So long and thanks for all the Hookah!

Well, all good things must come to an end and this too has come...

Thanks you everyone for reading my blog and commenting, watching my silly videos, being both mean & nice to me and everything else in between.

Life changes and so must we all. I'm not yet going to delete this blog because it's not that old and does have some good information on it.

One day in the future it may go away.

Untill then, I'll still answer emails, but just so you know, I rarely ever have time to sit down and enjoy this hobbie anymore. The costs have gone up, I don't have time, plus my hubby is trying to smoke, so for his sake I don't much anymore either.

In the famous words of D. Adams...

"So long and thanks for all the fish -> Hookah!"

Finally back in the swing of things...

After a LONG vacation from one of my favorite past-times, I am finally returning to the world of Hookah.

I've placed a new order with Hookah-shisha.com for several 50g boxes of some new brand (Hyponosis) tobacco, some AF Coconut Coals, as well as a new glass base for my MYA QT (which broke over the winter when I tried to use it. The temp of the air was so drastically different from the warmed metal of the stem, it caused the glass to shatter).

So expect some new reviews, possibly new videos, and other general fun from yours truely.

Finally gonna get back to my smoking

I had a trip to FL for work, so I couldn't get any smoking due to I didn't want to get lost trying to find the 1 lounge anywhere near where I was staying and none of my HP pals were close enough to come stop by... bummer :(

But anyways, finally got home and set-up the Froggie to smoke, mixed up some custom shisha - I call it Cinnamon Latte. Very tastie surprisingly, even Trance liked it :) Wanna know what's in it?

Shisha:
50% Al Waha Arbic Coffee
25% Nakhla Cinnamon
25% Al Fakher Vanilla

Mix well, I mean really get your fingers in there and mix that puppy up! I used my Vortex bowl, mostly because I was using 3 Exotica QL's and didn't want it to burn (the AW may get toastie w/ that much heat). Those plus the windcover worked perfectly - lasted about 45-50mins with two people chaining off it.

Very nice and yummie, the mix had the sweet from the AF - the spicy kick from the Nakhla (plus some nicotine buzz) and the background flavor of the AW (as well as the sleepy buzz which really didn't kick in until the last 20 mins or so). The mix was great, we never got the harsh taste coffee flavors can sometimes get, it was lighter and sweet, but nothing compaired to what I normally smoke.

This week I am gonna try to get BACK in the swing of making videos - I still have no clue about editing them, but that hasn't stopped me before... can't be held as an excuse now. My biggest excuse is LACK of TIME.... that and my dig camera is mucking up the sound in the videos, so that means I'm down to JUST the FlipCam... until I replace the Samsung. Oh well, atleast its still better than the Shadow - it's "flims" suck :P

Oh well, until next time - which I am truely hoping isn't that ling - smoke on and peace!

Chronic Hookah Quiklite Review

Chronic Hookah Quiklites

Price: 13.99 for 108 - alittle more than my normal run, but cheaper than most other brands of Quiklites I use (Goldens or Coco's).

Appearance: square coals, rough but compact. Dense and stable. Black in color. 1.5" x 1.5" x .75-.50"

Lighting: Can be "violent" throwing sparks, but a lighter will start the coal. Completely burns over in less than 30 second, but does produce a good bit of smoke and smell. (Burn outdoors or with ventilation)

Ash: Light grey and sandy-grit like. Doesn't blow around, in fact can be hard to "ash" at times. Thankfully they don't need frequent ashing until last quarter of life.

Burn Time: about 50-55mins, produces good amount of heat. 2 with windcover will be more than enough for most hookah bowls.

Overall Score: 8 out of 10

A nice "QL" version coal. It does smell quite a bit when lighting (and can be violent at times - not nearly as bad as a Akhla) but produces a good amount of heat for the bang. Cheaper than Coconaras and easier to use, they are a good alternative to naturals when need be.

I did notice than all of the ones I used worked great up until the last 10-15min, the amount of heat they gave off drastically dropped requiring the windcover and lighting a new coal. Yes, that can be expected, but the same amount Exoticas did produce more heat in the last 10-15. Other than this, they worked spectacularly.

I would recommend if you are looking for a quiklite coal, give these a try.

