Hookah Love Blog

Editor’s Note: This is the 6th part to Jono’s Hookah Blog: Part 1 - Introduction and Basic Hookah FAQ.   This section is Jono’s honest reviews the 5 Al Fakher Shisha Tobacco flavors that he’s tried. Enjoy!

Al Fakher Apricot - I only tried this once with Romman Rose, but I remember thinking, “I should’ve used something other than Apricot”. HAHA! Not bad! I think it would mix well with something else.

Al Fakher Jasmine - I smoked this for the first time last week. It is one of those flavors that is good every now and again, but I can’t see myself buying this in large quantities or very often for that matter.   One 50g box will probably last me two months.  I also expected the smell to fill the room pleasantly, but even that seemed to let me down.

Al Fakher Watermelon - I don’t need to tell you this, but this flavor is the shiz-nittle-bam snip-snap-sack! Best watermelon flavor, hands down. My recommendation to you is to order this in bulk.

Al Fakher Golden Bahraini Apple - About the only thing I remember is that it was better than Al Waha’s Bahraini Apple.  I liked it a lot!

Al Fakher Golden Grape - I tried this once on a recommendation.  I heard it went really well with a nice Merlot.  Being a huge fan of red wines in general, I spiced up a glass of Merlot, loaded the Golden Grape and went to town.   I love grapes.  I love red wine.  But the two didn’t blend as well as expected. And the shisha by itself was not as flavorful as I’d hoped for. I definitely want to try this again using different coals, a better hookah, and see what happens…

Howdy Hookah Friends!

We’ve covered so far our worst case scenarios when it comes to no hookah bowl and no fire, but what should you do when you hear that unfortunate sound of your hookah base shattering to the ground?

Mike from New Jersey sent us these pictures - an unfortunate case of a broken base occurred (don’t pick up the hookah by the stem, folks!) but that didn’t stop Mike and his friends from brainstorming ways to continue the smoking session.  A quick trip to the pantry yielded this ingenious setup:

That’s right, this jumbo can of County Time lemonade mix (makes 136 servings!) doubled as a base for his Syrian Chiller Hookah.  Doesn’t look like the most stable smoking device, does it?  This was fixed in 3 easy words:  Packaging tape anchors:

Now that’s absolute genius.  Thanks Mike for sending us your pictures, and to everyone else, happy smoking!

Editor’s Note: This is the 5th part to Jono’s Hookah Blog: Part 1 - Introduction and Basic Hookah FAQ.   This section is Jono’s honest reviews of all the Starbuzz Shisha Tobacco that he’s tried. Enjoy!

Starbuzz Apple Cinnamon - Loved it! I thought it was the greatest thing ever until I tried Romman’s version. While Starbuzz’s Apple Cinnamon had a thicker smoke, which I love, Romman’s Apple Cinnamon just tasted more buttery. The Starbuzz flavor had the blend wrong or something. Too much cinnamon perhaps. But don’t get me wrong, it’s still an amazing flavor and a great smoking experience. But for taste, I’d choose Romman Apple Cinnamon.

Starbuzz Blackberry - I think I bought this because a friend wanted to try it. I remember it being better than I expected. We actually smoked the whole 250g jar within a week or so. We haven’t bought it since though. Maybe we burned ourselves out too quickly. Not sure. But it was really good!

Starbuzz Blue Mist - Forget about it! Buy the 1000g tub of Blue Mist now and save yourself the hassle of reordering. It will go fast if you don’t. This is a favorite amongst me and my friends and their friends and their friends. We haven’t met anyone that doesn’t love this stuff!

Starbuzz Caramel Macchiato - Hated it. Tasted like burnt coffee. Or better yet, it tasted like a once-nice cup of coffee that sat out for a week in the hot sun with a mild caramel taste that doesn’t really even enter your taste buds, ever. It just kind of dangles in front of you, as if being held by a string on a stick, while you’re lead on a road to disappointment. Getting the idea yet?

Starbuzz Chocolate Strawberry - The chocolate was real weak and the Strawberry left much to be desired. I think I still have the remains of the first and only jar of Chocolate Strawberry I ever bought back in 2007. Gross, and umm…. gross.

