Buy‌ Hookah Blog

Nakhla Sheherazade Chocomint Flavored Hookah Tobacco

kalutika — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:26:57 +0000

As anyone who has been reading this blog knows, I am a fan of non fruity flavors. I am a huge advocate of mint, spices and floral flavors. I think that they are an essential part of the hookah experience that can break up the monotony of fruit with something more interesting and memorable.

Nakhla Sheherazade Chocomint isn’t the most readily available flavor you are going to find. Many people are apprehensive about this flavor because it’s so different. Also the flavor of artificial chocolate leaves a bad taste in some people’s mouths…. Ok. I’m not a comedian. Give me a break.

The smell on this one is awesome. It’s like a super minty andes mint. It’s strong enough that I would compares is to mint oil mixed with cocoa essence. It’s strong and it smells great.

The clouds are great. It takes a little more work to coax good clouds out of Nakhla than it does some of the more modern brands but thunderclouds are possible.

The flavor on this one punches you in the face. It’s majorly minty. Perhaps a little too much so. While I love a strong mint flavor that gives you a chill every time your pull, the chocolate is a little over shadowed. Mint and chocolate is a no brainer combination but it’s difficult to achieve in some formats. Hookah tobacco is one of those. Chocolate is a delicate flavor that is almost impossible to replicate and very difficult to make pleasant in tobacco. The mint takes center stage on this one and I wish it was more of a 50/50 split.

7 out of 10. I love mint and this is a great mint flavor. Nakhla has mint down. Chocolate is another story. The flavor is there but it’s way too light. If the chocolate flavor could be brought up to the level of the mint I would add another tobacco to my top 10.

Hookah and Sickness

kalutika — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:32:13 +0000

This is a topic that I hear brought up quite regularly.

“I’m sick. Should I stop smoking hookah?”

The short answer: Yes!

Smoking of any kind is bad for you and makes it harder for the body to recover from illness. The worst case scenario is if you are dealing with a chest cold or other kind of respiratory infection. I wanted to make it clear right off the bat that if you are smoking while you have an illness of the lungs you are just asking for serious trouble. Pneumonia is just one of the many complications that could arise.

Less sever illness should be treated the same as well. If you are sick to your stomach then smoking is just going to make that worse. If you are smoking tobacco the nicotine is going to add even more to that. If you have a head cold it’s kind of silly to smoke at all for a few reasons. Firstly, smoking can prolong a sickness by weakening your natural defenses. Second, if you are having trouble breathing because of a stuffed up nose then hookah is just going to make it worse. Lastly, if you’re stuffed up you can’t taste the hookah in which case, why smoke it at all?

With something like allergies, of which I am a sufferer, hookah can be smoked but should be taken in moderation. Very strong flavors like mint and menthol can actually be a nice bit of relief for itchy and stuffed up sinuses. I have a hookah flavor mix that I use once in a while when my allergies act up and when I am looking for something really strong to smoke. I call it Vicksotussin. Al Fakher cardamom mixed with Nakhla Mint. Super strong, cooling and relieving blast of spicy, minty, burning goodness.

My favorite sinus clearing flavors are

Nakhla Mint

Nakhla Cinnamon

Nakhla Cardamom

Al Fakher Mint

Al Fakher Cardamom

Social Smoke Absolute Zero

Social Smoke Cinnamint

If you have light to moderate allergies these are great flavors to keep around. Not only are they awesome flavors of hookah tobacco but they are strong and will help open up the sinuses. Cardamom is a little bit strong for some people but I LOVE it. If you do get some I suggest mixing a small portion of it with a mint and see what kind of flavors you can pick out and move up from there. Cardamom is also a traditional spice used in Turkish coffee so I mix it with coffee flavors like Starbuzz Arabic Coffee and enjoy.

The bottom line. If you are sick smoking hookah is just going to make you sicker or make this sickness last longer. It’s no worth it. It’s a great hobby and very relaxing but it’s not worth risking your health over.

Smoke healthy, my friends.

Avoiding Hookah Sickness A.K.A Nicotine Sickness

Latest Hookah Bars in Our Directory

Nima — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:17:31 +0000

Following are the latest hookah bars that I’ve added to the hookah bars directory:

Main Street Tobacco in Kansas City
Jaskki’s Tobacco Cafe in Kansas City
Titos Hookah Bar in Warrensburg, MO.
Hookah Express in Ft Lauderdale, FL
Maliks Hookah Lounge in Fairfax, VA

Been to either one of them? Would you be willing to write us a guest blog post reviewing the hookah bar?

No related posts.

Social Smoke Cola flavored Hookah Tobacco

kalutika — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:31:19 +0000

Cola is a flavor that seems fairly popular in the hookah community. It’s also quite the variable flavor because there are so many different versions of cola in the world.