Al Fakher Golden Grape Review

Al Fakher Golden Grape

Shisha Cut: ultra fine, almost like it was ground. BRIGHT screaming red and beyond drippy (looks like blood).
Hookah Type: MYA QT
Duration: 1.5 hour (+/-)
Bowl: MYA
Foil / Screen: foil + windcover
Coal / Amount: 1 Akhla QL (2-3 total per session)
Smoke: thick & puffy
Buzz: none

Smell / Flavor: Smell – Sweet grape or something similar to Grape Bubble Yum. Taste – Realistic grape with slight sweetness and sometimes a faint bitterness (described as the skin taste).

Score: 7.5-8

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOFyOUaJnDE

Not quite the Al Fakher standard Grape, this is a more realistic grape taste, with a slight sweetness instead of a candy taste. Thankfully doesn’t suffer the same fate as the standard line grape (no rotten smell/taste) and alittle more pricy than the normal stuff, but a nice break from the overly sweet candy flavors out there.

Note: This stuff (new AF cut) has SO MUCH glycerin in it that it colored the base water. If the water changes color it has dripped ALL THE WAY DOWN the stem. It’s gonna me a MESS to clean. I recommend using a Phunnel type bowl with this stuff.

Al Waha Banana Split Review

Al Waha Banana Split

Shisha Cut: med to course, med brown and drippy. Less stems than normal.
Hookah Type: 27” Syrain
Duration: 1hr 15min to 1hr 30min
Bowl: shallow E bowl
Foil / Screen: HD foil + windcover
Coal / Amount: 3 – 1” Exoticas
Smoke: med to thick
Buzz: typical Al Waha sleepy buzz - Med to HEAVY

Smell / Flavor: Smell – Smelt yummie, a mix of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. No banana. Taste – Total opposite of the smell: no chocolate, no strawberry, rather cherry with undertones of vanilla and banana based on COLA. So basically a Cherry Cola.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMoUBwze40Y

Rating (1 to 10): 7-7.5

Other than it’s NOT Banana Split, it’s a decent smoke. Alarming if you were expecting the taste to be like the smell, but overall alright. If you like Cherry Cola, I can recommend this flavor, but if you wanted a realistic Banana Split pass this over.

Can be slightly heat sensitive, so watch things.

Al Waha Memories Review

Al Waha Memories

Shisha Cut: med to course, med to dark brown. Drippy.
Hookah Type: 27" Syrian
Duration: 45-55 min
Bowl: mod bowl
Foil / Screen: foil + windcover
Coal / Amount: 2 – 1.5” Stargate
Smoke: Thick
Buzz: typical Al Waha sleepy buzz - Med to HEAVY

Smell / Flavor: Smell – Sweet and fruity, with a light liquorish undertone (and a hint of mint). Taste – Sweet fruity taste with mild anise flavor, but hard to pin-point the actual fruit part. Fellow smoker suggested it might be figs.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5_Hzt1wcuE

Rating (1 to 10): 6-7

Overall nice flavor, although hard to figure out what it was trying to taste like. It’s good, just not my cup o’tea in terms of flavor. One of the stranger smokes I’ve gone thru. One small side note, this flavor does coat the mouth and tongue, not a bad thing – adds to the appeal, just it does.

Sahara Smoke Vortex Bowl Review

Received bowl on Thursday (7/30/08) along with my new AF. I originally purchased this bowl because of wanting a small phunnel. Figured this design, with the mod piece built in, would be interesting to try. Plus the price was lower than most other models (Sahara Smoke for 9.95).

Bowl is larger than most of my normal mod/Egyptian/MYA bowls, but not overly so. My KM bowl is MUCH larger. It's well made and has a sturdy feeling. I did find out the mouth is larger than my Syrian's necks (it fits my Eygptian fine although it's also too big for my QT), but a damp paper-towel wrapped around the existing grommet makes an air-tight seal.

For the first smoke, I based my packing off suggestions from other members. I packed it "loose and fluffy" to just below the hole on the center section with some of the new AF I received. Originally I received thin smoke - partially from not realizing the bowl wasn't making an air-tight seal and the tobacco itself. After 45min I called it quits. The next morning I checked the bowl and found 3/4'ers of the tobacco was unburnt.

Attempt two was much better - taken more hint from members, I overpacked the tobacco, making the level higher (right up to the holes but still far enough down as leave a good gap between the foil).

As to overpacking - I mean not making it "fluffy", just glopping it in and lightly tamping it down. It used slightly more tobacco than before, about what I pack into my Egyptian bowl (or a deeper MYA bowl). Now knowing the mouth issue, I set everything up and this time received a MUCH better smoke. Excellent flavor, great puffy clouds and even after 1.5-2 hours (and 5 coals) I could have added more coals and continued smoking for some time. After a cool down I checked, this time only a 1/3rd of the bowl was unburnt.