Starbuzz Christmas Mix - Love it! Can’t get enough of it. Smoke it once and wait for it to sneak back into your craving brain. If you smoke too much of it, it’ll lose its magic. I am always happy smoking Christmas Mix. And no, it doesn’t have to be a seasonal flavor. Why waste such a great smoking shisha on just one season just because it says Christmas on the label?

Starbuzz Cola - This stuff is sick! And I mean that in a good way! This is the closest thing to cracking open a refreshing ice cold Coca-Cola on a hot summer day. Cliche? Perhaps. But it’s true. Its genuine Coca-cola taste is surprising. I mentioned earlier that this flavor goes great with Romman vanilla and makes for a great treat when downing some ice cream from McDonald’s or Chik-fil-a. Or have a coke float and smoke this mix. You’ll love it.

Starbuzz Honeyberry - I really really wanted to like this. But, alas, I didn’t. Not enough flavor from either the honey side or the berry side.

Starbuzz Irish Cream - Yeah, definitely go out and getchoooo some o’dis! (an ode to my friend Danny). This stuff is soooo good. I can’t even begin to express how much I love this flavor. All my friends like it to. So jump on that bandwagon and let’s smoke. Call me over when you load it!

Starbuzz Pashion Kiss - Decent at best. A few - and I emphasize few - of my friends like this. It’s passion fruit shisha, which didn’t really do anything for me. Not a huge fan of the fruit, so.

Starbuzz Pumpkin Pie - Thank god calories aren’t an issue when consuming this product. This stuff is amazing. Again, doesn’t have to be seasonal. In fact I suggest you buy the large jar or the Y2K tub (1000g). For those of you who skipped over my review of Romman shisha, I’ll repeat myself: Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite bowls: Thanksgiving Day Parade - mix two thirds Starbuzz Pumpkin Pie and one third Romman Apple Cinnamon. Enjoy!

Starbuzz Sour Apple - I smoke a lot of this as well. Let me tell you about the best bowl that has ever been. I once smoked Starbuzz Sour Apple using two Coco-Nara
coals for the entire “Live Free or Die Hard” movie. It was epic. The flavor wouldn’t die out. The coals seemed to not burn out. The bowl was action-packed as they say. So yeah, this flavor holds a dear place in my heart. Which reminds me… I need to reorder this.

Starbuzz Tropical Fruit - This was the first Starbuzz flavor I fell in love with. Early on, I tried this and it quickly became my favorite flavor, replacing the once-favorite Raspberry Cheesecake from Tonic. So I bought Tropical Fruit and practically smoked it at every opportunity. I still love it, although I haven’t smoked it in a while. Sometimes you gotta let the ones you love go so that when you see them again, your relationship is stronger. Or something along those lines.

Starbuzz Watermelon - Very good flavor. But when it comes to Watermelon, it just doesn’t beat Al Fakher’s. Sorry Starbuzz.

Starbuzz White Peach - Killer! I’m a huge fan of peach shisha, in general. But White Peach stands alone as my favorite out of any brand.

Starbuzz Winterfresh - ALL my friends LOVE this stuff. I’m not a fan. It’s alright, and I’ll smoke it, I just won’t ever buy it.

Starbuzz X on the Beach - I can’t pin down exactly what is in this. But, bring on the hate mail, I think it’s way too overrated. We sell more X on the Beach than Whataburger sells fries. It’s ridiculous. I mean all this in a jovial way of course. When I think about sex on the beach, I don’t think about this flavor. And this shisha’s smell doesn’t put me in the mood. So, I don’t know. It’s alright.

Editor’s Note: This is the 4th part to Jono’s Hookah Blog: Part 1 - Introduction and Basic Hookah FAQ. This section is Jono’s honest reviews of the last 7 flavors (alphabetically) of Romman Shisha Tobacco that he’s tried. Enjoy!

Romman Spearmint Gum - Decent at best. Smoked it once. It’s not that it tasted bad, but if I’m going to spend my money on flavors that I’m ultimately going to smoke with a group of other people, this flavor just didn’t make the cut.