The smell on this one in the can is very sweet and spicy. It smells great. It smells like cola but it’s more of a classic cola scent. It’s less like modern sodas and more like something you would find in the line up of a classic soda company.

The clouds are great. Social Smoke is a modern style tobacco so it has good heat resistance and is made to produce big clouds with smooth smoke.

The flavor is very similar to the smell. Very sweet and spicy. It’s great. I’m not a soda drinker but i am a sucker for classic stuff like birch beer and the old recipes. This flavor has notes of caramel in the background supporting a big spice profile in the foreground. I’m not talking about strong cinnamon here but it’s present. It’s got a nice vanilla presence and other nuances that I can’t quite place. Perhaps a very slight licorice that is very nicely balanced.

8.5 out of 10. I think this is a great flavor. It’s mellow but strong at the same time. It’s something that I can smoke regularly without getting sick of it and it’s not so sweet that it becomes cloying or unpleasant. Anyone that likes spice flavors, cola flavors or classic soft drinks should pick this up. I think it could be a little more accurate to the modern cola to satisfy the modern soda drinker but I wouldn’t mess with it any more for fear of breaking up the nice balance of flavors that I am currently enjoying.

If you want to buy this flavor it’s available by following this link.

Large Ceramic Hookah Bowl With Windcover

kalutika — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:06:09 +0000

When I first started smoking hookah a long time ago I bought a couple of these bowls. I have since moved onto other types of bowls but I keep a couple of these around.

These bowls are similar to a standard modern ceramic bowl. They are thin walled ceramic but are quite durable. The actual bowl is perfectly fine and a good bowl. The only real problem is that it requires a thick grommet as the bottom of the bowl is fairly wide.

The wind cover is useful sometimes but often times it’s a bother. The latch and wind cover combination is a good idea but it heats up quickly making it impossible to adjust the coals without burning your hands if it’s latched in place. I suggest leaving it unlatched and adjusting the height of the wind cover with your tongs. In this way it offers a good amount of control over the heat by allowing you to adjust how close to the coals you want the wind cover to be.

The other problem I found was that the wind cover rusted fairly quickly. It’s not a big deal but I found it unpleasant and discouraging.

These bowls are great for those that are worried about dropping coals while moving the hookah. I have used them entirely open and then closed it when I wanted to shift the hookah to prevent spills. It’s also a good idea to use these if you plan on smoking in the woods or other places where brush fires are a risk. Lastly, if you wanted to make a portable hookah, this would be the bowl to use.

These are hard to rate. They are a very specialized bowl and are terrible in some situations but good in others.

The actual bowl part gets a 6 out of 10 from me. It’s nothing special but it’s a good modern ceramic bowl.

The wind cover part gets a 5 out of 10. It’s more adjustable than a standard wind cover but it’s harder to adjust one you have started the session. The latch is useless unless you are trying to make a hookah for your car.

All together I give this hookah bowl a 5 out of 10. It’s a decent bowl but it’s not always the right choice. It has some very specific situations in which it’s actually useful. I think it’s good to keep one around, especially if you have a travel hookah.

You can buy the large ceramic bowl with wind cover by following this link if you want to give them a try. I made great use of them for quite a while.

No related posts.

Fantasia Orange Sherbert Flavored Hookah Tobacco

kalutika — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:04:35 +0000

Fantasia is a brand that everyone should be pretty familiar with. They have some popular flavors that have received a lot of attention in the past and they are always coming out with new flavors with interesting new twist and themes.

Orange Sherbert by Fantasia is one that does not get a lot of attention but is a pretty nice smoke. The smell in the bag is like that of a creamcicle. It smells great. I have always been a huge fan of creamcicles so I was excited about this flavor. It’s very similar to the scent of melted orange sherbert.

The smoke is typical of Fantasia and the more modern tobaccos on the market. Big clouds and smooth.

The flavor, I found a wee bit lacking. It’s medium strength but does not smack of the orange cream pop that the tobacco smells like. It’s sweet and slightly bitter with a distinct orange flavor and a bit of a candied note. It’s similar to a orange soda without the overly artificial flavor. I like it.

7.5 out of 10. I think that this is a good flavor that citrus fans should try out. It’s definitely a candied flavor and it could stand to be a bit stronger. It could be a bit more accurate to orange sherbert in my opinion it’s already pretty good. It’s not sour and in your face citrus like a lot of the other flavors in that category but it’s nice. Smooth and mellow, I think it’s worth a try.

Nakhla Cherry Flavored Hookah Tobacco

kalutika — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:10:00 +0000

Nakhla is one of the more traditional brands that hookah smokers find themselves exposed to today. It’s a great brand with a long history and it’s flavors are more natural and less candied than a lot of the stuff out there.

The smell on this one in the 50g box I had was distinctly of cough syrup but not so medicinal. I was really worried about the flavor as I have had bad experiences with cherry flavors in the past.

