Hello once again and welcome back to the Masonshishaware blog! With our last entry focusing on Dark Blends, today’s entry is all about highlighting flavors that have seemed to go unappreciated in the vast market of blonde leaf tobacco that virtually anyone can enjoy regardless of experience. These flavors are not only some of my personal favorites but have always been huge hits with those who I introduce to them during a party setting or simple session with a friend. If you’ve been stuck on some of the more popular flavors these brands have to offer and are looking for something to change it up, you’ve come to the right place.
Al Fakhamah Grapefruit
It goes without saying there is no lack of grapefruit flavored tobaccos on the market but so few hit the notes of a true grapefruit properly, especially in a blonde leaf. As with their entire line of tobacco, Al Fakhamah seeks to go more on the natural side of the flavor spectrum and gives us a grapefruit in its purest form.
With other blonde leaf grapefruit flavors, they can either be too sweet and come off as a grapefruit soda or be too pungent and kill the sweet characteristic the fruit has. The beauty of Al Fakhamah Grapefruit is that it hits both categories harmoniously. You have the pungent bite that is perfect for a summer’s day while still having a sweet, though not overbearing factor that comes through and cuts the sharpness down to epitomize the real thing. While passionfruit will likely always be their flagship flavor, grapefruit surely serves as the first mate.
Al Fakher Golden Line Orange
Al Fakher is one of the most popular brands worldwide without a doubt. However, their Golden Line does not get the attention it deserves to put it lightly. I could easily go on and on about all the great flavors they have brought forth in this line (seriously, try them all) but the one that stands above the rest is Orange.
Undoubtedly Al Fakher Orange and Orange with Mint are some of the most popular flavors found in their original line, but they aren’t accurate to the real thing. I believe this has to do with these being introduced very early on while they were still figuring out where the brand would go. Regardless, they struck gold with both and instead of changing the formula opted to create an entirely new orange flavor that quite frankly leaves the predecessors in the dust.
As I’ve already hinted Golden Line Orange is the most accurate orange flavor to date from the brand. There are hints of the bitter zest, a sweetness that won’t quit, and an overall balance to the blend that makes it enjoyable for all walks of life to revel in. While it’s more than likely that Golden Line Orange will never overtake Orange and Orange with Mint’s popularity, this hidden gem should be on your list to unearth asap.
Al Waha Elite Edition Mango Lemonade
Al Waha in itself is underrated which is a huge reason why it makes this guide already. Its easy on the wallet, your palette, and has some outstanding flavors that even your most inexperienced friends can enjoy, one of which is Mango Lemonade.
Now at first thought mango and lemon may not sound appealing to you. I know I was in that same boat. Surprisingly they go very well together, and we have Al Waha to thank for that.
Generally speaking, mango is a hard flavor to nail especially in terms of sweetness. Most are over the top and others rely too much on the pungent aspect to be considered a good flavor. Pair that with most lemon flavors being candied and it’s almost a sure-fire disaster of a blend. However, Al Waha has gone with a natural and almost creamy mango that backs up the tasty lemonade flavoring perfectly. If you’re in search of something that breaks the mold of simple single note flavors, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you finally visit Mango Lemonade. Just do yourself a favor and grab the 200g tub, a 50g box is an insult.
Fumari Island Papaya
In 2019 its safe to say Fumari is a commonly found item in most smoker’s stash. With flavors like White Gummi Bear, Mint Chocolate Chill, Ambrosia, and an iconic Lemon Mint it’s easy to see why. However, there are some sleepers in their lineup that need more attention. The most of which is Island Papaya.
The best way I’ve found to describe this blend is a tropical double apple. You get the creamy and sweet papaya taste that already makes you feel like you’re on the beach with some fresh Sangria, but the slight aniseed type bite is what puts this one over the top. It’s something everyone should experience and something that will set your summer mix apart from what you may find at your local hookah lounge. Just don’t forget the umbrella decoration when preparing this one.
Haze Majestic Bru
While Haze has taken more of a back seat on the American market over the last year due to moving internationally, there are some amazing flavors that they’ve created along their journey. Most get the attention they deserve but Majestic Bru certainly doesn’t find itself on that list.
The name alone may have you skimming over it during your search for the more iconic Haze flavors but name aside, this blend is outstanding. With Majestic Bru you have a beautiful blend of orange, cream, and rose. While rose is kicker in the equation it backs up the citrus and cream profile perfectly and acts as a binding agent that affix the three together in a symphony of hookah smoking bliss.
Pure Tobacco Tangerine
Known far and wide these days for FML and all its variants, Pure Tobacco first made its name on the success of their single note flavors. While most are awesome representations of the fruits they mimic they’ve all been cast aside for their minty brethren. I could write an entire love letter to the many Pure flavors that aren’t appreciated but instead I’ll give you the cliff notes on Tangerine.
If you grew up with fresh tangerines like I did then they will always hold a special place in your heart. I’ve tried many times to see if a smoke could replicate that to no avail. It wasn’t until I received a care package from Pure outlining their new formula that my childhood was embodied in the form of their Tangerine flavor.