Romman Strawberry - First time I smoked this, it was disappointingly a lot like Cherry and Raspberry. Just didn’t have that certain something. For me, if I’m going to smoke for flavor, the Hydro Herbal Strawberry is much better in comparison.

Romman Summer Crisp - Absolutely, hands down, my favorite! Of ANY brand or flavor. Summer Crisp, which I buy in 250g jars at a time, will always be in my cabinet. It has a great melon taste with a freshness that just awakens the senses and brightens any mood. Great at parties, great with a small group, great alone, great just smelling the box/jar.  Haha!

Romman Sweet Melon - This is another favorite of mine. Great flavor, thick smoke, great aftertaste. I could smoke Sweet Melon about every day and not get sick of it.

Romman Sweet Start - This flavor reminds me a lot of Al Waha Five Star. Not a real fan of it by itself. I would only use it as a mixer.

Romman Vanilla - The Romman Vanilla is fansuperstupidtastic. I could smoke this by itself, it’s that good! But, if you’re going to mix it, try it with Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, very very very small amount of Cinnamon, Coconut, Cola, Mint, Orange, Strawberry or any combination of these. Invite me over when you do!

Romman Watermelon - Al Fahker makes THE BEST watermelon. However, Romman’s Watermelon is quite tasty too. It doesn’t have as sweet a flavor as Al Fakher’s but I think Romman’s is has a more genuine flavor. Al Fakher’s tends to taste like Jolly Ranchers, thus why I like it so much.  If you’ve smoked several bowls in the same evening, and/or if you’ve been drinking beer all night, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference between Romman’s Watermelon and Summer Crisp. They’re very similar. Watermelon will just be a tad less “refreshingly zingy”, if that makes sense.

Editor’s Note: This is the 3rd part to Jono’s Hookah Blog: Part 1 - Introduction and Basic Hookah FAQ. This section is Jono’s honest reviews of the next 15 flavors (alphabetically) of Romman Shisha Tobacco that he’s tried. Enjoy!

16. Romman Good Times - The first time I smoked this it didn’t go well either and I didn’t really have the desire to try it again. But, thank god I did! I love this flavor now! It’s refreshing, fruity, and just smokes really nicely. I recommend this for any and every party. I’ll always have this.

17. Romman Grape - I remember thinking, “not bad.”  I should give this another try though.  Another bad first experience.  If you have your own special techniques on making this flavor really great, pass it on to me.  I want to be able to sit back with a nice chianti, listen to some Miles Davis, and smoke this Romman Grape.

18. Romman Guava - I once dated a girl that would always wear lotions that smelled like guava. Why? I couldn’t tell ya.  It wasn’t a “pretty” scent.  Still, to this day, I can’t stand the smell of guava. I haven’t tried this flavor yet. Not sure I will. I hear other people talk about loving this flavor, so I’ll give it a shot eventually. Do any of you have suggestions on making this experience better for me? (besides me going to hypnotherapy to deal with the guava girl) HAHA!

19. Romman Ivory Coast - This had a very grapefruity taste. Which, if you’re a fan of grapefruit (and a stout one at that) this flavor is excellent. I can see it being used occasionally, but I can’t smoke too much of it. It slaps you in the face with how strong it is.

20. Romman Laffy Taffy - This flavor reminds me of Romman Banana mixed with Al-Waha Sweets/Candy. It was ok. Just ok.

21. Romman Lemon - This is a great mixer for flavors like Strawberry, Watermelon, Orange. On its own though, it’a quite sour. Keep in mind, you won’t need to use a lot of this when mixing. A little goes a long way.   Same goes for flavors like Cinnamon, Mint, and Rose.

22. Romman Mango - I’ll have to try this flavor again to be fair. The first experience wasn’t great. Might have been due to what was smoked right before it, might have been loaded poorly, could’ve been a number of things.   Suggestions on making it better? Any good mix ideas? (please don’t say guava, please don’t say guava)

23. Romman Melon Berry - This wasn’t bad. Wasn’t great enough to make me smoke it regularly.

24. Romman Mint - Buy it now.  Stop reading this and go buy it.  You will never have enough Mint. It goes great with too many things. Use moderately though. Too much could kill a mix.

