First experience with Tangiers

[inimicus]

I have been experiencing the same. I have also read the recommendations in other threads. Tangiers has caused me to reevaluate my hookah skills.I have tried four different heads and two different hookahs (27" Mya and 31" Stargate) with notsofavorable results.Tastes GREAT. Just isn't the same smoke. Too harsh mostly, or too thin. In fact, the room smells wonderful above all else. Makes me want to light a bowl just to experience the glorious scent.With all the acclimation results remain the same.Best result so far...31" Stargate, Tangiers bowl, Pear, and two to three halfway spent golden charcoal with three people puffing away. Thorough, complex flavor, good thickness of smoke, and buzz of a lifetime. Only lasted about 20 minutes and then it was time to go to MEL'S DINER. Hookah munchies galore.

[inimicus]

I failed to specify the four different bowls (second paragraph above).Tangiers, the bowl that came with my Stargate, and syrian and egyptian style Mya bowls.

[ioannisds]

Hmmm. To be honest, I never really followed any of the advice given for smoking Tangiers, besides leaving it out for a few hours. I'm one of those guys who does not read instructions . Anyway, I had the most success with just my regular set-up. I use one 40mm 3 Kings coal (which I highly recommend, by the way. Just a tad more heat than the 33mm, and I only have to use one at a time, instead of the 1.5 to 2 of the smaller size), foil, and whatever bowl I have lying around. That's it. I have never unrolled the big chunks of leaves or anything, and I am not sure that is what Tangiers would recommend. I will say that I have not been able to get ridiculous clouds of smoke with the Tangiers like I have with Al-Amir, Starbuzz, and the like, but the flavor is there. As far as the harshness everyone keeps talking about, I think this is just the way Tangiers is. It is not a super-smooth, feminine smoke like other shisha. I always get that bite at the back of the throat, but I don't really feel it being harsh (like burning tobacco). I just think Tangiers takes some time/patience/getting used to, in order to be enjoyed and appreciated. Good luck with your smoke!

[ioannisds]

By the way, that is and ASSLOAD of ma'assell you bought, without having given it a try.  

[zzzzzT]

What has worked for me and given me fantastic smooth smoke and flavor with Tangiers. 1. Don't sprinkle or pack the bowl lightly. Just take a blob of tobacco and pack it a little over the bowl making sure your packing it good.2. Don't leave an airspace between the tobacco and the foil. I know this goes against most advice, but for Tangiers I think this is key. I put the foil on real tight making sure it touches the tobacco. I then put about 40 or more holes in the foil with a pin.3. You also don't need as much heat, I like to start off with one coal.This method works good for me.

[ioannisds]

[quote name='zzzzzT']What has worked for me and given me fantastic smooth smoke and flavor with Tangiers. <br><br>1. Don't sprinkle or pack the bowl lightly. Just take a blob of tobacco and pack it a little over the bowl making sure your packing it good.<br><br>2. Don't leave an airspace between the tobacco and the foil. I know this goes against most advice, but for Tangiers I think this is key. I put the foil on real tight making sure it touches the tobacco. I then put about 40 or more holes in the foil with a pin.<br><br>3. You also don't need as much heat, I like to start off with one coal.<br><br>This method works good for me.<br><br><br><br><br>[/quote] Interesting! Time to smoke a bowl.  

[zzzzzT]

Tangiers is amazing stuff, but it does need one improvement.When I first got samples I got it to smoke well the first time, but I was having trouble with later bowls.If I were to review Tangiers everything would be great except user friendliness which would be low. I say this because the bowl does need to be packed right a certain way to get it to smoke right. It is not forgiving stuff. I have seen many users post first reviews saying the smoke was thin or harsh. If you do pack it right, Tangiers is GREAT stuff. My recommendation is Tangiers needs instructions much like Fumari gives when you buy their tobacco to guide users to avoid pitfalls. Giving a phone # is not enough IMHO. I don't think many people have the patience to find how to get it to smoke right and are to lazy to call, which mean they throw the stuff away saying "this stuff is s*it." All this amounts to is a lost customer.Tangiers is awesome stuff, but does need a bit of understanding. Right now I am smoking some Red Tea and enjoying every minute of it.

