellow and blue seal around the box, did yours?

It did, it looks legit, i bought it from a very reputable vendor (no names until im sure about this issue). I dont believe any fake nakhla actually exist, just differnet qualitys of it.

another european member posted a thread a WHILE ago

*Puts on the excavation clothes*

- "Im going in, the treacherous murky depths of the archives may kill me but do not fear - Kapten Kanel is here!"

[Sonthert]

There are different types of Nakhla, there is one exclusively for German Export, for instance. In terms of dry vs. moist, I don't think that sounds exactly right, they buy US Export Nakhla...I doubt that there are different kinds for US export, since Karabetian is the sole importer for Nakhla, and I doubt that Nakhla is going to adjust their production according to American whims, I think Nabil or Joe's pullin' on your leg. I don't know, on the other hand. I would surmise that they are making positive changes to accommodate the changing marketplace, across the board...not just because Karabetian asks for a certain type of tobacco. That being said, I think adding moisture to Nakhla is a shame...it positions them with the rest of the market, not continuing their tradition of distinguishing themselves...whether its true or not.

[mattarios2]

There are different types of Nakhla, there is one exclusively for German Export, for instance. In terms of dry vs. moist, I don't think that sounds exactly right, they buy US Export Nakhla...I doubt that there are different kinds for US export, since Karabetian is the sole importer for Nakhla, and I doubt that Nakhla is going to adjust their production according to American whims, I think Nabil or Joe's pullin' on your leg. I don't know, on the other hand. I would surmise that they are making positive changes to accommodate the changing marketplace, across the board...not just because Karabetian asks for a certain type of tobacco. That being said, I think adding moisture to Nakhla is a shame...it positions them with the rest of the market, not continuing their tradition of distinguishing themselves...whether its true or not.

A shame?!?! WHAT?! Heh, i see what you are saying about distinguishing themselves, but come on, it smokes, tastes, and lasts a lot longer when it is juicier. I don't think its gonna be like dripping like tangiers or fantasia (ew) but the stuff i have gotten is just much more moist and has some juice rather than being bone dry.

[Lunatic768]

hat being said, I think adding moisture to Nakhla is a shame...it positions them with the rest of the market, not continuing their tradition of distinguishing themselves...whether its true or not.

+1

[Scoot.508]

Yea, I've noticed that a bunch of their tobacco has been getting really moist lately. If it stays decently moist instead of dry I won't care, but if it turns into fantasia/starbuzz/every overpriced sloppy messes......

[mattarios2]

Yea, I've noticed that a bunch of their tobacco has been getting really moist lately. If it stays decently moist instead of dry I won't care, but if it turns into fantasia/starbuzz/every overpriced sloppy messes......

agreed

[Bulldog_916]

There are different types of Nakhla, there is one exclusively for German Export, for instance. In terms of dry vs. moist, I don't think that sounds exactly right, they buy US Export Nakhla...I doubt that there are different kinds for US export, since Karabetian is the sole importer for Nakhla, and I doubt that Nakhla is going to adjust their production according to American whims, I think Nabil or Joe's pullin' on your leg. I don't know, on the other hand. I would surmise that they are making positive changes to accommodate the changing marketplace, across the board...not just because Karabetian asks for a certain type of tobacco. That being said, I think adding moisture to Nakhla is a shame...it positions them with the rest of the market, not continuing their tradition of distinguishing themselves...whether its true or not.

I'm kind of with you on this one. When I pack a bowl of melon or apricot or double apple, it seems like if it's dry (not bone dry but the type of dryness you would associate with nakhla) it lasts just as long (if not longer) than the wet stuff. The flavoring is in the liquid with most shisha. Once the wetness runs out of the bowl (as in a traditional hookah), you wont get too much more out of it. With a drier shisha, it tends to last till the bottom of the bowl because there's no wetness to run out. I've had a bowl of standard nakhla run me 2 hours easily in an egyptian bowl. So, I'm more for the traditional style.

[Sonthert]

Tangiers is oily...not wet. If Nakhla's adding more water to their shisha, it will make it last less time, not more. Water makes the tobacco's flavor give out faster. What brand has the longest flavor/smoke duration? I'd like to think Tangiers. What has the lowest water content? Tangiers. Its not a coincidence. Water makes the tobacco cheaper. If you mean its getting oilier, thats something different. Adding more water to Nakhla will make it die faster, if I understand what's going on here...

[Kapten Kanel]

I find it quite weird because my nakhla mandarine had the export quality seal (blue white yellow or something like that) which should imply that it was the version with the aluminum bag with tobacco that is of higher quality but it still had the plastic bag.

On the box it says that its distributed by karabetian import if that is worth anything, hmmm what to do...

[mattarios2]

There are different types of Nakhla, there is one exclusively for German Export, for instance. In terms of dry vs. moist, I don't think that sounds exactly right, they buy US Export Nakhla...I doubt that there are different kinds for US export, since Karabetian is the sole importer for Nakhla, and I doubt that Nakhla is going to adjust their production according to American whims, I think Nabil or Joe's pullin' on your leg. I don't know, on the other hand. I would surmise that they are making positive changes to accommodate the changing marketplace, across the board...not just because Karabetian asks for a certain type of tobacco. That being said, I think adding moisture to Nakhla is a shame...it positions them with the rest of the market, not continuing their tradition of distinguishing themselves...whether its true or not.

I think you guys are thinking it is going to be soaked like fant/af. The newer stuff i got was "really wet" compared to the bone dry nakhla that usually is floating around. It isn't "wet" by any means, it is much more moist and sticky. Excuse me if i made it seem as though it was that way. It isn't like "the rest of the market" not even close. I hightly doubt nakhla would ever consider making their shisha like fantasia or AF, i think they are just going to be making it more moist rather than bone dry.

This has been my experience with the newer stuff i have bought.

[Kapten Kanel]

The nakhla mandarine i got is the essence of dry, a big pile of little dry pieces, even the nakhla ive bought here in sweden has been a little more moist/sticky, the mandarine still smells really good though, hopefully the smoke will be decent.

[Kapten Kanel]

I have sent an email to karabetian import now to see if they can shed some light on the situation, ill update.

[ilikemyusername]

I recently purchased mandarin and it was very dry, and kinda smelled like pee. at the same time I purchased nakhla jessaminne and its litterally dripping red bloody juice out of it and tastes like flowers.

[Kapten Kanel]

I recently purchased mandarin and it was very dry, and kinda smelled like pee. at the same time I purchased nakhla jessaminne and its litterally dripping red bloody juice out of it and tastes like flowers.

That's because you urinate in your tobacco
Haha nah but seriously, yeah i know the juicyness differs between flavour/batch and so on but the big question is if the export version always comes with an aluminum bag, beacuse if it does someone is "repacking" nakhla boxes to make them look like the higher quality export version with the blue/yellow/white seal and all.
Im importing to sweden from the states to avoid the lower quality domestic/egyptian nakhla version that we have over here, and this happens. There may be no issue at all, maybe the export version does come in a plastic bag (even though from what ive read it shouldnt) and i just had bad luck getting an desert dry shisha, i dont know i just need to get to the bottom of this.