Both times, I checked the inside of the stem and found little to no "meltdown" from the bowl (although the bowl did already have the well-worn burn marks). The grommets/paper-towels had no staining/residue either. The base water was also "clear" - colored water normally means the melted juices reached all the way down the stem.

A single layer of Heavy-duty foil was used and that provided good protection, coupled with a windcover to manage heat. (2) 1.25" Exoticas heated the bowl perfectly, but a single Akhla wasn't enough to get decent smoke. A QL broken in half may work or two QL's placed on the edges may work better.

Although future experiments will show how well it can be used with other brands, I do believe most drippier tobaccos will benefit from the bowl.

PROS:

1. Good Price - 9.95
2. Does hold less tobacco than the MED phunnel.
3. Does help extend the amount of time, flavor and clouding during the smoke session.
4. Makes burning harder, but doesn't stop. Did help with recovery after overheating and allowed for continuation of smoking without re-pack.

CONS:

1. Make be larger than hookah's stem - additional grommets may be needed.
2. Still uses about 25-30g of tobacco.
3. May take some experimentation to perfect usage.
4. Requires more heat to produce good (cloudy) smoke.

RECOMMENDATION:

This bowl would be a good addition to anyone's collection. So far is works great, providing you are willing to "play around" a bit to figure out what it needed. I do consider this cheaper than purchasing a true phunnel and mod, but since I lack a phunnel (and the brand o'baccy it was designed for) I can't make a true comparison.

I would say if you had the money, pop for the bowl. It's only slightly more pricey than a good clay bowl, so even for some reason you don't enjoy it, you aren't out much money.

VIDEO LINK: (coming soon)

Sahara Order in

As you can see, my order from Sahara Smoke came in today. Yeah, happy days! Anyways, on to what's in the picture...

The 3 tubs/bags of tobacco are Al Fakher - Peach, Watermelon and Vanilla. They all have production dates of 2008 (bwt Jan and May) and they are ALL the new cut of AF. Ok... dang it all, but atleast they smell ok. The peach did have a faint chemical whiff to it, but just leaving it open for an hour has made the smell much better. Hopefully these should all be yummie.

The small white bowl is the Vortex bowl - it's good sized and looks well made. If I believe the other reviews on HP, it should produce some good smoke. After I have played with it for a bit, of course I will make a video :P

Now they did throw in 2 extras - a tube of Hookah-Freak "The Dude" and a roll of Akhla quiklites. I've used the coals before (explodie coals - LOL) but never had the HF flavor before. But... it smells weird, like a cross between Irish Cream, Chocolate and Hazlnut. Who knows, might be good.

All in all, a good order and showed up fast. Packed well and shipped via UPS - which left it at the front door, which is scary since I live in a ghetto neighborhood and children are around. Oh well... Other than that, nothing went wrong. Yeah, I like it when orders work!

'baccy and a new bowl

Finally, after months of not being able to fund any new stuff in the world of Hookah, I managed to sneak by a few things. I wanted to purchase a phunnel type bowl - I used to have one, a MED Tangiers in fact. Purchased about a year from MNHookah, also with the glass mod to go in it.

But I think a MED is really a LARGE... I hate to see how big a true Large is. It held so much tobacco that it was kinda useless for me, a single smoker. I can stok about 1-2 hours out a plain clay bowl, why do I need 3-4 out of a phunnel. I ended up selling it.

Now why you ask, is she telling me this? And what the heck is a phunnel?

Ok, let me give a quick run down. The Phunnel is the bowl itself - normally sold without the "mod" piece. Basically it's a modified hookah bowl that holds the tobacco in a lip/bowl section around a center opening. The reason for this is to keep the tobacco in it's own juices, which allow for more flavor and longer smokes, as well as keeping the extra juice from dripping down the stem when heated. Now, it may still drip some, but lot less than not using a phunnel would produce.

The tobacco is packed in the outer lip, with (or without) the mod (which has openings in the edges) over the center hole. Reason for the mod is to help with airflow (pushing it down and thru the tobacco instead of just over) and to take up space, allowing you to save on the shisha tobacco itself.