25. Romman Nectarine - This, like Ivory Coast, was quite powerful of a taste.  If it was milder, I would have liked it a lot better.  Try this if you like strong flavors!

26. Romman Orange - Orange is pretty good with vanilla. It mixes with other fruits to make some interesting bowls. But with Good Times on hand, you’ll never need it. I’m a huge fan of other oranges though. Al Waha makes a great Orange Cream and so does Fumari.  Romman, if you’re listening, look into making Orange Cream!

27. Romman Peach - I really really like Romman Peach. I smoke this by itself a lot. I would try mixing two thirds Peach and one third orange. Tasty. Peach and Apple Cinnamon might be really good too!

28. Romman Prunes - This flavor was/is also called Plum. It’s pretty good. I’ve bought it a few times. However, I’ve only come across one person (of the many I’ve smoked with) that actually liked this flavor enough to buy. I liked it well enough.

29. Romman Raspberry - I wanted this flavor to be richer, thicker, and full of taste. It, like Cherry, just didn’t seem to do the fruit’s flavor justice.

30. Romman Rose - I’m just getting into trying floral shishas. I tried Rose for the first time when I mixed it with Al Fakher Apricot. It was surprisingly nice! The smell of Rose just fills a room, in a good way. Moreso than Al Fakher’s Jasmine. I’ve yet to try Rose with other flavors since then but I’m open to suggestion.

One of our most popular Mya Saray Hookahs (and one of the nicest looking to boot!) is finally back in stock after a long drought.   The Mya Colossus Hookah is one of the most exquisite hookah pipes available, measuring a towering 40 inches from the bottom of the base to the top of the bowl.   Featuring an elegant etched glass pyramid style base and matching shaft adorned with decorated cloisonné enamelware, this awesome smoking spectacle makes a fine addition to any hookah connoisseurs’ collection.  The Mya Colossus is available in a 1 hose, 2 hose, 3 hose, and 4 hose model, comes in both red and blue colors, and is ready to smoke out of the box!

Aside from its  extravagant appearance, it now comes in a fancy hard carrying case with not 1 but 2 combination locks (you choose the combination).   The shaft easily breaks down into 2 separate pieces for easy storage and each component of the hookah is secured in its own compartment, so no accidental scratches and nicks during transport!      

Editor’s Note:  This is the 2nd part to Jono’s Hookah Blog: Part 1 - Introduction and Basic Hookah FAQ. This section is Jono’s honest reviews of the first 15 flavors (alphabetically) of Romman Shisha Tobacco that he’s tried.  Enjoy!

1. Romman Almond - This flavor sort of reminds me of the aftertaste you get from smoking cherry.   Although there’s no cherry taste, its aftertaste is one of stale cherry smoke. Didn’t have a true almond taste, although it did have a buttery smoke that wasn’t too bad.   Some of my friends, however, loved it.

2. Romman Apple - I wasn’t a fan of this flavor. To me, its taste wasn’t genuine enough to be called Apple. It gave off a licorice after taste. When I think of apple flavor, I think juicy sweet rich apple flavor, but what this flavor gave me was none of the above.

3. Romman Apple Cinnamon - I was a huge fan of Starbuzz’s Apple Cinnamon, so I gave the Romman version a try.  To me, it had a much more buttery flavor to the apple and the cinnamon was the perfect amount.  Not too much zing, but definitely tasty.  I could smoke an entire jumbo bowl of this stuff.  I will always have this flavor at my house.  While we’re on the subject of Apple Cinnamon, allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite bowls:  Thanksgiving Day Parade - mix two thirds Starbuzz Pumpkin Pie and one third Romman Apple Cinnamon.   Enjoy!

4. Romman Banana - Not too bad.  Just didn’t POP! Very mild flavor. Sort of tasted like Romman Laffy Taffy without that candy taste. Wasn’t a true fresh banana flavor, but was definitely decent enough to smoke.  I’m very curious to see what this would taste like with Romman Strawberry, maybe even Chocolate Strawberry. Try it out and let me know.

