Apple Americano

[ZooJohnnyZETA]

=================
Starbuzz - Apple
=================


Appearance : A medium golden brown color (not too dark, not too light) ma’assell that has a cut thats like a cross between Romman and Al-Fakher. In about two bowls worth I only found one tiny little bit of stem, and the ma’assell itself was cut into tiny little quarter inch wide strips. The cut was almost perfect all around, and broke up/packed very nicely into the bowl. Its got the sauce, and then some! My sample wasn’t floating in liquid like a lot of Al-Fakher can be, but if it was any wetter it would have been.


Smell : Wow!... Reminds me a lot of Nakhla Apple, only without that licorice note that Nakhla’s has to it. Also, it had a much brighter and more realistic smell then I’ve found from almost any other brand. It truly smelled like a glass of apple juice! Not the stuff from concentrate, but the real fresh kind. And because of how good it smells, I don’t think I can stand to sit around talking about the smell any longer! Its time to smoke!



Flavor : Wow... I mean just WOW!! Its a bad mother “shut yo’ mouth!”. I was honestly expecting some lightly flavored generic “candy” sweet ma’assell. But oohh was I wrong, so very very wrong! (In the best kind of way). After trying the regular Apple flavor from countless brands (Al-Waha, Nakhla, Romman, Sultan, Al-Fakher, Al-Qemah, Al-Amir, HookaH HookaH, and probably a few others as well) I don’t think I have ever encountered an Apple flavor that was this completely and utterly realistic tasting. I really found it to be a cross between the flavor of freshly pressed apple juice and real apple sauce. There is a tiny hint of licorice in the background, but the real and true Apple taste that I’ve never really found anywhere else stands strong right up front. Theres just the tinniest hint of mild sweetness to the smoke that really completes the flavor all around. It’s just so rich and wonderful!... it has truly been a long time since anything made my mouth water like this after each puff. The flavor also lingers in your mouth for quite a while after each puff, unlike most brands who’s flavor is gone right after you blow out the smoke. I gotta say I am beyond impressed!



Smoke Density : Al-Fakher has some SERIOUS competition here! Starbuzz Apple gets as thick as you could possibly want it without ever becoming harsh. Smooth as silk and thick enough to white out anything and everything in it’s path. The thickness, richness, and total smoothness of this smoke is nothing short of ma’assell perfection. You don’t have to be gentle with the coal either, this little masterpiece can take a lot of heat and never even come close to burning.



Buzz: In this respect, Starbuzz Apple is actually pretty mild. It provides a very nice sense of relaxation and overall well being, but don’t expect to have your brain launched into orbit by it. I would have liked it to have been perhaps a tiny bit stronger, but given the quality of every other aspect of this flavor it’s not something you would smoke for the buzz anyway. I can really see it as a good every day smoke for seasoned veterans and newbies alike.



Overall Impression : I suddenly understand why it is that this ma’assell costs as much as it does. The high price of Starbuzz is equaled by the incredibly high quality of flavor and richness of the smoke it provides. After trying a sample of Starbuzz Apple I would have no problem paying the price of $18 for a 250 gram jar of it. Yes, that is fairly expensive for a ma’assell (about the same price as Fumari and Romman) but in the case of Starbuzz I really do believe you get what you pay for. Every aspect of the smoking experience is refined to a level of quality rarely ever matched, and the only negative thing I could possibly say about it is that I would have liked the buzz to have been a little bit stronger. Of course then, I am a “half a pack a day” cigarette smoker, so this should be taken into account.
If you haven't tried Starbuzz yet, I highly suggest you save up a little money and treat yourself to a jar of it (or 3 even!). You’ll be glad you did!

Edit/Note : After writing this review I later discovered that if I ever tried to smoke more than 1 bowl of Starbuzz within a 3 or 4 hour period that it would give me a horrible headache and make me feel extremely sick to my stomach. I have no problem smoking multiple bowls of Al-Fakher, Nakhla, or almost any other brand back to back, but Starbuzz is a big “No Go!” in this department.
For me at least, anytime I smoked multiple bowls of this stuff within a few hours of each other I would get very sick and get a nasty headache. Thus the reason I lowered the rating a bit from the original rating I gave it.


Rating : 8 out of 10

[Stuie]

Starbuzz Apple Americano

Hookah: Mya Bambino
Bowl: Small Phunnel
Screen/Foil: Reynolds HD
Hose: Nammor
Coals: Coconara
Base Liquid: Water

Appearance: Short Cut, several chopped stems, glowing red almost neon
Nicotine: 0.05%
Base: Honey & Glycerin
Smell: Anise with a slight apple
Taste: Anise flavor with a red apple taste, not to heavy on the anise.
Smoke: Good Clouds
Buzz: None
Duration: 1.5 Hours

Purchased From: Hookah-Shisha.com

Overall: 8/10 Not a big SB fan, can't believe I am the first one to review this. If all apples had this level anise they might be tolerable. This is a good red apple flavor with an equal amount of anise flavor. SB fans will love it, and if you are an apple fan but not a huge anise fan you will love it. If you are a huge double apple fan, you might really like this too.