On top of the mod/tobacco goes the foil - the hole patterns people will suggest can vary:
~ if using a mod, I only place 3-4 rings of tight small (toothpick sized) holes along the outside edges of the foil.
~ if not using a mod, I put 1 larger center hole and random small (toothpick sized) holes all over the lip/bowl section.

When drawn on, air moves past the coals, heating the tobacco. It is them pulled up and underneath the mod section into the center hole and down into the hookah.

Originally made for a brand of tobacco called Tangiers, it was found out it will work with any of the drippier tobaccos. Dry brands like Nakhla and Sahara will work, but it can be harder to keep the smoke from going harsh.

Now.... back to the matter at hand. I wanted a SMALL phunnel - reason: The New Cut of Al Fakher. It's horrible, tiny almost ground cut that is very similar to Hookah-Hookah. It's also VERY drippy and tends to clog up most bowls. Now a members @ HP has figured out how to "pack" AF's new cut, but I've been wanting a new phunnel, which IMO I believe will help.

So.... off I went, looking at various vendors - trying to find someone who not only had a Small Phunnel (either clay or glass) and some of the newer AF flavors I've been wanting to purchase. I wanted to purchase from a vendor I hadn't delt with (or purchased from in a while) so that kinda narrow my rather difficult search from the get go.

MNHookah sells Small Phunnel, Glass Funnels and their new line of funnels. They also had the flavors I wanted in a nice (3) 250g pack set.

Chronic Hookah also had phunnels, although listed as Large/Med, so did look smaller. They also had the flavors I wanted, but not as a (3) pack.

And Sahara Smoke just came out with a new Vortex bowl, their spin on the phunnel design. They also had a (3) pack of 250g AF's (that turned out to be on sale).

After comparing prices,. shipping and chatting with the vendors on HP, for now I ended up going with SS's Vortex bowl and (3) pk. Grand total everything w/ shipping ran $38.01. I will of course post up my videos of the package and the items when they arrive later this week.

Now, I also decided to purchase a glass funnnel from MNHookah, but I will have to wait till later when I have more money as the bowl itself is pricey (and MNHookah only ships by USPS which can sometimes be more than FedEx or UPS).

CH will be the place I turn to for my next hookah purchase - I STILL am sans a KM and/or MZ, since a certain vendor ignored me and disappeared. I understand shyt happens, but it left a bad taste in my mouth that will take time to hopefully correct.

So for now, know that I am slowly working thru my shisha samples & making videos. I am finally back in the swing of things and will only (hopefully) be picking up speed soon.

~Peace~

Virginia Beach screws up again

Where there's smoke, there's anger at Beach cigarette tax

By Richard Quinn
The Virginian-Pilot
© June 23, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH

Max Weiner is mad, smoking mad.

The owner of Papa Joe's Smoke Shop near Lynnhaven Mall is upset about city leaders raising the per-pack cigarette tax 22 percent, to 61 cents from 50 cents. The increase was included in the city budget approved last month, but that particular levy got little public attention.

Now that retailers know about it, they're not pleased. The National Association of Tobacco Outlets even weighed in, questioning how the city could raise the tax without directly informing affected businesses.

Weiner said he found out only after he got a letter telling him the new tax rate. The trade group has not said whether it would take any formal action to protest the increase.
City Manager Jim Spore, in a response to the association, said the city publicized the increase in line with the law.

Still, Weiner said he'd like the Beach to reconsider the increase, as it did with the recently repealed machinery and tools tax increase. That levy also was adopted last month, but council members rolled it back after Stihl Inc. and the Virginia Manufacturers Association complained.

"They reversed the tax for them," Weiner said. "That's crazy. Why are they doing it for them and not for us?"

Weiner said raising the tax will only drive smokers elsewhere to buy cigarettes, including North Carolina, which has lower tax rates.

In South Hampton Roads, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Suffolk all tax packs at 50 cents. Norfolk has the region's highest tax, at 65 cents.

Several Virginia Beach council members said they doubted that the increase in the cigarette tax - which overall will raise $13.2 million in fiscal 2009 - would be repealed.

Spore has said the money generated by the increase, about $2.4 million, will finance projects in the city's strategic growth areas.

Councilman Harry Diezel said the tax is politically popular, especially because smoking is a public health issue. He noted the unsuccessful push to ban smoking in restaurants and bars.

Diezel said he is sensitive to criticism from Weiner and others who question why one tax increase is repealed and another isn't.