5. Romman Banana Split - Seemed to be Banana and Chocolate, but not a very strong flavor from either. There are times when this flavor is nice, even in its mild form. Morning bowls! Flavors that are more mild (banana, banana split, etc) or flavors with chocolate or coffee flavors (chocolate mint, frappuccino, etc) tend to be more appropriate in the morning.

6. Romman Berry Breeze - I rank this with Blueberry, Honey Dew, and Banana. Had a somewhat of a strange taste, not too bad. 

7. Romman Blueberry - I’ve only tried this once, and it wasn’t great. It had a taste that I can only describe as soapy. If any of you have tried other brands of blueberry, you’ll know what I mean. It just didn’t have a rich enough flavor for me.

8. Romman Cherry - Not to say that this is a bad flavor, I was just a little disappointed in it.  I love cherry drinks, cherry pies, cherries in general. But this flavor didn’t do much for me. I’ve tried it on several occasions hoping that maybe I just tried a bad batch, or one that was dried out a little too much. But no.  The flavor is mild , which is why I think that cherry and almond are very very similar. They both have a dried out cherry nut flavor. But this flavor in particular just misses that fruity taste. Because of this experience, I’ve been reluctant to buy other flavors of cherry. You know of a brand that gets this flavor right? I’d love to try it out!

9. Romman Chocolate - I can never have enough Romman Chocolate in my house.  It goes great with a lot of things.   (Apple Cinnamon, Mint, Strawberry, Cinnamon, Vanilla, etc) Even when smoked alone it’s great. Very thick, rich, true chocolate taste.  More of a milk chocolate than a dark chocolate though. You know how some flavors seem to lose it’s flavor by the time you reach the end of the bowl?  Not chocolate. It’s like eating Cocoa Pebbles and then drinking the chocolate milk that remains at the end.   Ok, I think you get the idea. I like it

10. Romman Chocolate Mint - This reminds me of those mints you get with your check at Olive Garden.  Refreshingly minty and full of chocolate flavor. Or if you’re a fan of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, this flavor is for you!  Most people love this flavor.  I can’t keep enough of this stuff on hand. My recommendations are to buy this in bulk. Like the Y2K jars!

11. Romman Cinnamon - Alone this flavor is pretty strong.  When used to mix with other flavors, it can be great.   But use this stuff sparingly in bowls. A little goes a long way. Try it in Banana, Banana Split, Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Strawberry, Peach, Strawberry, Vanilla, or one that I tried and was surprised that it worked - Chocolate, Orange and Cinnamon.  Again, this flavor you won’t need much of at any given time so purchase accordingly.

12.  Romman Cocktail - I only smoked this once and didn’t remember liking it that much.   I will, however, try it again.  It seems like a flavor I would like. Any suggestions for making the bowl better? Should I use juices, or fruits, or mints in the base? Let me know your experiences with this.

13. Romman Coconut - The weird thing about Coconut is that I hate the taste of real coconut.   However, this flavor is awesome!  I smoke a lot of this.  It’s soothing.  It’s smell, the thickness of the smoke, the rich flavor… all makes this highly enjoyable.  Definitely pick some up.  Great morning flavor.

14. Romman Cola - Although I do like Starbuzz’s Cola better, the Romman flavor is beyond excellent itself.  I mix this with Mint, or Vanilla.   I tried it with Cherry once thinking that it would be similar in taste to a cherry coke but was let down.   It wasn’t the Cola’s fault though.  Cherry was just weak. I recommend loading a little over half a bowl of Romman Vanilla and the rest with Romman Cola, drive down to McDonald’s or Chik-fil-a and grab a huge cup of ice cream, and smoke that bowl while eating ice cream.  Pick out a movie, a comedy, and have a great time! Yes, I’m mentally challenged, but thank you.

15. Romman Double Apple - Not a fan. Again, like the apple, it just had too much of that licorice taste and after taste. Although I’m not a fan of this, it sells like crazy. Maybe it’s just me. And my entire household of people. And my friends. And my co-workers. I don’t get it…

Stay Tuned for Part 3 - Jono’s Honest reviews of the next 15 Romman Flavors!

