Hookah Blog

Hookah Happiness Hookah Blog: All about hookah pipes, hookah culture and lifestyle; including hookah guides, how-to's, tips, and tricks, shisha reviews, hookah lounge reviews, and general hookah information.

Shisha Review: Al Fakher Chocolate (November 25, 2011)
Shisha Review: Starbuzz Mint Colossus (November 9, 2011)
Standard Bowls vs. Vortex Hookah Bowls (October 24, 2011)
Solution to a Broken Hookah Vase (October 20, 2011)
What is a Hookah Pipe? (October 17, 2011)
Hookah Smoking Risks and Herbal Shisha (October 3, 2011)
Shisha Review: Starbuzz Tangerine Dream (September 11, 2011)
How to Clean a Hookah Pipe (September 01, 2011)
A Brief History of the Hookah (August 20, 2011)
Shisha Review: Starbuzz Blue Mist (July 26, 2011)
How to Choose the Best New Hookah(May 14, 2010)

Shisha Review: Al Fakher Chocolate

Today I’m bringing you a review of Al Fakher chocolate flavor hookah tobacco. I’ve mentioned before how Starbuzz is my favorite brand, but venturing out into other brands can lead to an unexpectedly delicious flavor or provide a financial solution to maintaining your hookah smoking habits. A 250g tin of Al Fakher shisha ($11.95) is cheaper than a 250g tin of Starbuzz shisha ($19.99).

In this case, I wanted to choose a flavor not offered by Starbuzz. A few stuck out initially, but my sweet tooth really kicked in when I saw that Al Fakher sold a chocolate flavored shisha. I grabbed it off the shelf and took it home with me.

I loaded a bowl of this new chocolate shisha, and waited for the coals to reach a satisfying burn level (I judge my natural coals by when they are red all the way through). Al Fakher shisha comes in a zip-lock pouch, which can be very convenient, especially for travel. However one thing to note about this shisha is that it tends to be much wetter than other brands. By the time you reach the end of your Al Fakher shisha, you might consider pulling out the remaining pieces with something other than your hands, especially if you have an aversion to getting them dirty.

After about 10 minutes, I loaded the coals onto my Vortex bowl filled with chocolate shisha (I chose a Vortex bowl for this occasion because I’m not too sure of Al Fakher's ability to preserve flavor). As the shisha began to warm up, I couldn’t taste much at first. It tasted vaguely sweet with only a hint of chocolate. As the smoke began to come thick and white from the hose, the shisha took on its full flavor. To me, it didn’t taste quite right. The taste of chocolate was indeed there, but sort of in a toned down, artificial sense (Although to give credit to Al Fakher, how much can you really expect from flavored tobacco?).

A few minutes into my smoking session, I became frustrated with the way this shisha tasted. It was simply too bland for my liking, so I decided to add some Starbuzz Raspberry shisha to the bowl. To do this, I took off the coals and removed the top layer of tin foil. I replaced half of the shisha inside the bowl with the Starbuzz brand and mixed it around before replacing the foil top. I found a much more enjoyable combination of flavors after this small adjustment. The sweetness of the raspberry shisha complimented the chocolate in a balanced way that eliminated any hint of an artificial taste, yet retained the chocolate flavor they were trying to nail.

Overall, I would recommend this shisha as a flavor enhancer, and should be smoked alongside other favorites. Some may like this chocolate flavor solo, but I will mix mine with other fruity flavors in the future in an attempt to replicate the success I found with my chocolate raspberry bowl.

Shisha Review: Starbuzz Mint Colossus

Starbuzz brand shisha seems to be consistently changing their marketing technique in order to attract new and returning customers. First, in addition to their normal flavors they came out with the Starbuzz Exotic shisha label, which as far as I can tell is just a mixture of two existing flavors. Then, they came out with the Starbuzz Acid shisha, which is Starbuzz’s attempt at a sour hookah shisha flavor. Finally, their most recent additions to their shisha catalog come in black tins and sport flavor names you wouldn’t exactly expect from a shisha company.