Councilman Bob Dyer said the machinery and tools tax increase is different because it could have threatened future expansions of Stihl, the city's largest manufacturer.

"Obviously perception is sometimes 100 percent of reality," Diezel said. "But in this particular case, I think we just have to weather that particular storm."

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Although not directly related to Hookah smoking, but rather smoking general, this still pisses me off royally! And I don't even smoke ciggys! Argh, Va Beach is a city of idiots, they are almost as stupid as the lot who "pretend" to run Norfolk.... just raising the tax doesn't do ANYTHING because hard core smokers are either gonna: ignore the tax increase or buy ciggys IN ANOTHER CITY!

NC is less than 40min away... you can buy 2 boxes legally for your own personal use and BRING them back up here to VA with NO ISSUES. NC's tax is considerably less and the even considering gas prices nowadays - it still will save you money!

Va Beach keeps screaming it wants tourist, it wants their money... but what about the LOCALS who have to live here year round? What about us? The city leaders don't give a crap, they scream stupid laws and BS everywhere - smoking is a health issue.... NO SHYT, but what about ALCOHOL?!?! You opened ABC stores on SUNDAY to make more money, more people DIE because of liquor than ciggys..... and you apparently don't care if a few citizens pay with their lives if you can make a few extra bucks!

Blarg... :{

New in the world of gaming...

June 22, 2008 Rock Band FINALLY came out for the Wii. YEAH! About freaking time, kool thing it's white unlike the other systems' versions. Bad part, it's the same price as the other console versions - about $160. Bummer...

Another new thing came out yesterday as well.... Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS. Yes, you just read that right... for the DS handheld. Guitar Hero has invaded EVERYWHERE (but the PSP) - you can even get it for your cell phones!

But here it is for the DS... It runs $49.95 but does come with several items inside. First it comes with a "finger pad" that you plug into the larger "Advance" port on the DS. This part has a clear outer shell that can be removed and the skin underneath can be replaced with diffferent ones, how cute.

Plugged into the backside of the "finger pad" is the puck needed to strum the guitar, although you can use the standard stylus that comes with the DS normally.

Then there is the game cartridge itself - it even comes with a clear plastic carrying case similar to what you find with memory cards (Like a SD). There's also another black piece that is only used if you have a Original DS, not a DS Lite (so, yes both owners can play GH:OT!).

Now after reading the included instruction sheet and simple game play guide, most people will figure out how to set everything up and be ready to play. BUT... I will warn you, this device wasn't meant for the adult hand. It gives you some tips on how to hold the unit to play, but you will quickly find it is somewhat uncomfortable. A massive downer for me was the "finger pad" wouldn't stay plugged in, the way I had to hold it, would cause it to fall off during game play.... But Necessity is the Mother of Invention - 1 piece of duck tape later, I can play.

If you have played ANY of the other GH games, you know the premise - hit the colored keys while strumming in tune with the song. It has (5) sets per section, 4 levels of difficulty, a new method of activating Star Power (shout at the device) and does support 2 player games, but both players need the game/set-up. 25 songs in total, a few that I've played on other games, but many more that are new to the series.

It's kool, but I quickly got annoyed at the thing - my arm and hand hurt considerably within 30min of playing. If you thought normal GH was hard, this sucker is worse - hitting those strums just right takes ALOT of practice, the touch screen isn't as sensative as I would like. Another really annoying thing is the sound - it even tells you to get headphones! Unless you're wearing 'phones you're not gonna be able to hear it well enough to play along.

Out of 5 stars, I'd give GH:OT for the DS...

Hookah Freak Blueberry Pancakes Review

Hookah Freak Blueberry Pancakes

Shisha Cut: fine, some twigs (too small to call stems), med-dark brown, slightly moister than HH.

Hookah Type: 27" Green Syrian

Duration: 1hr15min to 1hr20min

Bowl: modern

Foil / Screen: foil + windcover

Coal / Amount: (3) .75 Dyni naturals

Smoke: thick (after 5 mins)

Buzz: none

Smell / Flavor: Smell = Not blueberry pancakes, but muffins + Diatap Grape. Taste = Blueberry muffins with undertone of Grape.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzBLkXeAW1s

Rating (1 to 10): 7

Well, it's not quite Blueberry pancakes or even Blueberry syurp, but more like Blueberry muffins with a undertone of Grape. Not bad, some people may not like it, but it's a alright smoke.

Better handling of heat than HH, but still can be heat picky so watch your coals (and use a windcover).