Editor’s note:  This is a first in a series of blog posts dedicated to hookah culture around the world.  We invite our readers to contribute and share your stories of how you were introduced to the hookah, and how the social and cultrual aspect of hookah smoking has grown in your community.  Enjoy!

I want to begin by saying what up to all you badass hookah lovers out there and secondly give a shout out to the staff at hookah-shisha.com! You guys are awesome and really do a great job.  Alrighty - some quick info about me, I’m Kahlid, I’m 23 years old, and I live in Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean.  Most importantly, I love hookah and if you’re reading this then most likely you’re a hookah lover like me.  Right? You may be wondering “huh, hookah in the Caribbean? How’d that happen?” Good question, so let me break it down for you;  Trinidad & Tobago is a melting pot of cultures.  We have Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Syrian, Lebanese, African, and the list goes on.   As these people came over they brought their culture with them, and there you have it.  That’s how the beautiful hookah made its journey to the island of Trinidad. Back in the day the Indian people even referred to it as “chillum” in slang.

In Trinidad, hookah is a social thing; at least it is with me. It’s something to do when you’re just “limin” with your friends (“limin” means to “hang out” here in TnT).  My friends and I would say “yeh hoss leh we orange ah lime an bun some shisha.” It sounds funny, I know.  Nothing beats having a house lime with your buddies, having a little cook up with drinks and end it all with a nice 3-4 hour long shisha session. That’s a common thing for my limin group here and I recommend you try it too! I have been into hookah ever since I can remember; I grew up seeing my uncles blowing big puffs of smoke into the air from this awesome looking thing as a child at family get-togethers. And as I got older it was something I would do every now and then with friends but now it’s something I enjoy all the time. Having said that, it’s fair to say I have a good deal of experience with hookah and I’ve picked up some tips and tricks that I would love to share. Below is some basic info for the longest most awesome flavor packed, thickest smoke I ever had in my life.

First and foremost you need a hookah. If you have one already, great! If you’re thinking of getting one then I definitely recommend visiting www.hookah-shisha.com and have a quick look-see;  if you’re looking for top-of-the-line stuff from hookahs down to shisha then look no further. There is a lot of hype about the Old School Rotator Hookah, I must say it is great one indeed, especially for the first time owner.  But let me just say the others are great as well like the Egyptian Sphinx Hookahs which are great, they smoke well and as a bonus look like a museum piece. I own one myself along with a 3 hose Syrian Chiller (which I named “Puffer”) and also a Mini Mya Hookah (which smokes like a champ!)

Secondly you need quality shisha! There are tons of brands out there; my personal favorites are Fumari, Romman and Starbuzz.  Hookah is all about flavor you guys; thick smoke is a must, and trust me young puffers, the brands above deliver and are well worth the extra pesos. You can look through the wide variety of shisha available on the site. TRY EM ALL!  They’re awesome!  And I definitely recommend island papaya by Fumari.  For all the non tobacco people give Hydro Herbal Shisha a go, you won’t regret it!

Thirdly, what you put in your base can really influence your flavor, not to mention your overall experience.  Something I do all the time is add ice and lots of it.  It makes the smoke cool and it really gets the flavor going. Also I like to add fruit juices like watermelon, orange juice, fruit punch or even lemon wedges depending on the flavor of shisha I’m killing that night. You can even add some flavored vodka in your base; it’s really something when you do!

Once you’ve got the above covered, now its time to move onto packing your bowl.  Make sure you pack your shisha in loosely.  Sprinkle it around, open some pieces up a little and leave some as is. A cool tip is to leave a small hole in the middle, you can make this by using your finger, this allows for better air and heat flow so your shisha burns more evenly. If you’re using a really runny shisha, before you attach your bowl take a piece of tissue paper and fold it into a thin long strip, then wrap it around the grommet before attaching your bowl. This will absorb the juice from running down into your base. Cover with your foil “shiny side down.” I like the precut hookah foil - perfect thickness and it’s convenient.

Punching Holes: I just take a toothpick and start with a big circle on the outside edge and make my way inward. I make some holes a bit bigger for a little more heat.

