Let's talk about shisha! For those of you who don’t know, B2 Hookah has expanded their website beyond just the products they make. One of these items is shisha and today we'll do an overview of the tobacco brands B2 will now be offering, read it below on our new blog post, Tobacco Available at B2 Hookah.
Al Fahker
The unquestioned worldwide household name in hookah. If you have smoked hookah, then you have had Al Fahker. Many enthusiasts move on to more artisan type tobacco brands which we will talk about below and forget about this great brand. However, just because Al Fahker is usually an introductory brand doesn’t mean it is only for beginners. Due to the fact that people tend to move on and never look back, Al Fahker is somewhat underrated in the enthusiast community.
They came out at Hookah Expo Worldwide 3 with a brand new look to introduce their new Craft Batches, unique flavor mixes. There were 3 versions of these craft batches released at HEW followed by another 3 launched this month. However, they aren't known for crazy new flavor releases but rather for amazingly consistent single note flavors. My personal favorite from the brand is Rose. A few other trusted flavors amongst the community are Grapefruit mint, Two Apple and Peach. One thing is absolutely certain, no matter where you are in the world you will always be able to have a good bowl of Al Fahker!
Recommended pack: normal pack, fluffed just above the rim of the bowl and then packed down below the rim.
Tangiers
Tangiers launched at the very beginning of the millennium and the hookah industry hasn’t been the same since. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that Tangiers is the single most influential company in modern hookah history. Not only have they spent the past 20 years perfecting their tobacco but Eric (creator and owner) has also created one of the most fundamental products in any enthusiasts collection - the phunnel bowl. Optimized for Tangiers with one raised hole in the center to allow the tobacco to cook in its juices rather than lose them down the bowl and stem. It is now adopted by companies all over the world. Tangiers has four lines of tobacco: Birquq, Noir, Burley and F-Line. These are listed in order from lowest to highest potency so if you are new to Tangiers or higher nicotine tobacco, definitely start with Birquq or Noir. Birquq and Noir are both unwashed blonde leaf tobaccos with Burquq having a lower nicotine content as well as a smoother smoke than Noir. Burley is a dark leaf tobacco that packs an extra punch of nicotine with more robust tobacco notes (I HIGHLY recommend not trying burley unless you are an experienced hookah smoker). Lastly, there is F-Line which is a truly unique experience and also one not recommended for beginners as it is noir tobacco infused with caffeine (yes, you read that correctly). Tangiers has a VERY long list of flavors! Here some of the ones I have enjoyed over the years but it is by no means a comprehensive list - Cane Mint, Kashmir Peach, Foreplay on the Peach, It’s Like That Other Breakfast Cereal, Static Starlight, Mimon, Ololiuqui.
Recommended pack: dense pack.
Pure
This brand has been around for some time now but is rarely talked about amongst enthusiasts. In my opinion, this is the most underrated tobacco available in the US market. Most people know about Pure’s FML line of mints: red (peppermint), blue (spearmint) and green (menthol mint). These have long been known as some of the best blonde leaf mints available but what I never understood is why people stopped there instead of trying more of the Pure lineup. Pure doesn’t have a large catalogue of flavors nor do they have any crazy mixed flavors. The strength of their lineup is based purely (pun intended) on the accuracy of single note flavors. I can confidently say that their Passionfruit, Pineapple and Lemon Mint are the best in those respective flavors that I have ever had. It is my understanding that they have recently revamped their product and packaging so if you’re a blonde leaf smoker, I HIGHLY suggest you consider picking up some Pure.
Recommended pack: fluff right up to the rim.
Fumari
Starting in 1997, Fumari was one of the very first modern hookah tobaccos to hit the shelves and has been a market leader ever since. They have a HUGE variety of flavors and is an extremely forgiving tobacco making it a great place to start for new hookah enthusiasts. Ambrosia, Spiced Chai and White Gummi Bear are three of my all-time favorite flavors and are always stocked in my personal collection. I got the chance to try their new flavors - Mochaccino and Sour Cherry at Hookah Expo Worldwide 3 and tried to purchase both but they were already sold out! A couple of other favorites from the brand are Mint Chocolate Chill, Tangelo and Mojito Mojo. Like Al Fahker, Fumari is a brand enthusiasts tend to shy away from as they move on to other higher end brands but I think I speak for all of us when I say certain flavors from Fumari will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Recommended Pack: fluff to the rim.
Side Note: I wanted to take a second to give a shout out to Fumari who has been at the forefront fighting legislation in California trying to ban flavored tobacco. Many of the world’s best hookah companies are based in California and a flavor ban could change the landscape of the hookah market as we know it forever. To stay up to date on the happenings in the fight to save hookah culture, please join the Hookah Chamber Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/291235391657817/). THANK YOU FUMARI!!!!
Azure
Azure has not been on the market very long but they have hit the ground running unlike any other tobacco brand to date. They have a gold line (blonde leaf) for a lighter smoke and a black line (dark leaf) to pack that extra punch of nicotine. They have one of the largest variety of flavors on the market and are seemingly coming out with new ones every month. Azure launched Rio Mint at HEW3 and it has been a huge hit since. While some of my personal favorites are Winter Rose, Lemongrass, Cinnamon Cookies and Chai Masala. I have also heard amazing things about Bengal Citrus and Ultra Violet from the community. It is rare for a company to live up to the hype surrounding them at launch but in my opinion, Azure has done that and then some. This is my second favorite brand on the market right now and I cannot wait to see what they do next!
Recommended Pack: fluff to normal for blonde, semi-dense for dark.
Trifecta
Trifecta is, without a doubt, my favorite tobacco on the market. Based out of Chicago, they have a huge lineup of flavors available in blonde leaf and dark leaf varieties. Trifecta’s strength is their ability to come out with very unique flavor mixes regularly. They released Bona Fide (Banana w/ spice), Cherry Plum and Concord Grape at HEW3 and followed that up with a Lemon Pie flavor this past month. My all-time favorite hookah flavor ever is Trifecta’s Morning Glory coffee flavor. I have a hard time keeping this one in my stash because when I have it, it goes very quickly. If you like the anise portion of two apple flavors, then I definitely recommend you pick up Arak. One of the flavors that the community has gone crazy about is Peppermint Shake. It is normally only available in blonde leaf but it was recently released in dark leaf in limited quantities. Pick that up ASAP if you want it in the dark leaf! A few others from Trifecta that I really enjoy are Nawar, Mountain Fog and Bohemian Mix. I am always looking forward to what Trifecta is doing next!
Recommended Pack: fluff to normal for blonde, semi-dense for dark.
PS - Packing methods are just suggestions for how I like to smoke these brands. You should always experiment and pack bowls that are catered to your personal smoking preferences!