A Bit Ovverated Or Just Me? (No Disrespect Intended)

[Hassouni]

A good product should not be so finicky. That'd be like your car only driving acceptably if you put a certain brand of gasoline in. 

[agunn1231]

I definitely believe it bothering you. But do you think that since a few flavors bothered you, then when you went back to it, and you found most of them bothered you, that it could be in your head a little bit? Like for sure some of them bother you, but psychologically now all Nakhla bothers you?

 

That happened to me with snus, then I realized it was only certain brands that got to me and now I snus happily lol.

Entirely....possible...sorry...my...space..bar..stopped...working...just...now

[Chreees]

if you smoke to fit into a crowd, smoke tang or star buzz, if you smoke because you like hookah and would still smoke if all the forums went down, smoke AF, Nak, fumari. If you smoke because your addicted to hookah smoke afzal and desi murili. 

 
Smoke what you want regardless. That's what I've been doing for years. I like Tang so I smoke Tang, I like Nakhla so I smoke Nakhla. Hell, there's even a few Starbuzz flavors that I don't mind. 

Mmm, Starbuzz Pineapple...

[Travis]

 

if you smoke to fit into a crowd, smoke tang or star buzz, if you smoke because you like hookah and would still smoke if all the forums went down, smoke AF, Nak, fumari. If you smoke because your addicted to hookah smoke afzal and desi murili. 

 
Smoke what you want regardless. That's what I've been doing for years. I like Tang so I smoke Tang, I like Nakhla so I smoke Nakhla. Hell, there's even a few Starbuzz flavors that I don't mind. 

Mmm, Starbuzz Pineapple...

Literally the flavor that I was thinking of

[mattarios2]

A good product should not be so finicky. That'd be like your car only driving acceptably if you put a certain brand of gasoline in. 

 

I've always felt the same way Hass. Years ago I made a thread about it and people ripped me a new one, it is somewhere on here. It was back when Eric posted often. He backed me up though, funny that he did because I was essentially saying his product was bullshit lol.

 

Anyone that says Tangiers isn't finicky is lying. In my mini it has to be between 27-28 grams for it to have full taste. If it is below 27 it is waaay too sensitive on heat and the flavor is weak. If it is over 28 grams it tastes like sweet plastic and is over packed. A 1 gram window is what I call a finicky tobacco.

 

BUT, if you use a bigger bowl the window definitely increases.

[ChicagoRSX]

I know my opinion is negligible, but while I believe Tangiers is a quality product, people act like it's the holy grail. I have smoked some stellar flavors(Orange Soda, Blue Gumball, Melon Blend) but then I have smoked some duds(Tropical Punch, Welsh Cream). Welsh Cream was the biggest disappointment for me, I went through 250 gm of it, and I couldn't get 1 tasty and flavorful bowl out of it. Everyone here talked so highly about it. Yet I can't get a taste other then the smell of a box of crayons. I've smoked brambleberry, and blackberry as well as the other flavors I listed. So I doubt the issues lies "with my bowl preparation" or "heat management".  My other frustrations with Tangiers is sometimes you have to wait a couple weeks before a particular flavor is back in stock. I would think that before you expand lines and introduce new products, you'd be able to meet demand on your original line. I'm not talking bad about Eric, just stating my opinion. I do wish he had more sweet flavors like starbuzz though. My wifes favorite SB flavor is pomberry. I wish Eric would make something sweet like that.

[mattarios2]

Yeah I can't get tropical punch to acclimate. I have only done 4/20 on it when the dew point has been in the 50's and did the 4/20 at night when I normally smoke. No dice, just smells like straight nail polish with a hint of cherry. I have done like 7 4/20s on it. Guess I will leave it sealed for 2 weeks then try again like Coyote said if you can't get it to acclimate ... :-/ And blackberry tastes like a cigar with hints of blackberry that is all I can get from it.