[cymptom]

[quote name='inimicus']Tastes GREAT.  Just isn't the same smoke.  Too harsh mostly, or too thin.  In fact, the room smells wonderful above all else.  Makes me want to light a bowl just to experience the glorious scent.[/quote]Yeah, actually, I've found that when I can't get it smoking well it at least smells heavenly. Perhaps even moreso than when it does smoke well. Who knows why...[quote name='ioannisds']I have never unrolled the big chunks of leaves or anything, and I am not sure that is what Tangiers would recommend.  I will say that I have not been able to get ridiculous clouds of smoke with the Tangiers like I have with Al-Amir, Starbuzz, and the like, but the flavor is there.    As far as the harshness everyone keeps talking about, I think this is just the way Tangiers is.  It is not a super-smooth, feminine smoke like other shisha.  I always get that bite at the back of the throat, but I don't really feel it being harsh (like burning tobacco).[/quote]You should give it a try and see how it goes. I do think it's supposed to be a thicker, heavier smoke than other brands, but I don't think it's supposed to be harsh in a way that bites the back of your throat. Hopefully Tangiers will chime in to confirm this, but you should be able to get a nice smoke that, while noticably heavy in your lungs, is smooth on your throat. [quote name='ioannisds']By the way, that is and ASSLOAD of ma'assell you bought, without having given it a try.  [/quote]Haha.... yeah I guess it is. Now you kinda made me feel bad but I knew it would last a while, that I could trade it if I didn't like it, and that if I did like it, I'd be saving on shipping in the long-run. Didn't wanna go with the 100g packages -- I'd rather get more for my money and trade it away if I'm not satisfied.[quote name='zzzzzT']What has worked for me and given me fantastic smooth smoke and flavor with Tangiers. <br><br>1. Don't sprinkle or pack the bowl lightly. Just take a blob of tobacco and pack it a little over the bowl making sure your packing it good.<br><br>2. Don't leave an airspace between the tobacco and the foil. I know this goes against most advice, but for Tangiers I think this is key. I put the foil on real tight making sure it touches the tobacco. I then put about 40 or more holes in the foil with a pin.<br><br>3. You also don't need as much heat, I like to start off with one coal.<br><br>This method works good for me.[/quote]Yeah, both of these points have been emphasized by Tangiers I think, although I haven't really tried them yet. I'm just afraid of wasting the tobacco by packing too much in. Even when I don't fill the bowl to the foil, so much of it is still moist by the time I'm done smoking. I'll give these two points a try eventually though and see how it goes...[quote name='zzzzzT']Tangiers is amazing stuff, but it does need one improvement.<br><br>When I first got samples I got it to smoke well the first time, but I was having trouble with later bowls.<br><br>If I were to review Tangiers everything would be great except user friendliness which would be low. I say this because the bowl does need to be packed right a certain way to get it to smoke right. It is not forgiving stuff. I have seen many users post first reviews saying the smoke was thin or harsh. If you do pack it right, Tangiers is GREAT stuff. <br><br>My recommendation is Tangiers needs instructions much like Fumari gives when you buy their tobacco to guide users to avoid pitfalls. Giving a phone # is not enough IMHO. I don't think many people have the patience to find how to get it to smoke right and are to lazy to call, which mean they throw the stuff away saying "this stuff is s*it." All this amounts to is a lost customer.[/quote]I've been thinking the same exact thing. It could definitely be more user friendly, despite the fact that everyone on these boards knows that Tangiers is always very willing to help and really wants everyone to get the best possible smoke out of his tobacco. More thorough directions would be nice, I think.All of the Tangiers reviews I've seen on this forum have been good, but I took a look over at hookahforum.net and some of those guys were a little down on it. I think I remember someone saying that he threw his order in the trash after an unsuccessful smoke