Hookah Hookah Black Label Lemon Review

Hookah Hookah Black Label Lemon

Shisha Cut: course (chunks, sticks, leaves), black color, and gooey.

Hookah Type: 27" Red Syrian

Duration: 30min MAX

Bowl: Egyptian clay

Foil / Screen: foil + windcover

Coal / Amount: (3) .75" Exotica (moved around alot)

Smoke: thick, but after 10min of cooking

Buzz: none

Smell / Flavor: Smell = lemon, but strange. Runs the gambit from Lemonheads, juice and Pledge. (I smelt Lemonheads) Taste = Lemon, but again strange. Starts sweet, goes sour, then bitter then disappears.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxSCag_q-z4

Rating (1 to 10): 4-5

For an herbal smoke, it was alright. The taste was strange, starting sweet then shifting to sour, then bitter and then about the 30min mark it disappears completely. I've smoked it 4 times now, it repeats the same pattern - 30mins will give you smoke, but NO TASTE.

It's better than Soex (MUCH BETTER THAN), but nothing compared to a standard tobacco smoke.

Hookah-Hookah 7 Spice Review

Hookah-Hookah 7 Spice

Shisha Cut: typical HH, fine cut, no stems, med brown in color and moist, not drippy.

Hookah Type: MYA QT

Duration: 1hr 30min

Bowl: standard MYA

Foil / Screen: foil + windcover

Coal / Amount: 33m Golden (2 per session atleast, 1 @ a time)

Smoke: thick

Buzz: none, even with chaining

Smell / Flavor: Smell = like a spice cupboard, similar to the spice used for Pumpkin Pie. Taste = Shisha Gobstopper! Anise, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cardamom.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1CJbK0Ynok

Rating (1 to 10): 9

OMG! This flavor rock! It's a spicy mix of flavors (all spices) that's not too strong, fading from one spice to the next. Each hit can have a different taste. I've identified most of the spices: starting with Anise, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cardamom. There's got to be another if it's a true 7 spice, but I can't pin-point it.

It does suffer from the typical HH heat issue, but do everything you can (rotate coals, move often, use a windcover) to prolong this flavor as LONG as you can to fully enjoy it.

Hookah-Hookah Cranberry Review

Hookah-Hookah Cranberry

Shisha Cut: typical HH, fine cut, no stems, med brown in color and moise, not drippy.

Hookah Type: 22" Egyptian

Duration: 55-60+ min

Bowl: modern

Foil / Screen: foil + windcover

Coal / Amount: (2) 1" Dyni naturals

Smoke: med to thick

Buzz: none, even with chaining

Smell / Flavor: Smell = not quite cranberry, but a tart sweet fruit. Taste = again, not quite cranberry but a sweet-tart fruity taste.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo7Jz8lXX7I

Rating (1 to 10): 6-7

This flavor tries to be cranberry, but it doesn't quite hit the mark. It's a nice sweetish-tart fruity flavor, but not what I would consider cranberry. Even when smoked with cranberry juice in the base, it's still not hitting the mark. It's a good flavor, but don't expect a realistic cranberry.

Al Fakher Watermelon Review

Shisha Cut: (unknown since it was at a lounge)
Hookah Type: 3-hose Egyptian
Duration: 1.75 hour (+/-)
Bowl: modern
Foil / Screen: foil + windcover
Coal / Amount: 1 belgum QL @ a time (2 coals total)
Smoke: thick & puffy
Buzz: slight
Smell / Flavor: Smell was a sweet almost candy watermelon. Taste was candy watermelon, similar to a Jolly Ranger or Bubbleyum.
Video Link: [ none since it was a bar - maybe later ]
Rating (1 to 10): 7

Considering I normally avoid Watermelon flavors (not my cup o'tea), but this was very good. Alittle sweeter than I would have liked, it was overall excellent smoke. Reminded me alot of Watermelon Jolly rangers and Watermelon BubbleYum! Good smoke, long lasting flavor, it lasted till the end of the second coal.

Highly recommended.