[mattarios2]

First off, taste is highly subjective. Either you do not like the flavor because you do not prefer the taste, or you are doing something wrong in which case you may be missing out. 

 

Secondly, as far as Tangiers being difficult to smoke, I disagree with that, but it should not even matter. Look at any other hobby, quality is not judged by ease of use but rather performance at its best. The most expensive tennis rackets and snowboards used at the highest levels have nothing to do with ease of use. If you are unexceptional you will be severely disappointed with the way it performs, but a reduction in usability is the price you pay for peak performance. When suggesting a product for new members I see nothing wrong with with trying to steer them in a direction that will provide them for the best experience for their ability, but that does not mean that Tangiers is lacking.

 

You can spend the rest of your life playing the recorder, or you can learn to play the trumpet.   

 

While I can see your point and agree with it to a point, quality isn't only performance, it is reliability too, and in my eyes Tangiers's reliability is below par.

 

The 5 most recent flavors I have bought, 2 are failing, one wont acclimate and one tastes like crap, the other three are good. 60% success rate is poor at best.

 

So performance and reliability needs consideration. I hate buying new flavors I haven't tried from Tang because often they are problematic.

 

Most say no it isn't the tobacco it is you, but when you open tubs and they smell like nail polish, you tell me if it is the tobacco or me.

[DrSmokes]

Nail polish has always smoked great for me!!

 

:o

[mattarios2]

lol i refuse to try it

[mustang67n]

A good product should not be so finicky. That'd be like your car only driving acceptably if you put a certain brand of gasoline in. 

My car only drives well in certain weather.. It's certainly not a bad product.
actually, most race cars are set up for certain climates depending on the race day and track.

[mattarios2]

That's different though. they are set up for different climates to gain an advantage that doesn't hinder the products reliability, it actually betters its reliability.

[SpiritWolf]

I do not think Tangiers is over rated I think it is just misunderstood. I have tried tangiers at a family members I really enjoyed it. As for starbuzz it is over rated. The price is way to much for something that makes me vommit on every flavor. Not to mention head aches and the stomaches as well as the chest pain while smoking it... I do apologize in if it sounds like I am hating on sarbuzz.

[mustang67n]

That's different though. they are set up for different climates to gain an advantage that doesn't hinder the products reliability, it actually betters its reliability.

exactly. And to me. Tangiers gets better smoke, fuller flavor, and lasts WAY longer than any other brand, as long as it's "set up right" for the climate..

It's the same, really. My car runs like shit when it's humid and cold out. I change the timing a bit, and it runs great again. My tangiers does the same thing, I acclimate it for the change in weather, and it smokes great again.

[mattarios2]

So when a flavor won't acclimate ... how do you explain that? You change the timing belt on your car, and nothing gets better would be the equivalent ... still drives like shit.

 

All I am saying is, every flavor should be effortless, I don't believe a superior product should have the issues that Tangiers does. Plain and simple. I enjoy some Tang flavors but by no means would I ever smoke it exclusively. When I fear buying new flavors because of issues such as acclimation ... why would I?

 

Reliability AND performance are considered when calculating quality IMHO. And frankly both aren't there.

 

Come to my house and get tropical punch and other various flavors I've had over the years to acclimate and I will say uncle :-)

[joytron]

So when a flavor won't acclimate ... how do you explain that? You change the timing belt on your car, and nothing gets better would be the equivalent ... still drives like shit.

 

All I am saying is, every flavor should be effortless, I don't believe a superior product should have the issues that Tangiers does. Plain and simple. I enjoy some Tang flavors but by no means would I ever smoke it exclusively. When I fear buying new flavors because of issues such as acclimation ... why would I?

 

Reliability AND performance are considered when calculating quality IMHO. And frankly both aren't there.

 

Come to my house and get tropical punch and other various flavors I've had over the years to acclimate and I will say uncle :-)

 

Obviously this is dependent person by person. I have never had to acclimate a Tangiers, and really have no idea what unacclimated tobaccco is like. I have had problems packing bowls before but even then I believe most of that was poor heat management. Honestly if I do something, and then replicate it I get the same results. I am sure it must be frustrating to continue with the same input and get wildly different outputs.