What makes their tangerine flavor so unique is not only that it doesn’t taste like orange flavored Jell-O or gummy candy but how light it is on your taste buds. That’s not to say this is a light flavored tobacco but just like the initial bite of a real tangerine, it poses all the flavor you get. It’s bright and tangy then quickly subsides to an almost creamy pulp which Pure absolutely nails during your session length. If you’ve never tried anything but FML from Pure (shame on you) this is the perfect place to start your trek.
Social Smoke Blue Raspberry
Initially this was the first flavor from Social Smoke I had the pleasure of trying and instantly upon the smell I knew I was going to be hooked for the foreseeable future. Having to endure summer in Las Vegas for the last 20 or so years running always has me reaching for an iced treat and more often than not that was blue raspberry flavored “icees.” So, it’s not a stretch to say this flavor profile has been a recurring theme in my life up to this point.
Just like the “icee” or jolly rancher candy, this is a heavily artificial flavor that basically “tastes like blue” in all its childhood like idiocy. There are little hints of the raspberry that come through but for the most part you’re getting a smoke form of melted down sugar and blue food coloring. While as basic as this flavor is, it’s extremely underrated and passed up far to often. I can’t recommend this enough as nothing comes close to it in terms of embodying true form of what you’re expecting when you hear Blue Raspberry. Bring some blue raspberry Jell-O shots to the party and load up a bowl of this for instant legend status, and don’t worry your tongue won’t be blue after enjoying it.
Starbuzz Watermelon
With what seems to be an endless supply of flavors in their original line, it goes without saying some excellent choices are going to fall through the cracks in Starbuzz’s lineup. The main candidate that I feel doesn’t get the praise it deserves is Watermelon.
Nearly all other imitations of watermelon end up being too candy like or just straight up inaccurate and hard to palette. It’s in this notion that Starbuzz truly set the bar for other blonde leaf tobaccos to try and follow. What makes Starbuzz Watermelon so great is that you have nearly all the fixings of what watermelon in general has. A bright texture, a subtle tang when you get near the rind, and that refreshing quality that makes it enjoyable. It’s sweet, nearly candy like, but not quite there, while still having that refreshing aspect along with an extremely subtle rind goodness that creeps in. Flavor accuracy alone makes this one a must try but the fact that it mixes well with virtually any other blonde leaf and even some dark blends pushes it in to the underrated category.
Starbuzz Bold Geisha
After the unparelled success of Starbuzz’s original line we saw a new twist that incorporated existing flavors we knew and loved into more dynamically blended mixes along with new flavors entirely with their bold line. The line itself gets a lot attention around a few key flavors but the one that is entirely unappreciated is Geisha; their most intricate mix if you ask me.
Geisha falls into the tea category, having a pleasant aroma of an ever-present white peach that is backed up with a light citrus, apricot sweetness, and just a touch of a mint based cooling that is subtle enough to simply cool down the blend while not adding in any additional flavor. The best way I can describe it is a citrus rich peach iced tea. It goes fantastically on a summer afternoon but can easily be enjoyed year-round and will be an excellent choice to show that tea snob in your life or be an introductory flavor that resembles an artisan like tea. For what it’s worth, it’s a Smoke not a Pass by Shaunn’s judgement.
Trifecta Huckleberry
While most Trifecta’s flavors are loved and adored by many, there are a few that seem to get left behind in the grand scheme of favoritism. I can’t think of a better example of that than with their Huckleberry flavor.
Now there are a ton of berry and mixed berry flavors but most just skate by on being average at best. As with anything Trifecta produces, this is far from the case with Huckleberry. What makes Huckleberry and huckleberries in general great is the unique sour and sweet profile they have. They’re almost like nature’s sour patch kids. You have a bright almost blueberry like sweetness that is matched with a slightly sour profile akin to a real cranberry and Trifecta created that and then some with their iteration. If you’ve pushed off berry flavors in the past and have some trust issues, hey, I get it, but this is where Trifecta makes a believer out of you so give it a try. After all, how many shots did you give that ex again?
Ugly Fruit Mix
I couldn’t cap off this guide without going over to the Ugly side of blonde tobacco. Ugly has some amazing flavor profiles that have all earned their respect amongst not only their competitors but with the enthusiast clientele. However, one resonates with me as undeniably the most underrated from the entire brand. That is none other than Fruit Mix.
As simple as Fruit mix may sound it’s the execution that really sells it. It’s like the greatest hits of Ugly all rolled into one. You have their Orange Keef flavoring, blueberry flavoring from Blue Magic, notes of strawberry, banana, and even pineapple. It’s utterly spectacular but widely glanced over when it comes to picking flavors from the brand yet in my opinion epitomizes Ugly. It’s also the best flavor to get started on with Ugly as you can really pinpoint what flavor profile speaks to you most and choose the corresponding flavor accordingly.
And that’s all folks! Use this guide whenever you feel like either branching out from your favorites or simply trying something that’ll knock your socks off. Take it from me, any of these flavors will be outstanding and while you may not hear them being talked about too often by other people, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your money or time for that matter.
Did we touch on your favorite underrated flavor? If so drop it down in a comment below or add your choice for others to see! Thanks for stopping by the blog and we’ll see you on the next one!