Baja Kahlua Review

Baja Kahlua

Shisha Cut: med to semi-fine, twiggy stems (very few). Moist and sticky, dark brown/black in color.
Hookah Type: 4-hose Egyptian with Nammors/Razans (1 port sealed)
Duration: 55-60 min
Bowl: standard clay E
Foil / Screen: foil + windcover
Coal / Amount: 1 Golden QL - 33m
Smoke: Med then turning to thick
Buzz: slight to none
Smell / Flavor: Smell was a mellow coffee. Taste was the same, a nice mellow coffee - similar to Kahlua
Video Link: [none - no more to sample :( ]
Rating (1 to 10): 8

Considering the Baja Raspberry was a slight flavor disappointment, I was greatly surprised at this one's flavor. It was a nice mellow coffee flavor, not quite Kahlua, but very tasty. Didn't turn harsh till the end (as many coffee flavor may do) no got the "burn popcorn" flavor some get. Nice cut and a good smoke, if you want some coffee tobacco to try, consider this one of the mellower versions.

Al Fakher Golden Line: Rose Review

Al Fakher Golden Line: Rose

Shisha Cut: (unknown since it was at a lounge)
Hookah Type: 3-hose Egyptian
Duration: 1.5 hour (+/-)
Bowl: modern
Foil / Screen: foil + windcover
Coal / Amount: 1 Belgium QL @ a time (2 coals total)
Smoke: thick & puffy
Buzz: slight
Smell / Flavor: Smell was that of a fresh rose. Taste was interesting mix of rose (just like you'd expect one to smell) with an undercurrent of lemon.
Video Link: [ none since it was a bar - maybe later ]

Rating (1 to 10): 7

I like AF's normal Rose, this one added alittle something to the mix that made it even more enjoyable. There was the faintest undercurrent of lemon on the exhale. It also seemed to be slightly "sweeter" than the normal. This isn't one of the "soapy - incense" type roses (as most tend to be), this tastes JUST LIKE you would expect a Rose to smell like.

Nimbus Hookah Lounge Part 2

Nimbus Hookah Lounge
Providence Square Shopping Center
1005 Kempsville Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
757-200-6406
www.myspace.com/nimbushookah
Hours: 4pm to 3am

Ok, got up with two friends and headed over to the new place. Little shop, next to a Chinese restaurant, be careful you might drive by it (BadJuju spotted it). They had a sign out front stating their "Special" of the day - Black Grape. Nice :)

So inside we go and it's a nice, simply laid out place. Large sofas line the front, a few tables and chairs toward the back. Some extra seating tucked away and coffee tables scattered around. The walls had some nice ethic artwork/hangings, plus they had a kick-arse fountain inside.

They had a good collection of hookahs - some syrians, a few MYA's, mostly Egyptians and some moderns. They were offering to sell some of them, but not many (for now). They said they also sold hoses, but were currently out of extras for purchase. Always nice to know ;}

Now on to the important part: the shisha }:)

They offered 4 brands: Nakhla, Al Fakher, Layalina, and Starbuzz. They have a good selection of flavors for each brands, Starbuzz having the largest selection. Prices ranged from $10.95 for Nakhla to $14.95 for Starbuzz. The cool thing (we found out later) was the price was for the first bowl (or the hookah) and each additional bowl was basically half price. Very nice for people who want to come and chill for a few hours (like we did).

Also, they were using Belguim instant lights - they cooked quickly and didn't smell, provided good heat and did last a good chunk of time. We gave them a few tips to try instead of the BIC lighter - a candle works just as well. They had a coil stove, but didn't use it due to limited bussiness (don't need that many coals at one time).

They were selling some tobacco - only Starbuzz, 200g tubs for $23.95. Alittle pricer than I'm used too, but for a local shop it's a good price. I've seen it as high as $25 locally.

Now, due to VA laws they don't sell "real" food inside. Silly Commonwealth of Virginia... BAD VA! But good thing, they do sell snacks (chips, cookies, candy) and bottled drinks/water. Always a plus! Plus, if you are starving - head next door! Chinese is oh so yummie (next time I plan on hitting that place).

We talked with the woman working there (and later one of the owners, nice fellow)- I will say, she does know how to pack a good bowl (I watched her pack our second one). Offered up some tips, tricks and so on. She sat and chatted with us for awhile, they liked our hoses (I brought my Nammors). :)

All in all, it was a good time. They have some games in there, some nice music playing in the background (mellow) and even a playstation and TV! There was another fellow in there with his laptop, so they are PC friendly as well.

Other than more brands of shisha, a few more hookahs (the one we were using had a small leak), it was a nice overall experience. They are on there way to becoming a nice A+ lounge - they already seem to know a good chunk about what they are doing. We are most definitely coming again!

And of course, now for some smoking pictures