 

I guess then for me it works great and it is really reliable. Every other brand I am hesitant to spend money on new flavors because every other brand has produced more flavors I dislike like than flavors I like. There are a few flavors I have hated from Tangiers, and honestly like less of the new stuff. But its really the only brand I can blindly order a flavor from without the fear of hating it two bowls in.

 

I mean you enjoy Nakhla, but a bowl lasts like 30% of what Tangiers does. For me; superior flavors, superior vapor production, and superior stamina without any problems involving reliability. If I ever got a package of Tangiers, and it would not smoke well, I might feel the same way as you. But I really haven't. I have smoked with several members of the forum, and plenty of other people without complaint. 

[mattarios2]

Yeah I hear ya jess, and I wish I had the same results as you, sadly I don't. Right now tropical punch smells so bad I don't even want to smell it, it makes me gag it is that bad.

 

And in my experience, mizo lasts half as long as tangiers. For me, I get nakhla for really really cheap, so considering the price it IS more bang for your buck than Tangiers, but that is a different conversation of course.

[Pavo21]

this shit train blew up FAST!! lol

 

But im just surprised that you even tried orange soda and horchata, those arent my fav at all but people always wanna try them, they are weak and burn quick IMO. Also very inconsistent.

 

Now he is making them with the new birquq line so i haven't tried those yet, but they should be better.

 

but what i tell people if you dont like tangiers, thats all you, i will still talk about the product and how amazing it is. and how well it smokes. and the flavours! but some people dont like it. and some people do. just smoke what you like and i dont blame you for not liking flavours. i dont like certain nak ones or certain tangiers or starbuzz just personal pref. 

 

So just test it all smoke what u like sell what you dont. someone is bound to like what u hate.

[Travis]

I feel like a broken record.......Personal preference differs from person to person. I like "this"..doesn't mean you will.

I've never called a brand of tobacco "shit" as far as I can recall. Everyone has their tastes. As far as I'm concerned, if you feel that something is overrated or whatever you chose to call it, then you are just buying into what the general population likes. It's hard to explain for me (partly because I've been drinking)

 

Bottom line, no matter what, honestly I could give a shit less what you like. I like "this" brand, and "this" brand and "this" brand. Doesn't mean you have to.

Is what you have to say about a certain brand going to influence me to change what I like? No, not now, not ever. Smoke what you like. Why is everyone these days so caught up with what is considered popular.  I've been smoking Nak, Tang (wayyyyy before the bandwagon started) Fumari, AF, Afzal,  even SB for years. Nothing any of you say is going to influence me to think otherwise. I know what I like. Reviews and such should not be taken into account for you to discover what works for you. If you don't like a certain line of shisha then fine, but for some reason people have some sort of self worth nowadays and they think that their opinion is #1. 

 

I feel like the hookah hobby has lost it's initial purpose. To me it started as a hobby 9 years ago. It's exactly that, a hobby...not a popularity contest. I understand that most of the people that get into it are not going to stick around for the long haul. But that doesn't mean that just because "Brand X" is popular now, and "Brand Y" will be popular tomorrow that people have to start popularity contests. Don't know if I'm the only one that feels that way, but that's what most of the industry has become nowadays in my eyes. 

 

Do what you want, give your opinion, but certainly do not push it on others.

 

/Not directly aimed at anyone here, I respect you all and your opinions. But I feel that a lot of you guys take things way too personally. 

[Travis]

So when a flavor won't acclimate ... how do you explain that? You change the timing belt on your car, and nothing gets better would be the equivalent ... still drives like shit.

 

All I am saying is, every flavor should be effortless, I don't believe a superior product should have the issues that Tangiers does. Plain and simple. I enjoy some Tang flavors but by no means would I ever smoke it exclusively. When I fear buying new flavors because of issues such as acclimation ... why would I?

