Posts Tagged ‘New Age Tobacco’

• The Biggest Hookah Freak Sale in History!

  Date: 2010.09.24 | Category: Hookah Freak, Tobacco | Response: 4

  Some Hookah Freak Flavors are getting the scythe.  It’s sad, but they may very well be gone forever soon.  Instead of crying about it, we’ve decided that it would be much more appropriate to cut you an awesome sale instead!  How awesome of a sale are we giving you?  Well, according to our calculations, you’re getting 35% OFF… how’s that for some incentive? Not only that, we’re cramming a full 500 grams into each jar just to make sure this Hookah Freak blow out is the best ever!

  Ambrosia -
  The Nectar of the Gods, according to Greek Mythology, Ambrosia is a delicious fermented orange flavor with a hint of coconut.

  

  Banana Hammock -
  A delicate blend of a Banana Split flavor coated with a warm nutty flavor.

  

  Big Apple –
  This tasty blend is based on a spicy apple martini that was born in New York City.

  

  Crazy Monkey -
  What would a crazy monkey eat to keep up his buzz? A banana coated in delicious coffee and chocolate, of course.

  
  Grasshoppah -
  Thin Mints, Grasshoppers, etc. This is that delectable chocolate mint flavor with just a hint of spice!

  
  Honey Suckle –
  If you’ve ever sucked the nectar from a honey suckle you know exactly how this delicious blend tastes.

  
  Huckleberry Ho-Down -
  Huckleberries are the wild cousins of blueberries – and in this flavor they’re making a dance-off of delicious.

  
  Lemon Pepper -
  Strong and spicy, this mixture of cinnamon and lemon will leave your taste buds feeling exhilarated.

  
  Malibu Sunrise -
  A sunrise over a white-sanded beach just wouldn’t be right without a splash of orange, pomegranate, and coconut rum.

  
  Melon Sour -
  Order a Melon Sour and you’ll get one of the finest watermelon and lemon mixed drinks ever.

  
  Miami Vice –
  A frozen drink of Rum, Strawberry Daiquiri, and Pina Colada – a Miami Favorite.

  
  Mint Chocolate -
  Just like an Andes Mint, this flavor is perfect right after dinner.

  
  Mystery Mix –
  We don’t even know what goes into this. A smoke for the daring people.

  
  Peppermint Schnapps –
  Tastes like a shot of the popular liqueur with every puff.

  
  Purple Monkey –
  A throwback to the old, large Purple Gorilla that haunted our morning cartoons, this mix contains grapes and bananas, just like it should.

  
  Sexxy Chocolate -
  This complex flavor brings in memories of Valentine’s day with succulent chocolate, rich butterscotch, and exotic fruits.

  
  Smugglin’ Plums -
  A taste of exotic plums mixed with fresh-pressed mint. A unique and delightful light flavor.

  
  Tom Collins –
  Go to a bar, order a Tom Collins. Delicious lemon zest with a powerful kick at the end.

  
  Wipe Out –
  Whether you’re flailing off of a surf board or sipping on a delicious fruit Martini, Wipe Out is one of the ultimate refreshers.

  
  X-Tasty –
  The X is for the hybridization of chocolate and oranges – one of the tastiest things Christmas has ever done for us.

  

  Don’t miss out on this limited time offer! Get your Freak on!

  

• Traditional vs. New Age: The Choices in Shisha Consumption

  Date: 2010.02.08 | Category: Tobacco | Response: 0

  

  Naturally, I’m going to assume if you’re reading this blog, you’re a devout hookah smoker. Perhaps you’ve been smoking for years, and you already have a favorite shisha that you live by religiously. But, for the rest of our hookah community, I wanted to set the record straight a little bit and tell you the real skinny on the difference between Traditional Moassel and the New Age Shisha of today.

  Let us begin with the cut and stem content of each type.  First of all, Traditional shisha has a thicker, chopped, hand-thrashed cut that is not uniform and wide and usually contains a high concentration of stems and twigs. On the other hand, New Shisha’s of today use a cigarette tobacco cut- which is fine and short and burns smoother. It’s simple science, really- the finer the cut, the more surface area; the more surface area, the more flavor absorption. In addition, New shisha has very few stems, and the ones that are found are soft, and few and far between – nothing like the chunky roots found in Traditional brands.

  Back in the 19^th Century, “Tombak” or “Shisha” was made from the “Black Fat” or the bottom part of the tobacco plant. It was then thrown into a shredder, and thus the reasoning for all the bulky shards of stems (and the occasional bug or two). New Shisha, however, uses the sun-ripened, sweeter, milder Premium Cut located at the top of the plant that is meticulously checked for bugs and other impurities – thus giving you the optimum smoking experience.

  Traditional Shisha is Molasses based, giving it an extremely sticky texture that produces a thick, dark smoke, which lasts longer than Shisha’s without Molasses, but can sometimes be harsh on the throat. This isn’t always a bad thing. Some people enjoy the robust flavor that comes from molasses – but be careful; sometimes the addition of molasses can mask the actual flavoring of the tobacco, leaving you with just a sweet taste instead of, let’s say, one that’s supposed to taste like lemonade. Companies that don’t use molasses in their shisha tend to have a more “true to the flavor” taste, than a company that does. Back in the day, flavoring was achieved by adding fruit pulp, but the practice of adding strong liquid flavor has only really caught on the last 20 years.  On the other hand, with some New Age companies, the addition of food coloring can be really fun. Smoking strawberry can feel more like smoking strawberry because of the red tint the tobacco takes on.

  So, I’ve researched how mu’assel or shisha was stored in the 19^th Century, but with no avail. My guess is that it was probably produced on a “made to order” basis and smoked pretty quickly after purchase- or at least stored in a cool dry place and sealed as much as possible. (We’re taking a trip to Jordan in April, so, we’ll get back to you on this one)  As far as current shisha production is concerned, the more traditional identifying companies store there shisha in a bag- that is in another bag- and those two bags are finally packaged in a box. This method of packaging can be REALLY messy and isn’t re-sealable, which limits its shelf life to around 2 years while packaged. Once opened, you really only have a week or two (tops) unless stored in another plastic receptacle.  Companies with a more modern take on Hookah Shisha have chosen to use a more innovative tin can or a plastic jar or cup that comes with a lid, and allows your shisha to stay fresh (once opened) much longer than their counterparts.

  Either way you look at it, Shisha has come a long way from the production days in the Middle East. Better production, better quality and better flavoring have all made a huge impact on the Hookah Culture and have captured audiences that were not previously familiar with Hookahs. Progressive ideas are changing the face of the culture and original and exciting packaging assists with getting that new message across. Whether you’re a fan of a traditional based shisha process, or one that’s a little bit more evolved, there are two sides to every story, so know the facts before you choose.

  Take it easy, guys. And happy smoking.