I chose Mint Colossus.

Now, I’ve smoked many mint flavored shisha tobaccos, and in general I find that they are best used as a mixer with another flavor. Mint by itself tends to be a little overpowering for the taste buds (Winterfresh, for example, is extremely strong and may even be nauseating for some by itself). Regardless of my past experience, I loaded a bowl exclusively of Mint Colossus.

In an attempt to minimize what I expected to be an overwhelming mint flavor (the name, after all, suggests it to be as such) I also placed ice cubes in the hookah vase to cool the smoke and enhance my smoking experience. A few minutes later, my coals are ready and I place them on the edge of the bowl so as not to immediately burn the shisha (this technique also helps warm the bowl itself, creating a more even burn overall).

It takes a few puffs to get the hookah smoking, but what I find is a pleasing contradiction to my former expectation. It doesn’t taste like I’m chewing on a bunch of mint leaves, but instead is much tamer than that. The taste is very similar to other mint flavors I’ve tried, but without the minty intensity. The flavor lasts, smooth and enjoyable, for a very long time without becoming harsh or changing in intensity. I suspect Mint Colossus would also perform well as a mixer with another shisha flavor (I like to mix mint flavors primarily with fruity ones). Once the coals start burning low, I wrapped a bit of tin foil around the bowl, a technique used to trap heat more effectively which preserves smoke density for a longer period of time.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed smoking this new flavor. Perhaps Starbuzz created this new line of black tins to revisit older flavors and improve its flavor/smokability, but either way I give Mint Colossus a thumbs up, as it smokes great as a solo flavor and as a mixer.

On a final note, Hookah Happiness will proudly begin selling various brands of hookah shisha, including Starbuzz, at a discounted price soon!

Standard Bowl vs. Vortex Hookah Bowl (October 24, 2011)

Although all hookahs generally work in the same fashion, there are small tweaks and changes hookah owners can apply to slightly alter their smoking experience. The prime example of this deals with the liquid medium, which can be cooled with ice cubes for a smoother smoking experience (I’ve even heard of hoses that have their own cooling mechanism inside). For an enhanced flavor experience, I’ve heard of folks replacing the water with something else that adds a flavor of its own. It may not be apparent, but even the bowl style has an effect on your smoking experience.

Almost all hookahs sold come with a standard bowl; simply a bowl with a varying number of holes at the bottom to allow the smoke to filter through. There is, however, another type of bowl available, which, in my experience, increases both session length and overall enjoyment. I’m speaking of course of the Vortex style bowl. As you can see, the shisha in this bowl is loaded around the center while the smoke is vented through the middle.

The advantage with this type of bowl is simple: loading the coals onto the middle of the bowl allows for the shisha to burn evenly without charring it. This avoids the unpleasant harshness sometime encountered during a smoking session. The coals heat the bowl that in turn heats the shisha without the direct contact found with a standard bowl. In my experience, this allows for an even burn throughout the session, and also preserves the flavor a bit better. This is a function not only of the coal placement, but the ventilation holes found throughout the depth of the shisha along the center bowl column.

Vortex bowls will run you a little more cost-wise initially than a standard bowl, but the investment is well worth it, especially for frequent smokers. One last thing to note: it may take a few more starting pulls to achieve the thick smoke most hookah smokers desire, but this is due only to the bowl structure.

Solution to a Broken Hookah Vase (October 20, 2011)

Some friends broke their hookah vase one night and didn't have a spare to replace it with. Not the type of people to be stopped by a broken vase, they discovered that the stem fit perfectly in a 1 gallon water bottle. So if you break your hookah vase, don't despair. Chances are you have something around your house that will make a good substitute until your new one arrives.

What is a Hookah Pipe? (October 17, 2011)

Hookah History

Hookahs (also called shisha, or nargile) were invented over 1000 years ago near the modern day Pakistan/India border in Indochina. Originally, they were not used for smoking tobacco; instead, they were typically a vehicle for the consumption of opium or hashish. People did not start smoking tobacco out of hookah pipes until they were introduced in Turkey several hundred years ago. It wasn't long before hookah lounges became a popular place for people to relax and socialize with a few friends. Recently, hookah pipes have become very popular in the United States (more on hookah history).

