Just Ordered Some Al-Fakher White Grape..

[Mathazar]

I just ordered a huge supply of massel from SocialSmoke,  and
amongst the flavors was apparently a NEW one called Grape (White
Grape).  One person commented that their local hookah lounge goes
thru around 3 jars a night of this stuff,  and that it's their
MOST requested flavor.  I ordered Overnite Delivery,  and
will do a brief review once it arrives.  It's made by
Al-Fakher,  so I have HIGH expectations of it. 

I also ordered some AF Orange,  Double Apple,  and
Melon.  I've tasted the Orange and it's AMAZING!!!  Usually
the Double Apple is out of stock,  but fortunately they had it
in-stock,  and the Melon I ABSOLUTELY can't wait to try. 
I've found that Romman Sweet Melon is pretty AMAZING!  I'm hoping
that the AF Melon blows the pants off of Romman.  Because Romman's
price doesn't always equal the flavor of their products.  The AF
Melon was around $9.95,  and Romman sells for $18.95.

Ahhh.....I hate waiting! 

[Mathazar]

The Grape ABSOLUTELY SUCKS!!!

The Melon SUCKS!!!

The Double Apple SUCKS!!!

The Orange is just OK.

I can't believe that I struck-out with 3 Al-Fakher flavors, 
flavors that you would think would be AWESOME.  What REALLY sucks
about it is that I ordered 2 of every flavor, thinking I was getting a
REAL deal at $9.95 per package.  What a freakin rip-off

Next time I order Melon,  I'm ordering from Hookah-Shisha, 
and I'm getting the Romman. Romman Sweet Melon is the BEST I've EVER
tasted.  Romman is on sale now at $15.95 down from $18.95.  I
guess all our harping about Romman prices in this forum finally got
Sami to lower his prices. 

[Mathazar]

I just placed an order for some Romman: 

Coconut
Orange
Sweet Melon (2)
Double Apple
and Strawberry

Romman Really is GREAT tobacco,  compared to some of the other HIGH-END brands out there.

I really feel like I got screwed on that Al-Fakher sh*t 

The Romman will make up for the loss 

[linkcat]

Mathazar, it’s incredible it seems that you throw away more tobacco
then I buy!!!!!  The idea of buying 8 jars of tobacco that you’ve never
tried is just mind boggling to a poor collage student like myself. 
Anyways I'm not harping on you I just thought it was funny the difference in
buying "techniques" we have.  But it really is sad to hear of
good tobacco going in the trash, you should start a second hand masalla store
here on the forum!!!! Well just an idea. 

[King Mo]

lol, i'm glad the romman has dropped in price. It is better than waha, nakhla, but definately not like fakher in my opinion, the richness in smoke and flavour doesn't come close.
 
Romman is better value now. I preferred the fumari to the romman though, although there were similarities in the texture and properties of it.
It's all a matter of taste, and mathazar cleary aint too compatible with fakher, but I must say that fakher is much better in my opinion.
romman is 14.95 on social smoke i think, which aint too bad.
Still to try amir myself, but fakher is tops, fumari makes a nice change, and romman is similar (but was crap value, but clearly gettin better).
 

[Mathazar]

linkcat.....you're absolutely right,  I gotta stop doing
that,  buying all that massal I haven't tried and throwing it
away.  I just figured that considering it was Al-Fakher, it MUST
be good.  I'm not complaining about the smootheness of AF, 
I'm complaining about  the flavor 

But,  I suppose every brand has it's bad flavors.  The AF
coconut and cappuccino RULE!!!  The plum is supposed to be real
good,  too.  But,  where I fail to see how they could
get a flavor wrong is with the melon and double apple.  How could
AF possibly screw-up those flavors?  I hate to say it,  but
the Nakhla Orange and Double Apple blow away AF.

I can't wait for my Romman order to get here.  Friggin
Thanksgiving is slowing my Overnite Delivery down,  so I won't get
it til Friday.  Sheesh...I can't stand WAITING

[slicerd]

Thats interesting I had heard good stuff about the orange and grape somebody said they were great flavors.  They said double apple was average though but not bad.  They said most flavors were just as good as romman but at half the price.  I guess that just shows the difference in taste.

[Jeff_T]

I think almost all the other ma'assel companies other than Romman are going to make a melon that is cantelope, not sweet melon (seems to be what you are looking for). Did you really throw that stuff away? would u want to share some with forum members (me)?

[Mathazar]

No,  I didn't throw the AF Melon or Orange away,  I've still
got two opened containers and two unopened containers of both
flavors.   I haven't decided whether to keep them or
give em away.  The melon is sweet,  but it doesn't taste
ANYTHING like melon,  and the orange tastes like orange,  but
it's weak.  If I decide I don't want it anymore,  I'll let
you know 

[Daleth]

So the AF Melon is a Cantelope? And is the AF grape a natural grape flavor or a candy grape flavor?

