Bad experience with AFGS Black Grape

[Mr. Scratch]

Given the high reccomendations of folks on the list, I went ahead and ordered a 250g jar of Al Fakher Golden Seal Grape.  Here is the complaint I sent the company (which will remain nameless here for now, because I don't think this is their fault):
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My friend Aaron recently ordered a 250g container of Al Fakher Golden Seal Black Grape from you as a holiday gift for me.We opened the package when it arrived in the mail.  We could immediately tell that the packaging of the AFGS grape had been damaged when we took out the cardboard container, as you could hear the rattling of the hard plastic pieces.  Sure enough, once it was opened we could see that the plastic had been badly shattered, as if it had been dropped on a hard surface.  However, the vacuume-seal bag appeared to be intact, so I took it home.  A several days later I opened it for a smoke.The first thing that struck me upon opening the bag was the powerful odor of rotting fruit.  It smelled like grape alright, but it smelled like a bushel of grapes that had been left to decompose in the summer sun for a week. The smell was so powerful that it rapidly permeated the room, and later neccesitated my having to remove it and the tupperware container it sits in from the house entirely.However, I've had ma'assel in the past whose flavor has been entirely different from it's unsmoked aroma, so I loaded up a bowl, screened it with tinfoil, and put a coal on.  Far from the smooth, sweet flavor of other Al Fakher flavors I've had, this had a sour harsh taste reminiscent of burning hair.  Assuming I was burning the ma'assel, I repeatedly removed the coal and stirred the bowl up to stop any scorching.  After this failed to improve the taste, I removed the bowl entirely,dumped it out, washed it in the sink.  Then I put more AFGS grape in, and this time screened it with a steel screen (which in my epxerience almost never results in burnt ma'assel).  While it wasn't as harsh this time, it still had the sour unpleasant taste as my previous experiment.My question is this; is it supposed to taste like this, or did I just get a really bad batch.  If this is normally the way that AFGS tastes, I'll just take the hit on it - it wouldn't be the first ma'assel I've bought that turned out to be a waste of money.  However, if there is something wrong with the batch itself, I was wondering if it might be possible to exchange this nasty stuff for something that is up to AF usual quality standards?Please let me know what you think of this situation, and if it might be possible toexchange it.-Mr. Scratch

[Mathazar]

You are right on target with the odor,  that's normal for 
AFGS BG.  It smells SO much like trash that that is exactly where
it ended-up.  Though I did smoke a bowl or two before dumping
it.  I found that it was a smooth smoke just like AF,  but it
had more of currant taste rather than grape.  I don't exactly know
why people rave about it as they do,  but for the price I expected
something FAR more spectacular.

If you're looking for an authentic Black Grape taste,  go to
Hookah-Hookah.com and order their Grape.  It's simply
AMAZING!!!    Also try their Apple,  for a Granny Smith sort of flavor 

[King Mo]

me personally, I have smoked too much golden to order it anymore, I prefer regular fakher grape these days, which is one of the most popular premium flavours i have seen. Truely beautiful.
It does smell very strong, but I am rather surprised that it has a 'sour,harsh taste'.
The taste is sweet and smooth, and any other description indicates there are other factors in play. My friends still love it though, and it is a great smoke.
Either something is wrong with the setup or product, or this particular flavour is not for you and not your taste.
 
 
 

[HookahCulture]

Well for me the AFGS grape was strong smelling but tasted fine.
I can't remember it as rotting fruit! That's strange.

And no matter how much Math plugs those thieves I will never order from them.

[Mathazar]

HookahCulture....on my next order of ma'asell,  I'm going to send
you several samples.  I won't tell you what it is,  I'll just
let you guess

Chances are,  you're going to find these flavors to be OUTSTANDING!!! 

Aren't you even a LITTLE bit curious about their flavors. 
Considering I'll be sending them to you,  and you won't be sending
them any money,  it will be coming out of my pocket,  and
considering I'm going to be spending the money for them anyway, isn't
it ever a TINY bit enticing knowing what they taste like?  I think
you'd be pleasantly-surprised. 

PM me with your mailing address,  and when I receive these new
flavors,  I'll UPS them out to you in sealed sample-sized
containers.

Then at least when you're bashing their company you'll have a better
perspective on their flavors,  and perhaps you won't feel
compelled to bash them as bad as you have been.

Someone as avid about hookah smoking as you are,  I would suspect
that you'd want to try every good flavor out there,  and
Hookah-Hookah has some pretty decent stuff.

Food For Thought 

[HookahCulture]

Until I change my mind, I'm BOYCOTTING and will have nothing to do with that.

"Perhaps you won't feel
compelled to bash them as bad as you have been."

MMMMMMMFFFF??? I cannot be bought with trinkets!

Ever hear of "war diamonds?"
They're the diamonds from Africa which were taken from GROUPS of people
who were KILLED. Usually they're traded for guns before making their
way to the European market.
Some people care about where they come from, some don't.
But....they're DIAMONDS.
Sure if your greed overcomes your ethics and morals......

[To100YearsToLate]

[quote name='HookahCulture']Until I change my mind, I'm BOYCOTTING and will have nothing to do with that.

"Perhaps you won't feel
compelled to bash them as bad as you have been."

MMMMMMMFFFF??? I cannot be bought with trinkets!

Ever hear of "war diamonds?"
They're the diamonds from Africa which were taken from GROUPS of people
who were KILLED. Usually they're traded for guns before making their
way to the European market.
Some people care about where they come from, some don't.  
But....they're DIAMONDS.
Sure if your greed overcomes your ethics and morals......[/quote]

I agree.  Free is good, but I'd hate to get hooked on their flavors and then end up sending them money for more.

Ignorance is bliss.  Alot of bad sitcoms did this bit.

[Mr. Scratch]

[quote name='Mathazar']Chances are,  you're going to find these flavors to be OUTSTANDING!!!  Aren't you even a LITTLE bit curious about their flavors.   
[...]Then at least when you're bashing their company you'll have a better perspective on their flavors,  and perhaps you won't feel compelled to bash them as bad as you have been.Someone as avid about hookah smoking as you are,  I would suspect that you'd want to try every good flavor out there,  and Hookah-Hookah has some pretty decent stuff.[/quote]
I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding as to what this is all about. 
Nobody is denying that hookah-hookah might have a decent product, or even an excellent product.  The quality of their ma'assel is not material to the discussion.
The question is, is it ethical to support a company that behaves unethically.  Keep in mind that sending an unethical company money is interpreted by them as indicating that unethical behavior is either profitable, or at least does not hurt their profits.  That is not a lession I would like any company to learn.
To a lot of people, ethics are not a thing to be traded in for comfort and pleasures, they are to be stuck to even when times get their toughest (and doing without a tasty flavor cannot really be interpreted as even coming close to suffering through a tough time).  I won't trade in my ethics for a scoop  of freakin' ice cream or a shiny bauble, or be distracted from them by someone jangling some shiny keys in front of my face.  They might have the most delicious product in the world, but if they are assholes, then they aren't getting my money.   It isn't just them; I occasionally buy Asian antiques for resale.  One of the sources for this stuff that I'm acquainted with offers some remarkable stuff for reasonably low prices, but he is a genuine jerk who treats his customers like he thinks they are morons.  As tempting as his merchandise is, he'll have to sell it to someone else.
Back on the topic of the AF GS Grape; the company told me that they stand by the quality of their ma'assel, and if I'm not satisfied with their product to go ahead and send it back to them for an exchange.  I usually just take my lumps on a bad purchase like this, but in a situation where I've paid a premium for a product and I think there is something wrong with it, I think I'm going to take them up on their guarantee ASAP.