Modern day hookahs are used almost exclusively for the smoking of hookah tobacco, or shisha. This is a mix of long leaf tobacco and flavored molasses that makes very thick, sweet, and satisfying smoke clouds. A hookah pipe is made up of seven major parts, these are the same parts you will need if you want to build a custom hookah pipe.

1. Hookah Bowl The hookah bowl is also known as the head of the hookah. Hookah bowls are usually made of clay ceramics so that they conduct heat more efficiently. The bowl of a hookah sits on the very top of the hookah stem, and it is what shisha (hookah tobacco) is loaded into. Hookah coals are then placed on top of the bowl to heat the shisha, which creates smoke. 2. Hookah Hose The hookah hose is a flexible tube, usually made from leather or synthetic leather, depending on the quality. Hookah hoses typically have handles made of wood or plastic, although particularly high quality hookahs may have hoses made from marble or bone. Hookah hoses allow smoke to be drawn up from the hookah vase into the hookah smoker's lungs. 3. Hookah Stem A hookah stem is the part of the hookah that carries smoke from the hookah bowl down to the hookah vase. This is also where hookah hoses are attached to the hookah, but hoses draw smoke directly from the reservoir of smoke collected in the vase. 4. Hookah Grommet Hookah grommets are sometimes referred to as hookah gaskets. A hookah grommet seals the connection between the hookah stem and the hookah vase so that no smoke escapes from the vase during a smoke session. 5. Hookah Valve Hookah valves are found both in the stem opening and in the ball on the opposite side. Typically, the valve is made from a ball bearing that will fall to close off the smoke chamber when the hookah is not being smoked. Suction will pull the bearing up when the hose is being used to open up the vase and allow the smoke to be drawn out.

6. Hookah Vase

The hookah vase, or base of the hookah, is usually made of glass, but it can be made of a variety of other materials, such as ceramics, metal, or plastic. The vase is typically filled with water, and collects smoke that is drawn down from the bowl and through the stem. The water in a hookah vase is reputed to filter out many harmful chemicals; according to the WHO, it actually does filter out nicotine(p. 3). Smoke is then drawn out of the vase through a separate tube in the stem through a hose. Some people fill the vase with fruit juice, milk, or alcohol, but I do not recommend it. Filling the vase with anything other than water can cause corrosion and mold in the stem, vase, or bowl, and will be a nightmare to clean (more on how to clean a hookah).

7. Charcoal Tray

The charcoal tray catches ash from the bowl, and is a great place to hang your hookah tongs. It is not crucial for the use of a hookah, but it is also a good place to put coals that are nearly burnt out, or coals that are already spent.

Shisha Review: Starbuzz Mint Colossus (November 9, 2011)

Standard vs. Vortex Hookah Bowls (October 24, 2011)

Solution to a Broken Hookah Vase (October 20, 2011)

What is a Hookah Pipe? (October 17, 2011)

Hookah Smoking Risks and Herbal Shisha (October 3, 2011)

Shisha Review: Starbuzz Tangerine Dream (September 11, 2011)

How to Clean a Hookah Pipe (September 01, 2011)

A Brief History of the Hookah (August 20, 2011)

Shisha Review: Starbuzz Blue Mist (July 26, 2011)

How to Choose the Ideal Hookah for Your Lifesyle (May 14, 2010)

More great sites in the hookah community:

Hookah Happiness Hookah Blog, the external version of the Hookah Happiness blog.

Buy Hookah, a great hookah forum and blog with great shisha reviews and other posts. Don't let the name fool you, they don't actually sell anything.

Hookah Pro, a hookah forum.

Sahara Smoke Co., our current hookah supplier. Based in Statesborough, Georgia, their hookahs are made in the USA from high quality glass and stainless steel.

FlySounds Directory -The Fastest Web php directory on earth !

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