[linkcat]

hmmmm....Nakhla Orange blows away AF Orange......got to get some on mon.

[Mathazar]

AF Melon doesn't taste like anything,  it just tastes mildly
sweet.  It's a smoothe smoke,  but it's like smoking sweet
air.  It just doesn't taste like anything.

Romman Melon,  on the other hand,  tastes EXACTLY like Sweet
Honeydew Melon.  It's the BEST melon I've EVER smoked. 
Hookah-Shisha is selling it for $15.95.  They've got a great sale
going on now.  Everything is marked-down.

[MR Bubble]

QUOTE"But,  I suppose every brand has it's bad flavors.  The AF coconut and cappuccino RULE!!!  The plum is supposed to be real good,  too.  But,  where I fail to see how they could get a flavor wrong is with the melon and double apple.  How could AF possibly screw-up those flavors?  I hate to say it,  but the Nakhla Orange and Double Apple blow away AF."
There is some truth to this I think, but what it all boils down to is individual taste of someone's perception of what a particular flavor should taste like in "smoke form." I don't think it's an insane proposition that some Nakhla flavors seem better than other brand's flavors. After all, they have been in the business longer (please correct me before I make an ass out of myself, but aren't they the oldest one around?) than anyone else. Therefore, I can only assume they have the R&D to create any flavor they choose, as accurately as they like. Seems to me they are sticking to what their largest customer base is wanting. Which one of these sell the most cars in Europe: Volkswagen or Porsche?
MR Bubble

[Mathazar]

Daleth......Don't EVEN bother ordering the AF Grape.....It
SUCKS!!!  It looks and tastes like AF Golden Seal Black
Grape,  only it's MUCH weaker in flavor.  Don't waste your
money on the AF Grape! 

[Mr. Scratch]

[quote name='Mathazar']Daleth......Don't EVEN bother ordering the AF Grape.....It SUCKS!!!  It looks and tastes like AF Golden Seal Black Grape,  only it's MUCH weaker in flavor.  Don't waste your money on the AF Grape! [/quote]
Malthy; I'm always up for a new experience.  Why don't I (and maybe a couple others here) send you a few bucks and you can divvy up the AF grape and others, and we'll sample 'em.  That way you might recover a bit of your lost cashola, and the rest of us will get a chance to try some of these unusual flavors for ourselves.  Whaddya think?  send me some email at [url="http://mailto:scratch@efn.org"]scratch@efn.org[/url] if you're game.
BTW, haven't tried the Amir blackberry you didn't like, but the Amir rasberry was admittedly kinda weak.  On the other hand, I actually liked the Amir white grape George sent, though it wasn't as strong a flavor as I prefer.  I'm wondering how it stacks up against the AF white grape.

[Mathazar]

Well,  I'm no Amir fanatic as you all may know,  but I'll
tell you the honest to god truth,  you're not going to like the AF
Grape.  But,  on the other hand,  if you do like
it,  it only means that you like VERY bland tasting
tobaccos.  For $9.95,  your money could be better spent
elsewhere.

Mr. Scratchola,  at this point in time,  I don't have any
tobaccos worth giving away,  I've thrown-out all the ones I didn't
like.  It's true,  I do throw away a lot of tobacco, but rest
assured,  it takes something pretty bad to turn me off,  and
I like to think that my palate is of pretty high standards.  Trust
me, if I've thrown something away, there's a pretty good chance that
you're not going to like it either.

But,  I will keep you in mind for the future,  and if there's
EVER any tobacco that I decide is not worth smoking,  I'll let you
know 

[linkcat]

On the topic of giveing away tobacco, I am willing to send out the rest
of my al amir  samples (for free, but trade would be nice) that I
got (thx George) so that others may try for them selfs. I smoked one
bowl out of each and there's about one or two left out of each of the
flavors. I think their not all that great and def weak tasting, but
someone may like them. Interested pm me. Also I think it would be cool
to start a massalla trading "club" where we send eachother samples of
cool flavors we have. Anyone interested?

[Mathazar]

linkcat,  considering you're a starving college student,  if
that's the truth,  I'll take your word on it,  I'd be willing
to send you a supply of massal that depending on how often you smoke
should probably last you awhile.  It's not bad tobacco,  I'm
just tired of smoking the same stuff.

PM me with your address,  and I'll send it out to you.  No
need to reimburse me,  this is a gift for a starving college
student.  Ya better not be lying to me about that

[linkcat]

LOL !!!

I never thought being broke could be a good thing untill now. 
Thanks Mathazar,  you are also unknowingly sending me an awesome
Birthday present. (The big 20, only one more year till I'm legit). I
think I can scrap together enough change to send you a box of goodies
as well if I could get your address as well (hello lemon wood
coals)!! 