Hookah Charcoal is a big deal; it affects how thick your smoke is.   Quick light charcoals are great, but the Coco Nara Charcoals are awesome - all natural, long lasting, eco friendly. What more can you ask for? Get ‘em people. Place your coal on top your bowl and let the magic begin. Quick tip: Never place your coal immediately in the center; that’s the last place you put the coal.   Start at the edges, and when your smoke starts to thin, shift your coal and move it in a clockwise/anticlockwise motion and make your way to the center.

Last step:  Put hose to lips, create a suction action and enjoy! Repeat as often as desired.  And there you have it folks. I guarantee you will have one of the best sessions ever!

When life hands you a bag of coals, use it to smoke shisha!

What’s up all my hookah crazy friends! Allow me to introduce myself to those who don’t know me.  My friends call me Jono.   I’ve been with hookah-shisha.com for almost two years now. I’m in the band Mother’s Anthem for those of you interested in checking it out.  At my house, there are two constants:  Hookah and vinyls.  When the record stops, we flip it. When the hookah bowl ends, we start up another.   When it comes to shisha, we try to come up with new mixes whenever we can.

In these blogs, I will talk about flavors I’ve tried, hookahs I’ve smoked, and basically share my hookah smoking experiences with you. Also, since this is an open forum, I want to invite you to share with me your experiences. Maybe I’ve tried something and had a bad experience, and you have a suggestion as to how to make it a better one (example: I didn’t like Al Fakher’s Golden Grape, but maybe I should’ve used Merlot with orange slices in the base, stuff like that). Maybe you have ideas on shisha mixes I haven’t tried yet. Believe me; I want to hear from you. I love finding new blends to smoke. So please, use this forum as it’s intended…. to share information and make each other’s hookah smoking experiences even better!

Hookahs I own:
1.  The first hookah I ever used was a Gunmetal Black Stratus (3 hose) Hookah.  It was one that I received free for working at hookah-shisha.com (which by the way, thank you guys!)
2.  Black and silver Mya Bambino Hookah
3.  Blue Flower Pot Hookah
4.  “Gyroglyph” (I Frankensteined a blue Mya Gyro base with a silver 3-hose Glyph shaft - a beautiful hookah if I do say so myself)
5.  Golden Odyssey, which I believe is discontinued
6.  Blue Old School Rotator Hookah
7.  Abyss (1 hose) Hookah
8.  Blue Lunar (1 hose) Hookah
9.  Blue Mya QT Hookah
10.  Black Ebony (2 hose) Hookah

Let’s begin!

Q: What kind of Hookah should I get?

In my personal opinion, if you want to have the best smoking experience, order an Old School Rotator Hookah. This particular hookah stands alone in the ranks of the best hookahs ever built.

1) They’re built solid.  The rotating base is stable, weighted at the bottom so it’s less likely to be knocked over.  One other great feature about the Old School is that its tray and base are wider than the glass base, so if some idiot (trust me, we’ve all smoked with “that guy”) knocks it over, the glass won’t break.
2) The shaft is very durable and thick.  The tray is made into the shaft.  Most other hookahs come with trays that have to snap into place or simply sit on top of the shaft.  Often, these snap-on trays don’t fit securely and sometimes fall over when you place the tongs on them.  This can be messy to clean up.  Also, I should mention that some hookahs have shafts that have hose adapters welded on poorly.  When you unscrew your base from your shaft to freshen the water, hose adapters have been known to break off.  The Old School is made so that you won’t have to worry about it breaking on you.
3) The hose adapter chambers (the holes channeling the smoke from the base to the hose) are wider than on any other hookah.  If there’s one comment I always get from new hookah smokers, it’s that they love how smoking hookah is so easy.  They often say it’s like “breathing”.  It’s so smooth.  Well, the thickness of the Old School smoke chambers is the reason for this.  The smaller the holes, the harder it’s going to be to pull air through the hose.  It’s mere science.  If you’re not able to pull much air through, you’re not pulling the proper amount of heat through the bowl, down to the base, and through the hose, causing the shisha to taste less desirable.  But, not with the Old School.
4) The glass is colored beautifully but transparent enough to gauge how much water/ice to put in.  Other hookahs sometimes come with bases that you can’t even
see the water level.  So it becomes a guessing game.  Old School, problem solved.
5) The rotating base rotates so smoothly.  You never have to worry about the bowl titling or the coals shifting as you’re passing the hose to your friends.
6) The Old School is priced conservatively.  Actually, for what you’re getting, it’s underpriced.   

