Honorable Mentions
There are several mint flavors that didn't quite make the cut for us, but we still feel that they deserve mentioned, either because of their reputation, or just for being a solid mint flavor. Maybe not top five, but top ten worthy?
Al Fakher Mint
AF mint is the granddaddy mint. It's been around forever, and almost every smoker has tried it at some point or another. It used to be a nice and cool earthy mint flavor, but now it's dialed back on the cooling, and just remains a mint flavor. There's nothing wrong with that, and it remains as a decent mixing mint flavor. That said, I personally crave a cooling bite when I smoke a mint hookah flavor, so it doesn't find its way into my stash much anymore.
Pure FML Red
FML Red is a great flavor, don't get me wrong. It's something that I find myself smoking pretty frequently, and mostly as a standalone flavor. It's a rich and sweet peppermint flavor, with a decent cooling effect. However, the cooling effect isn't quite as strong as I would care for (I'm a mint masochist). I wouldn't put it at the pinnacle of peppermints either, and that's why it remains as an honorable mention. You can read our review on it here.
Ugly Tobacco Mint
Ugly tobacco is a very unique mint flavor, in my opinion. It's a mint that combines both a rich and sweet peppermint flavor with an earthy herbal mint, and makes for quite a delicious smoke. It definitely packs a buzz, and I really enjoy smoking it. Unfortunately, the herbal and peppermint mix isn't something that I find myself smoking everyday. The cooling aspect is decent, but compared to most of the actual top five... I think there are better options for a cold mint. So, it's not something that I find myself picking up every time that I pick up some Ugly.
Haze What-A-Mint
What-A-Mint, or WAM, has a special place in my heart. It's not a pure mint flavor, but it's absolutely my favorite Haze flavor, and one of the best mints on the market. It barely missed the top five, but is still a mint hookah flavor that I would recommend to anyone. It's a rich peppermint and cream mix, one that smokes brilliantly at that. It's unique in that it changes based on how you pack it - a denser pack will give off more of a peppermint smoke, while more of a fluff pack will result in a creamier smoke. It's a versatile flavor that is one of the more unique flavors on the market, and only loses points because it's not a pure mint flavor, and is kind of weird to mix because of that. That said, it's still a fantastic mint flavor, and deserves a mention nonetheless.
Drumroll...
The actual top five begins now, with a flavor that everyone knows.
5. Tangiers Tobacco - Cane Mint
Cane Mint is THE Tangiers flavor. If you've smoked Tangiers, chances are you've smoked Cane Mint. It is by far one of the most popular mints in existence, and is still probably one of the top selling Tangiers flavors today. It's a nice bitter peppermint flavor that really cools the body, and provides a delicious smoke. The tobacco essence that Tangiers has with it naturally mixes delightfully with the peppermint, and makes for a damn near perfect flavor. That said, the tobacco taste is off putting to some, and is why the flavor is number five on the list. Cane Mint is perfect for someone that has a higher nicotine tolerance, loves peppermint, and doesn't mind that tobacco undertone. It's also worth noting that the tobacco tones seem to have become more pronounced over time, making the flavor a turn off to some. Even with that though, there are tons of people who crave Cane Mint, and smoke it like crazy.
4. Pure Tobacco - Fresh Mint
Pure is one of the most popular brands on the market, and for good reason. They have some of the cleanest and crispest single note flavors on the market, and Fresh Mint is no exception to that. Fresh Mint is an almost perfect representation of an herbal mint, and earns it's place here for that reason. In my opinion, it's absolutely the best mixing mint hookah flavor on the market. It provides a mildly cool smoke, nothing overbearing, while not losing that refreshing herbal mint flavor. It's the perfect compliment to any fruit flavor or mix that there is, and certainly deserves it's place on this list because of that. That said, some people want a colder mint, for which this is not the best option. You can read our review on it here.
3. Nakhla - Mizo Mint
Nakhla is a special brand to us here at B2, it's a staff favorite for many reasons - great and robust flavors, long lasting, and extremely heat resistant. So when I picked up Nakhla Mizo Mint for the first time, it's easy to say that I was excited. Then I opened the package... And I was scared. Mizo Mint has an absolutely disgusting scent, one that was extremely off-putting for me. But then I loaded up my first bowl, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Mizo Mint is a fantastic and refreshing mint - one that qualifies for the herbal mint category, if not being the king of herbal mints. It has a superb cooling effect, one of the best on the market. It's so strong that you really don't need much to mix, and smoking it on it's own is almost a challenge. It's a fantastic mixing mint, like if Pure's Fresh Mint had less flavor and more cooling effect.
2. Pure Tobacco - FML (Green)
As was stated prior, Pure is a fabulous brand, and easily one of the most popular brands on the market. What made them so popular? You're looking at it. FML Green, or just FML to many. FML released to the market in late 2014, and was the first "super mint" to hit the market. It's an almost unbearably cold herbal mint, unsmokeable to many for the first half hour or so. You can expect some undertones of eucalyptus, herbal mint, and a strong punch of cooling. It's a sinus clearing smoke, and easily one of the coldest on the market for sure. It garned Pure much of the fame that they see today, and for good reason. It's a big favorite as a mixer as well, because it adds a cold bite to whatever you pack it with. FML was the beginning of the mint craze for many, and many still swear by it today.
1. Trifecta Tobacco - Twice the Ice/ Twice the Ice Extreme
The king of mints. Trifecta is a newer brand to the market, and one that gained quick popularity for having some fantastic flavors across the board. But the one that was the most talked about was this - Twice the Ice. Now to be fair, there's two different flavors that are sharing this spot. Trifecta offers Twice the Ice in both the normal edition, and Extreme. As far as the regular flavor goes, you're looking at the cleanest peppermint flavor on the market, bar none, with some decent cooling capabilities. But the extreme... You're still getting that crisp and clean peppermint flavor, but you're also getting the absolute coldest smoke on the market. It is quite literally unsmokeable for most people, at least for the first twenty minutes, but if you're a true mint masochist like myself, you'll love every minute. Whether you get the regular or the extreme, you'll have a flavor that's outstanding, as well as long-lasting. It's a delightful and refreshing smoke, and is absolutely the king of mints.
Was I too cold?
What do you think of our list? Do you agree? What's your favorite mints? Let us know! Drop a comment and tell us! Is there something that's missing? We love mint hookah flavors, and I personally am always okay with trying more mint flavors, no matter how bad they be. Keep in mind - this list is purely my opinion, and don't feel bad if your favorite didn't make my list. We all have different preferences, and that's perfectly okay. That's something that I stress in this blog, because it's something that seems to be overlooked constantly. As a good friend once said to me - "smoke whatever the FUCK you wanna smoke." As always guys, thanks for reading, and happy smokes!