[Mr. Scratch]

[quote name='Mathazar']Trust me, if I've thrown something away, there's a pretty good chance that you're not going to like it either.[/quote]
I'm always willing to give a new tobacco the old college try; so long as I'm not haivng to buy 250g to try it, it is only a matter of dumping it out if I don't like it (or in the case of SPLASH, laying down for a 1/2 hour to recover).  You do have high standards for your preferences, as do I.  However, I'm not quite as offended by a certain element of blandness as you are.  While I definitely concur that the Amir was dissapointingly weak in the flavor dept., I have been enjoying the quality of the tobacco itself.  In terms of actual smoke quality (without regard to taste), Amir is actually pretty good (more on that later in my pomegranate review).  So there is a small difference in taste there between us.  A friend of mine (who I think also reasonably discriminating) actually LOVES the new Al Amir, and since trying the samples I got from George, he is committed to buying some.  I don't think it is worth geting all that excited about myself, but to each his own.
Oh well.  I'll probably just take a pass on the AF white grape until I run into a free sample or a 50g bag.  Do you know of any premium grape that you would reccomend instead?

[Highpockets]

I suggest the Al Amir grape, it is fantastic.

[Mathazar]

Well,  there's always AF Golden Seal Black Grape that everyone
around here seems to be HAILING as the BEST of the BEST.  But I
personally didn't enjoy it.  I admit it WAS a smooth smoke, 
but the flavor was SO strong,  that I just couldn't palate
it.  And the nose appeal was APPAULING,  it smells like
garbage.  But people DO seem to love it,  so there ya go.

linkcat........check your PM,  we live in the same neighborhood in the same city...lol.
You can pick this stuff up anytime you want  .

[King Mo]

I must say mathazar, your taste couldn't be further from mine.
Al fakher grape is one of the most beloved flavours of tobacco I have ever seen from all the smokers I've met, egyptians, gulf arabs, lebanese, iraqis, everyone is nuts about fakher grape.
It is a classic smoke, which in my opinion, absolutely destroys beyond any remote comparison anything romman or fumari have to offer. I totally believe that. The smoke is smoother, richer and the flavour of fakher grape is one of the strongest of any tobacco flavours.
obviously it's a difference in taste, but I felt I had to give the other side of the coin with regards to shisha flavours, as from my experience, fakher grape is one of those untouchable flavours appreciated by 'the avid hookah smoker'
any goodness of romman and fumari is 'relative' when comparing it to the fakhers, namely grape. They make a nice change, but the difference in quality is so apparant to everyone here I've let try romman/fumari compared with fakher that I am surprised not many of you guys can pick up on it.
I challenge any of you guys who aint tried it. Get a 50g pack of grape fakher (3 dollars or so) and get a 50 g pack of ANY romman, or ANY 100g pack of fumari, and give me an unbiased view.
It's not about how much you pay, it's about the quality. Romman and fumari should be lesser priced than fakher. They are learning slowly by lowering their prices. lets hope they realise where their position is in the shisha tobacco market.
I do not expect anyone to have my taste. It is all down to the individual, but you guys have to hear al side
if you find peach to be average (not fantastic as some do), and hate non-sweet flavours like rose or orange, and overly liquoricy flavours like many of the cheap stuff, then you will probably be along with my taste and enjoy the top fakhers like grape and apple.
 

[Mathazar]

FYI......Hookah-Shisha just dropped their BIG Sale and raised the price
of the Romman.  It went from $18.95,  down to $15.95, 
and now it's up to $19.95.  But you know what?  Certain
flavors of their tobacco is SO good that I would gladly pay $20 per
250g containers.  On the other hand, SocialSmoke has
Romman 250g for $14.95  .  I
love Romman,  it's the only tobacco I smoke now,  after
having tried just about EVERY brand on the market.  Not all their
flavors are good,  like the Romman Cherry and Apple really
SUCK!!! 

You're absolutely right,  it is all a matter of personal
taste.  Personally,  AF Grape didn't do it for me,  I
found it to be a watered-down version of their Golden Seal Black
Grape,  which I also didn't like.  I actually like citrus
flavors.  Romman's Orange is simply AMAZING.  Although, 
the same could be said for Nakhla Orange,  and you'll pay a lot
less for Nakhla.  It took me a LONG time to acquire a liking for
Double Apple.  But after awhile I now find it to be a very
pleasing and refreshing smoke.  Romman has the BEST Double Apple
I've EVER tasted.  It's smooth,  sweet,  and
refreshing.  Romman Coconut tastes just like real Coconut. And the
same can be said about the Sweet Melon,  Strawberry,  and
Orange .

[HookahCulture]

I'll take the AF Melon off your hands!