Q: What kind of bowl should I use?
A: Well that depends. Are you smoking alone or with friends? How much time do you have per smoking session?  If you’re like me, you want to enjoy the hookah bowl for a while when you smoke and you will probably have friends nearby that want to smoke too.  So if you’re smoking with a lot of friends and have some time to enjoy yourselves, you might want to pick up a Mya Jumbo Ceramic Bowl. Keep in mind, these bowls last a long time and you’ll end up smoking one flavor for a long while. I tend to want to smoke something new after an hour or hour and a half. If I change flavors midway through the Jumbo bowl, I’ve wasted a lot of tobacco.  Not to say you can’t repackage the unused portion, I just never do.  If you want to smoke by yourself, I recommend the smaller Syrian hookah bowls or Egyptian hookah bowls.  It’s hard for me to sell you on one bowl versus another.   I’ve found that for most situations, the egyptian bowls, ceramic bowls, and Mod hookah bowls all work great for your needs.  I wouldn’t say there is one bowl better than the other as far as efficiency is concerned.  Now I can say that I’ve had egyptian bowls and mod bowls break at times.  But they weren’t being handled properly at the time either, so…. one thing I look for when I’m looking for the right bowl is whether or not the holes in the bowl are spaced evenly and if they’re big enough. Mod Bowls and Ceramics are very consistent in quality, while the Egyptian bowls tend to be spaced and sized differently from bowl to bowl. If you have enough money, I’d try out several different styles and see which ones work best for you.

Q: What hoses do you recommend?
A: Nammor Hookah Hoses. They’re washable and their airway is wide enough to allow for a very natural breathing experience. Hands down, the best hose.  If you want something that provides a very similar experience and are ok with a less than flashy product, try the Washable Hookah Hoses. They’re great too!

Q: What brands of Shisha Tobacco should I smoke?
A: Honestly, I like certain flavors from various makers.  I believe that for the thickest smoke, you’ll find none better than Starbuzz.   If you’re looking for the most consistently accurate flavors, give Romman flavors a try.  However, there are certain flavors that are just better from certain companies than others. (I’ll go into a more detailed product-by-product review later though).  Now if you’re concerned about smoking “tobacco,” I recommend trying the Hydro Herbal line. It is tobacco free, nicotine free and tastes UNREAL! Truly a great product, and supposedly, less hazardous. But that debate won’t be entertained here.

Q: What coals should I use?
A: Coco-Nara Hookah Coals. They’re made from coconut shells and vegetables, 100% natural. They allow you to taste the shisha naturally without the chemical taste brought on by some coals. They take a little while to heat up, but once they’re going, they last longer than other coals and leave less ash behind.  If you’re looking to light up some coals quickly, try the Golden Quick-Lighting Hookah Coals. For larger bowls I tend to use two 33mm’s on opposing ends of the bowl.  For smaller bowls, I’d use one 40mm, broken in half, setting the pieces on opposite ends of the bowl.

Editor’s note:  Stay tuned for part 2: Jono reviews all the Romman flavors!

Direct from Egypt comes our latest addition to our wide selection of hookah hoses - we call it the Magical Mystery Hookah Hose because, well, it’s a mystery as to what you’ll get!  Each of these high-quality hoses are individually hand-stitched from a variety of fabric patterns, painted with a variety of colors, and adorned with brightly colored acrylic beads in the mouthpiece.   The hose itself (apart from the handle) is also crafted with a cornucopia colorful and unique patterns.  The entire hookah hose measures about 80 inches in length, give or take a few inches (remember these are all hand made) and also have the longest handle of any hookah hose we carry - 20 inches long.   Don’t be The Fool on the Hill, say Hello Goodbye to these new hoses and smoke some Strawberry Fields Forever!