 

Reliability AND performance are considered when calculating quality IMHO. And frankly both aren't there.

 

Come to my house and get tropical punch and other various flavors I've had over the years to acclimate and I will say uncle :-)

 

Who exactly claimed Tangiers to be superior? 

Not a direct shot at you John, but this is exactly what I was trying to say. Things get blown out of proportion by people for no reason at all, which is why certain brands are considered "overrated".

I've never had an issue with Tangiesr the many years I've been smoking it. Not to say that others don't, because I know they do obviously. To me it has been effortless. Throw it in the bowl and smoke it. Who the hell is in charge of labeling things "overrated" anyways? The only reason it seems like that is because of the community, Eric sure as hell hasn't gone out of his way to push the product on anyone. 

This is all hype created by the consumer, good or bad. 

[mustang67n]

So when a flavor won't acclimate ... how do you explain that? You change the timing belt on your car, and nothing gets better would be the equivalent ... still drives like shit.

 

All I am saying is, every flavor should be effortless, I don't believe a superior product should have the issues that Tangiers does. Plain and simple. I enjoy some Tang flavors but by no means would I ever smoke it exclusively. When I fear buying new flavors because of issues such as acclimation ... why would I?

 

Reliability AND performance are considered when calculating quality IMHO. And frankly both aren't there.

 

Come to my house and get tropical punch and other various flavors I've had over the years to acclimate and I will say uncle :-)

 

Obviously this is dependent person by person. I have never had to acclimate a Tangiers, and really have no idea what unacclimated tobaccco is like. I have had problems packing bowls before but even then I believe most of that was poor heat management. Honestly if I do something, and then replicate it I get the same results. I am sure it must be frustrating to continue with the same input and get wildly different outputs.

 

I guess then for me it works great and it is really reliable. Every other brand I am hesitant to spend money on new flavors because every other brand has produced more flavors I dislike like than flavors I like. There are a few flavors I have hated from Tangiers, and honestly like less of the new stuff. But its really the only brand I can blindly order a flavor from without the fear of hating it two bowls in.

 

I mean you enjoy Nakhla, but a bowl lasts like 30% of what Tangiers does. For me; superior flavors, superior vapor production, and superior stamina without any problems involving reliability. If I ever got a package of Tangiers, and it would not smoke well, I might feel the same way as you. But I really haven't. I have smoked with several members of the forum, and plenty of other people without complaint. 

this is, I think, more of what I meant to say. Without sounding so, perverted, and biased.

jess has always had a way of expressing the things I wished I could without my seemingly "purism" if you will.

I do not think tangiers is BETTER than others, simply because of a hype (suggesting it being ovverrated) as overrated in it
's base definition means being rated higher than it should be. I think it is better, simply because it is..

IE. One bowl of tangiers tobacco in my pico bowl will last me 3-4 hours of solid flavor and smoke (and 1-2 hours more, on top of that of pure smoke with no flavor). This flavor is one I will over and over again (from expierience, not bias) above others. I LOVE mint flavors, I always have, so that is the standard I hold. AF mint was once my favorite, Then came along CM.. for one small, and absurdly unsatisfying bowl packed by one who is banned from this forum now. The flavor was great. but the intensity of the flavor.. that's what made me hate it. I could literally not take a full puff before coughing; due to my throat being way too cold to stop it. I felt like my lungs were becoming ice. I did not continue to smoke this bowl, and a few days later went home. After a month or two, I ordered 250g. of tangiers cane mint. Just to be SURE it wasn't just me.

The first bowl I packed was the weakest, must subdued mint I've ever had in my life. I thought to myself "there's no way this is the same stuff I had a few months ago" So again, a few days later, I tried it. This time, I packed it with a bit more tobacco, and followed along with Eric's "how-to" video with a J-name videotaping. This time, the flavor was SPOT on to a candy cane. The cooling intensity, the sweet, seasonal flavor: it really felt like I was sucking on a candy cane.