[cymptom]

Just a quick update:Still pretty much at the same point, with Apricot being my smoothest, most successful smoke so far. It even seems to have a slightly different appearance - darker and more glossy. F-line apple takes a not-so-close second -- I can get decent smoke but not without a bit of harshness. My main problem at this point, and this is a problem I've had in the past and attributed it to a cracked bowl, is that I can't seem to properly heat anything but the very top layer of tobacco. No matter what I do, there is always tons of straight-out-of-the-bag moist tobacco left underneath a thin crisped layer. It's starting to get to me, not just because I'm wasting tobacco, but because I know that if I could heat more of the tobacco in the bowl at once I could get the smoke thickness I'm looking for without having to add so much charcoal that it becomes harsh. I've tried packing the bowl tightly, loosely and everywhere inbetween. I've tried unraveling the tobacco leaves and (with less success) just simply dropping clumps of tobacco into the bowl. Using Three Kings 33mm broken in half, one on each side of the bowl. If I bring them too close together, the tobacco starts burning, but if I use less I get very thin smoke. Nothing seems to remedy the problem and I'm starting to think it's just my hookah. Hopefully I'll get my hands on a QT soon A recent observation: I'm storing the tobacco in tupperware containers of various sizes, and one thing I've noticed is that the tobacco in larger containers happens to yield a more successful smoke. I'm keeping Apricot in the largest of the containers and the F-Line apple in the second largest. These two containers are round and have a much larger diameter than the rest, making it very easy to thoroughly stir the tobacco. Blueberry, Grape and Red Tea, which have thus far yielded so-so smokes are in medium sized containers, taller but half the diameter. Kashmir peach is in the smallest container (just barely fit all the tobacco in -- it touches the lid of the container a bit) and I've had the most difficulty smoking this one. Now this could just be a coincidence, but if not I'm assuming it has to do with acclimation. My understanding was that acclimating your tobacco helps to improve the flavor moreso than the way it smokes -- am I mistaken? I'd like to move them all into larger containers, but I'm hesitant because I don't want to waste any of the juice.

[cymptom]

Another quick update:My brother and I just had a very smooth session -- first Kashmir Peach, and when the coals died I took the crisped layer off, added some Apricot and fired it up again. Fantastic smoke. The flavors mixed well, although I didn't really taste the Kashmir Peach so much (still having the problem with the bottom layers not smoking.) The Apricot still smoked better than the Kashmir Peach, but I definitely see an improvement in the Peach after airing it out all day. Gonna leave it out all night too Oh and I drank two cups of iced green tea I brewed earlier today (straight, no sugar) and it complemented the smoke very well. The Kashmir Peach still had a bit of a harsh bite in the back of my throat, but a few gulps of the tea washed it away and seemed to prevent it from coming back as I continued smoking. I highly recommend this, as it leaves no taste in your mouth, cleanses the palate very well, and keeps you alert / prevents nicotine headaches.

[SanguineSolitude]

hey man, please tell me you arent still nursing that old cracked bowl?
if yes please buy a new one if only so you can be sure that that isnt
the problem. you can get a decent one pretty cheaply almost anywhere
online.

mmm tangiers apricot, one of my favorite shishas on the market.

p.s. tea and hookah go amazingly well dont they?

[Buford]

Something must be really off if people are saying the apricot is awesome - the sample I got of it from Tangiers was terrible.  The smell actually reminded me a bit of latex house paint.  I've got some of his stuff that is godly (mint especially, cinnamon and pear are good too), so I think I've figured out how to smoke it properly.  No matter what I do, though, the apricot is just practically unsmokable.  Maybe it's just a bad batch?I can't complain, though, as he did send it free of charge.  I don't see myself purchasing that flavor in the future, however.  I gave it to a friend of mine to see what his verdict on it is, but I haven't heard back on it yet.

