Al Fakher ruined me.

[Mr. Scratch]

For years I've been perfectly satisfied smoking the lesser brands - Al Waha, El Basha, etc.  Then some bastard here noted that SouthSmoke had El Fakher for $9.95, so I ordered up a couple tubs.
Stunningly smooth smoke.  Just couldn't stop -- I was doing 3 hour smoke sessions with this stuff semi-regularly.  Smoked El Fakher exclusively for over a week.
Then last nite, I decided to conserve my good stuff, and just smoke the ol' Waha for awhile.  BLEeaCH!  My old standby Al Waha apple tasted like it had been dipped in perfume and mixed with Drum rolling tobacco. Tried the Waha grape and it was even worse.  I used to like this stuff, but now all of a sudden it just tasted of chemicals, and parched my throat.  It didn't seem to taste that way before, but it does now.  Spent the whole time wishing I was puffing on Fakher's strawberry instead.
Have I ruined my taste for the cheap stuff?  I had a nice inexpensive habit that used to think was nice, but it seems like I'm now locked into shelling out for the premium stuff if I'm going to enjoy my hookah.  Anyone done this before?  Can you ever go back?
 
 

[NERV]

maybe ur wlwaha just got old? try some fresh stuff? on the other hand u
migh tjust be used to the good stuff, like how im used to the nicotine
and dont get as much of a buzz anymore

[Mr. Scratch]

[quote name='Teufelhund'] Ha-Ha! Much like Sodom and Gomorrah, you'll turn to a pillar of salt if you go back.
[...]
And welcome to the wonderful world of high dollar fancy pipe tobacco.[/quote]
Yeah.  I've got about 600g of Al Waha that I'm determined to soldier through, end then I'm done with the cheep stuff.  Maybe I can let my otherwise innocent friends smoke it -- it isn't bad per se, like I said, until I did a week and a half of straight Al Fakher I was quite pleased with it.  I could be stingy and keep the secret joy stash to myself .
I don't think I'll be able to make it through all that Waha though, to tell the truth.  I'll have to chalk some of those jars up as yet another 250g "learning experience".
Funny -- for years I've tinkered with wine, trying to develop the wine snob aesthetic to be able to instantly sense mediocre wine from good wine, and good wine from great wine.  After many years, much of the sense still eludes me -- in a blind tasting, I suspect I'm as likely to choose a $10 bottle over a $50 bottle as vice-versa.  But with decent/excellent ma'assel, the difference is stunning, and has left a permanent impact. 

[MR Bubble]

I'm backwards from you guys. I have been ruined for so long by Nakhla. I have tried the premium brands, and found that most of the time they do taste better and smoke much smoother, but I need a cigarete right after smoking them. Nakhla is the only one that satisfies me. Plus, I prefer the inaccurate flavor of Nakhla. You know, "Reminds me of the flavor of_ _ _ _(insert fruit), but not quite, but maybe. Yes, but what is it. This is good though." Kinda like an impressionist painting; keeps you wondering why they call it _ _ _ _ _ (insert flavor)
Enjoy,
MR Bubble

[HookahCulture]

AF is my favorite as well and has spoiled me for other things.
I still keep tubs of Al Waha peach and 5 stars for variety, they haven't gotten worse....
But I know I'll never do Nakhla. "Inaccurate flavor of Nakhla," yeah you got it there!

Regarding wine, I've had some GOOD $10 wines in my day!

[Fumystery]

Al fakher is just orgasmic 

There's a few Nakhla I can still enjoy like Orange or Mint but Nakhla is overally

What is really nice with Al fakher is that it taste like candy yeah i'm a sugar freak 

[Sean]

I just ordered up a batch of all Fakher and I agree whole
heartedly.  Smokes very very nice.  But since I have never
had anythin but the premiums, I am not exactly a chain smoker with my
hookah, only a couple times a week as I can find the time, The nice
little 50g packs last me wuite a while.  So  I cant say I
have anythin standard to compare it to.  and by the way.  MAn
you guys are overpaying at 10.  I have had some great 3-5 dollar
bottles of wine. Its all in the taste.  I like it sweet and light.

[HookahCulture]

Charles Shaw red wines at Trader Joe's are a STEAL at 3 bucks!

[Mr. Scratch]

[quote name='HookahCulture']Charles Shaw red wines at Trader Joe's are a STEAL at 3 bucks![/quote]
Yes, the famous Two Buck Chuck (it is only $2.00 in California where it
first appeared, hence the name).  I keep a case around so I can
have a cheep wine while eating a casual meal.  Not something I'd
serve to guests, but good enough for sitting around watching teevee.

Chuck Shaw wines aren't actually made by any particular vineyard; the
company buys the surplus wine from other namebrand vineyards in Napa,
and bottle it under their own name.  It is a wine-wine
situation  for everyone; The Shaw
bottling co. gets to sell it's product wihtout the cost of growing and
processing the grape, the vineyards get to dump their surplus without
bringing down the value of their namebrand wines, and the customer gets
to have a drinkable wine for the price of a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi.

[MR Bubble]

Have you smoked it yet?
MR Bubble

[HookahCulture]

wine-wine
situation......

 Ba-dum  tssshhh!!

Well I learn something new every day!
No wonder it's delicious.

 I'm OUT of AF Eskandrani!

[leanne]

Hey there! I wanted to say I understand the Al Fakher problem. I started on Al Fakher, and my fave is strawberry. We were getting it for $7.99 for 250g at a grocery store in Dearborn MI (a part of Detroit), and I had no idea it was not so easy to find elsewhere, nor that that was a really low price. I have been trying to find something comparable, with no success, and here in Canada, getting 100g of lesser brands for $20. Dang. So yeah, Al Fakher ruined me too.