THAT'S how I know it's a superior product to any other.. Other brands produce flavors, they're good, nothing to argue there. But they do not sell experiences. No other brand can sell me the feeling of a candy cane in my mouth, or a sip of Horchata, Orange Soda, etc.

tangiers does something no other brand has done; and until they do, I can not call them a better brand. Hookah, to me, is about tasting flavors in smoke, that I LOVE in real life. No other brands come close to mimicking what I enjoy. They make it believable,sure. But it's nowhere near the real thing. Tangiers comes the closest. And the picture is easily painted with only a small bit of my own imagination. It takes me somewhere no other brand ever could..

not to mention the complete non-corporate approach eric takes. That DEFINITELY plays a huge role. I'll spend hundreds of dollars glady with a man and his small company (paying 2x less than other company's) to get a better product, that LASTS LONGER.

 

In  the end. I will take your Mizo mint, put it against cane mint. Smoke CM untill you're asleep because yours lost flavor 4 hours ago (try mizo mint in a large phunnel, i bet it doesn't last over 3 hours) compared to a bowl of CM in the same bowl, that will last (tried and tested) 10+ hours.

pay what you will for your nakhla, tangiers will beat it, bang for buck, if you have local access. If not... bummer. I guess that's the downfall of private corporations. TBH though. I'd gladly pay $16 for 250grams of tangiers knowing it will last me at least 2x as long as the 250 grams of nakhla I bought for $7(at the minimum) no matter how you cut it; If you have a good climate (or know how to acclimate it) and know how to pack it, tangiers will beat out any other tobacco company that exhists right now.


as soon as a better one comes along, that doesn't fuck over others in it's wake (IE SB) please, let me know. I'll gladly try it out and jump on the bandwagon.

See, to me. It's not about what is the coolest company to be into. It's about what really offers the best bang for it's buck. Lucking, for me, the one that is cheapest, also offers the highest quality.
 

[mattarios2]

I can get mizo mint to last over 3 hours in my small phunnel.

 

Just last night, I smoked a 35g bowl of raspberry for over 3 hours.

 

Look man, clearly you really love your Tangiers, that's awesome. Like I said I do enjoy some Tangiers flavors.

 

I get Nakhla cheaper than the $7 price you stated, whether it be a local spot, or wholesale wise.

[frenchyfam]

yeah nakhla also lasts me a very long time... but not comparable to tangiers

[mattarios2]

Yeah, I don't like to smoke too long to be honest. Usually I don't smoke for more than an hour if I am alone. Mizo outlasts me, so endurance has never been a concern for me.

[A Sharrp SYBIAN]

From personal experience Tang Cane mint is the best mint i ever smoked. I didnt like WC to much honestly so much so that i gave it away w some other flavors to someone who bought 1 of my hookahs lol for me tang has been hit or miss. I'm now afraid of trying orange soda because of all the negative things i heard from it. but Tang Ololoique aka Root-Beer is absolutely amazing. (when smoked from a harmony lotus combo w 2-3 coals. for Tangiers certain flavors are better to handle with a lotus. Cane mint smokes amazing out of any bowl it is by far the best mint you can buy anywhere. For the weaker tang flavors like Cocoa use a harmony bowl - lotus combo (it will make a huge difference) 

 

Now that being said not all my tangiers experience was positive old school watermelon was just bad... Also i heard bad things about their tropical fruit flavor. If you want an amazing smoke from tangiers stick to a sure thing. Cane Mint, Ololoqui, Pineapple, Passionfruit, and Cocoa(in a harmony lotus combo only)  the weaker flavors need to be babied a lotus on a harmony bowl could help. Now for those who fear the carbon monoxide intake of the lotus (1 of its few flaws) use it without the top :-) Leave to top on for like 4-5 min till the lotus warms up then take the roof of it off to smoke.