[cymptom]

[quote name='SanguineSolitude']hey man, please tell me you arent still nursing that old cracked bowl?[/quote] No no, I got two new bowls -- the standard Egyptian from hookahcompany and a Tangiers head. Most of my smoking has been done with the Egyptian so far... I've had more difficulty with the Tangiers head and will move onto that once I get the tobacco smoking well in the Egyptian.

[SanguineSolitude]

buford you must have gotten a bad batch or something. ive smoked
apricot shishas from tons of brands and tangiers is one of my very
favorites. and since apricot is my favorite flavor, i consider myself a
connoiseur of the flavor. 

[zzzzzT]

I store Tangiers in larger containers and I did notice an improvement in quality when you leave some airspace.

[cymptom]

Hmm... I wonder if I should make the transfer to larger containers. Ohh but precious juices will inevitably be left behind

[cymptom]

Got the Tangiers head smoking great tonight. I think all of my difficulties thus far have been related to humidity shock. I also think it's possible that for others, while they say that they are getting the hang of smoking Tangiers, it's actually moreso the case that their tobacco is acclimating. It seems that once it's acclimated, it's really not so complicated to smoke. I simply picked up a glob of Grape and dropped it in the bowl, put on 2 halves of a 33mm Three kings spaced apart and bam, thick smoke on the first pull. And then, huge fluffy clouds on the second and onward The problem this time was that I hardly got any flavor -- had that "water flavored" smoke thing going on. A slight hint of grape, but not what I've come to expect of Tangiers. I hope I didn't air it out too much... I left all my Tangiers open for a day and a half, stirring frequently. But I do think I remember Tangiers saying that well made tobacco shouldn't dry up or lose its potency, with the expection of a few flavors like the citrus types. But this begs the question: why ever close the container? Why not store the tobacco in containers that have air holes in the lid?Will post again with further updates. My next goal is to put that bag of Nour coals to good use. Anyone getting annoyed by my constant not-so-interesting Tangiers smoking diary entries yet?

[cymptom]

Yeah that's right, a triple post and more babble from cymptom the Tangiers fiend...Had a [b]fantastic bowl of Kashmir Peach[/b] tonight, using the Nour finger charcoals. This shisha has the most intense flavor of any I've ever tried. It's definitely an in-your-face kinda smoke, absolutely delicious. I was surprised at how much coal I had to use to get it going though. I don't have much experience with naturals -- do they burn cooler or something? I had about a 5 inch long finger on there (about the diameter of a quarter) broken into three pieces, as opposed to the normal single 33mm Three kings broken in half. I don't understand how even a single three kings can be too much heat, but a huge piece of natural charcoal is just barely enough. After the Kashmir Peach I fired up some Red Tea. It was decent, but like the grape last night a bit lacking in terms of flavor intensity. I really hope I didn't air this stuff out too much It could also be because I smoked it right after the Kashmir Peach...

[Sonthert]

The containers I use, for those lucky people who made it to the factory and taken fresh stuff home...are shallow and wide/long...if the tobacco is spread out it will acclimate faster. People who use ziploc bags find acclimation more difficult because the tobacco is "Stacked" and dries/dampens slower.Yes, I freely admit it, Tangiers doesn't perform as well as brands that have the nicotine removed in some aspects, it is definitely more tempermental. Compared to other nicotinated brands, since the flavor is larger, more complex and deeper, there is more reference to determine it is smoking poorly. If I drove a Lamborghini, I would be more likely to notice a problem in the performance than I would if I drove a CHevrolet...not that I am comparing my tobacco to a Lamborghini...OK, I am...Tangiers isn't for everybody...there are going to be alot of people that say "Tangiers is crap and I hate it." Oh well. You can't please all the people any of the time. As far as the hookah forum.net, I noticed some good and some bad reviews...considering I don't go over there and do customer support, I think they're doing well to get it to smoke well...the thing they seem to bemoan is that its delicate, it burns easy because they don't realize I designed it to smoke with less charcoal so it will last longer.Would anybody  object to me going over there to coach their smoking?