The smoke is not as gigantic as something like Fantasia but if smoked properly and with good heat management they should be perfectly fine and satisfy most everyone. The 250g packs are not as dry as the 50g boxes so it may be worth trying it twice if you liked the flavor but thought the sample was too dry.

The flavor is much better than the smell. It’s more of a sweetened and dried cherry than it is medicinal. There is still a little bit of a cough syrup flavor but it’s not as unpleasant as other cherry blends I have had. The flavor is not a perfect natural cherry but it’s pretty good. It’s similar to the smell of a really light cherry pipe tobacco where the flavor of the tobacco leaf is more subdued.

6.5 out of 10. I like this flavor and I really enjoy mixing it with black moassel to make a flavor similar to cherry pipe tobacco but it’s not perfect. I think that the flavor could be more realistic and that the cough syrup notes should be eliminated if possible.

Fantasia Pink Lemonade Flavored Hookah Tobacco: Kalutika’s Review

kalutika — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:26:44 +0000

Fantasia Pink Lemonade is one of the most popular flavors that Fantasia has produced. For a while it was one of the top selling hookah tobacco flavors on the market. Pink lemonade originated with a tart drink made from the sumac berry and sweetened with maple syrup or sugar. It later became normal lemonade that was colored via natural or artificial coloring that included grenadine, cherry juice and strawberry juice. I really want to try the original version. It sounds great.

The smell of this tobacco in the box is like a sweet candy lemon with a slightly artificial note and a distinct fruitiness.

The clouds are what I expect from Fantasia. Big and fluffy.

The flavor is distinctly lemon with a hint of something else. It’s not sumac, that I am sure of. It may be a bit of grenadine or I may just be imagining it. It’s not a straight lemon. I really like it. It’s not over powering lemon but rather a nice, sweet lemon note with a pleasant and lingering after taste.

8 out of 10. This is a great flavor I really suggest that if you are a fan of lemonade flavors that you should pick this one up. It’s far from a natural lemon but it’s a nice flavor. I think it gives what it promises. Sweet lemonade.

Fantasia Joack and Coke Flavored Hookah Tobacco

kalutika — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:08:13 +0000

Fantasia continues on it’s trend of making mixed drink flavored hookah tobacco but this time they take a swing at the college classic Jack and Coke.

I would say that this is a bit of a deviation for them as Jack and Coke is less of a sweet candy drink and is a bit more… savory I guess might be the right word. The smell in the package is similar to an actual Jack and Coke. It smells like a generic cola with a slight note that is similar to the cola flavored bottle caps candy. In an odd way this is what a Jack and Coke can end up smelling like.

The clouds are what I expect from Fantasia. I know I use that descriptor a lot but we all know how modern brands like Fantasia smoke. They make big clouds with smooth smoke.

The flavor is similar to the smell but a little lighter. I think that the spice character that often comes through with cola flavors is a little lacking. I don’t taste enough of a “Jack” flavor to really call this a perfect Jack and Coke hookah tobacco. It’s tasty. There is no doubt about that. I would just like more of an oak note but I know that would not appeal to many people. The average Jack and Coke drinker mixes heavily toward the coke end of things. I actually like the flavor of whiskey so I know my tastes aren’t exactly what they are catering to.

7 out of 10. I like it. I think it’s a decent cola flavor and it has a little something extra that makes it different than the rest of them out there. I wish the flavor was stronger and I wish it was more accurate to it’s name. If you like the drink known as a Jack and Coke then I think you should buy at least a sample of Fantasia Jack and Coke flavored hookah tobacco.

Fantasia Cactus Breeze Flavored Hookah Tobacco

kalutika — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:41:54 +0000

2 oz of cranberry juice

2 oz of pineapple juice

2 oz of sour mix

2 oz of vodka

This is what makes up a cactus breeze according to various drink sources and I have never had one. When I heard “cactus” in the name I thought it was going to taste of cactus pear. Cactus pear is an interesting little fruit that grows in the desert, you guessed it, on a type of cactus. It’s tasty and it quite unique in regards to flavor.

Fantasia is usually very good about making their drink based flavors taste like the drinks they are replicating but I have never had a cactus breeze so I can not really comment on it’s accuracy. I don’t really taste much cranberry but that’s a super subtle flavor anyway. The flavor definitely has notes of cactus pear so I think that the recipe they are basing this on varies from the ones I found. The flavor is similar to the Tangiers Cactus Fruit that I have smoked for quite some time and that’s a good thing.

The clouds are what you should expect from Fantasia at this point. Big and fluffy. Smooth smoke that is easy on the lungs.

7 out of 10. I really like Fantasia Cactus Breeze and I feel that the cactus pear flavor is dominant enough that it earns it’s name. I would call it more of a candied cactus fruit flavor with notes of pineapple and sweet fruit because it’s missing the sour bitterness that cranberry should lend the drink but I think it’s worth a shot.