Brand/Flavor:
Al Fakher Golden Eskandarani Apple
Methodology:
-26 hits/person over 35-40 minutes
-4 individuals in the circle
-3 CoCo Naras on medium generic phunnel
-3 hose Mya Staff filled with ice water with a small Heba diffuser
First Impressions:
The Al Fakher Golden line is something we've been meaning to sink our teeth into for a while now, and we were quite excited to have this lovely yellow box in our hands. The outer cardboard container opened to reveal a large golden zip-lock bag and a plastic tub, presumably for storage. The tub itself, while flimsy, lends itself well to the purpose, especially since the bottom is seamless and therefore unlikely to trap juices. The shisha itself was of typical semi-fine Al Fakher cut, extremely juicy yet happily undyed. It smelled quite fruity, particularly reminiscent of those gummy peach rings you can buy in gas stations, but with a tang of green apple peel.
Post Mortem:
Probably should have thrown a couple more coals on, because while it was quite cooked and a little burnt on the top, the bottom was still quite juicy. Smelled like baked apples or that apple cinnamon oatmeal stuff.
Pros:
-Delicious, interesting flavor that actually tastes like apple
-Produced moderate to thick smoke
Cons:
-Buzz is a bit on the mild side
-Flavor might be stronger
Andrew's Thoughts:
I've heard some good things about this shisha, so I was extremely excited when this order came in. Packing our new phunnel (which takes much larger quantities than our old Mya/Egyptian bowls), it was immediately obvious just how juicy this stuff is. While not weirdly syrupy (i.e. like Starbuzz), it is definitely quite moist, especially after mixing up the stuff at the bottom of the bag. After just one or two pulls we were puffing away happily, with only a few problems related to shisha getting stuck to the foil (this was NOT an issue in subsequent sessions). The smell of this stuff is remarkably similar to its flavor, much like a tangy-er version of those gummy peach rings (as mentioned above). You can really taste the green apple, though it avoids the overly artificial flavor of candies like Warheads. While I was far from passed out by the end of this session, I definitely felt a buzz going, but it is worth remembering that I have something of a tolerance, as I smoke quite a bit. Overall, it's a solid flavor that I think most people would enjoy. We've smoked this stuff quite a bit now, and I look forward smoking it some more.
Eric's Thoughts:
Ok so I typically respond one of two ways to hype. On the one hand, I sometimes go with it and end up being the tip of the spear leading the charge in positive words for something. Other times, it only serves to make me more skeptical of a product. This time I was of the former mind. Unfortunately there are some pitfalls that come with being in that state of mind. One of which is relative disappointment. Ok time out, I'm not saying this shisha is bad...you'll see what I mean later on. The smoke was great and lots of fun to play with. The flavor was strong and fruity. Not candy-like, much more naturally sweet. While it didn't exactly bulls-eye the apple mark, it was still spectacular and distinctly fruity and much closer to apple unlike some "apple" related flavors we've smoked in the past. The buzz was more mild than usual, not the kind of knock you off you feet buzz that you'd get from Romman, but still solid. So, do I think this is a great flavor? Yes. Do I think you should go out and get it? Yes. So where is the disappointment you ask? While it was a great flavor and great smoke, it ended up still not being that perfect shisha that some people believe it is. Bottom line is, don't believe the hype, but buy this stuff on its own, more realistic merits.
Conclusion:
Solid, subtle, but not perfect, Al Fakher's Golden Eskandarani Apple is strong addition to any hookah smoker's inventory. While it's relatively weak showings in both nicotine and flavor hold it back from a perfect A, it's definitely worth giving a shot.
A-
Al Fakher Golden Eskandarani Apple
Methodology:
-26 hits/person over 35-40 minutes
-4 individuals in the circle
-3 CoCo Naras on medium generic phunnel
-3 hose Mya Staff filled with ice water with a small Heba diffuser
First Impressions:
The Al Fakher Golden line is something we've been meaning to sink our teeth into for a while now, and we were quite excited to have this lovely yellow box in our hands. The outer cardboard container opened to reveal a large golden zip-lock bag and a plastic tub, presumably for storage. The tub itself, while flimsy, lends itself well to the purpose, especially since the bottom is seamless and therefore unlikely to trap juices. The shisha itself was of typical semi-fine Al Fakher cut, extremely juicy yet happily undyed. It smelled quite fruity, particularly reminiscent of those gummy peach rings you can buy in gas stations, but with a tang of green apple peel.
Post Mortem:
Probably should have thrown a couple more coals on, because while it was quite cooked and a little burnt on the top, the bottom was still quite juicy. Smelled like baked apples or that apple cinnamon oatmeal stuff.
Pros:
-Delicious, interesting flavor that actually tastes like apple
-Produced moderate to thick smoke
Cons:
-Buzz is a bit on the mild side
-Flavor might be stronger
Andrew's Thoughts:
I've heard some good things about this shisha, so I was extremely excited when this order came in. Packing our new phunnel (which takes much larger quantities than our old Mya/Egyptian bowls), it was immediately obvious just how juicy this stuff is. While not weirdly syrupy (i.e. like Starbuzz), it is definitely quite moist, especially after mixing up the stuff at the bottom of the bag. After just one or two pulls we were puffing away happily, with only a few problems related to shisha getting stuck to the foil (this was NOT an issue in subsequent sessions). The smell of this stuff is remarkably similar to its flavor, much like a tangy-er version of those gummy peach rings (as mentioned above). You can really taste the green apple, though it avoids the overly artificial flavor of candies like Warheads. While I was far from passed out by the end of this session, I definitely felt a buzz going, but it is worth remembering that I have something of a tolerance, as I smoke quite a bit. Overall, it's a solid flavor that I think most people would enjoy. We've smoked this stuff quite a bit now, and I look forward smoking it some more.
Eric's Thoughts:
Ok so I typically respond one of two ways to hype. On the one hand, I sometimes go with it and end up being the tip of the spear leading the charge in positive words for something. Other times, it only serves to make me more skeptical of a product. This time I was of the former mind. Unfortunately there are some pitfalls that come with being in that state of mind. One of which is relative disappointment. Ok time out, I'm not saying this shisha is bad...you'll see what I mean later on. The smoke was great and lots of fun to play with. The flavor was strong and fruity. Not candy-like, much more naturally sweet. While it didn't exactly bulls-eye the apple mark, it was still spectacular and distinctly fruity and much closer to apple unlike some "apple" related flavors we've smoked in the past. The buzz was more mild than usual, not the kind of knock you off you feet buzz that you'd get from Romman, but still solid. So, do I think this is a great flavor? Yes. Do I think you should go out and get it? Yes. So where is the disappointment you ask? While it was a great flavor and great smoke, it ended up still not being that perfect shisha that some people believe it is. Bottom line is, don't believe the hype, but buy this stuff on its own, more realistic merits.
Conclusion:
Solid, subtle, but not perfect, Al Fakher's Golden Eskandarani Apple is strong addition to any hookah smoker's inventory. While it's relatively weak showings in both nicotine and flavor hold it back from a perfect A, it's definitely worth giving a shot.
A-
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