Your Ultimate Flavour Selection Guide
If you are new to this shisha game, the countless options of different flavours and brands could be confusing. Also, what is dark or blonde leaf?! What category/brand/type of leaf is better suit for you? After all, you just want something that tastes good and blows huge clouds right? Don’t worry, we are here to give you a simple guide on the differences of blonde and dark leaf shisha and some recommendations on the best selected and most popular brand from every flavour category.
Blonde leaf VS Dark leaf
The main difference between blonde leaf and dark leaf is the amount of nicotine present in it. Tobacco production requires soaking and washing the tobacco leaves. The more the leaf is washed, the more of the nicotine content is removed and hence less head buzz. We strongly suggest any beginner to start with blonde leaf as the high nicotine level in dark leaf shisha might cause discomfort to some. Dark leaf is more suitable for experienced users who have built up the tolerance over the accumulated time of smoking. After all, each of these types of tobacco has its own distinct attributes and may require a different bowl packing method to get the best results. We will talk further below.
Blonde leaf:
The most commonly used tobacco in is the Virginia blonde leaf. This Virginia blonde leaf is flue-cured meaning that it is dried in a heated indoor structure. This process of curing is what gives the Virginia blonde leaf its vibrant yellow/orange color and its sweetness in flavor. Blonde leaf usually comes with a more prominent flavour and lower nicotine content. It is also easier to be managed with heat and less likely to burn. Most common brands are fumari, social smoke, azure from the US. And Os, holster, Almassiva from Germany.
Dark leaf:
Becoming increasingly popular over the past 2 years, dark leaf is the new trend for hookah enthusiasts. Opposite of blonde tobacco, dark leaf retains a higher nicotine level due to its unwashed nature and gives out a more robust earthy tone from the air-curing method (Air-curing means leaving the leaves hung up in an open barn undergoing few weeks of drying.) Beginners might find it hard to accept either the taste or the buzz if they are not used to it. They are most commonly found in Russia (e.g. Darkside, Must have, Element) or in the USA (e.g. Tangiers, Trifecta, etc).
Check below for our recommendations on each of the flavour category. We will provide suggestion on both blonde and dark leaf for each of the flavour. It is definitely all-time to go based on our personal preference so you might have a different opinion which is all fine too!
Fruity sweet
Pre-mixed:
B - African Queen
Grape:
D - Kismet Black grape, Tabu Grape cola
B - Holster Grape mint, Nameless Black nana
Peach:
D - Duft Sour Peach, Chabacco Juicy Peach, Must have Sweet Peach, Kismet Peach Blossom
B - Trifecta Peach Mint, Al Massiva Massiv, Zomo Jossie Slide, Fumari White Peach, Tangiers Peach ice tea, Starbuzz Peach ice tea
Mango:
D - Malaysian Mango, Inferno Mango, Element Mango, Darkside Mango Lassi, Duft Goa mango, Chabacco Mango Camomile, Chabacco Indian Mango
B - Al Massiva Wenn der mond (mango and melon), 7 Days Cold MNG, Pure mango, Trifecta mango smoothie, Adalya Mango Tango, element air Thai mango
Melon:
D - Must Have Sweet melon, Malaysian Melon, Chabacco Chinese Melon
B - Al Massiva Wenn der mond, Os Casanova, 7 Days Cold Melo, Fumari Ambrosía, Zomo Secret of Babylon
Cantaloupe
D - Must Have Melonade
B - Social Smoke Cantaloupe Chill
Black Currant:
D - Duft Black currant, Element Currant
B - Hookain Big Black Berries
Lychee:
D - Element lychee (out of production), Darkside Space lychee, Duft Lychee, Malaysian Lychee
B - Azure lychee, Trifecta lychee
Guava:
D - Chabacco Guava, Darkside Guava rebel, Element Fire Guava
B - Fumari Guava, AF Guava
Strawberry:
D - Darkside Space jam, Must have Strawberry lychee, black burn strawberry jam, Malaysian Strawberry kiss, Bonche Strawberry
B - Babos FFM, Os High noon, Zomo Strawkify, Azure Strawberry Passion, Savy Strawberry, Fumari Strawberry Jam
Dragonfruit:
D - Duft Dragonfruit, Darkside Fruity Dust
B - Almassiva Bruderherz, Almassiva Blut gegen blut (dragonfruit and lemon)
Various Berries
D - Darkside Cosmo flower, Duft Elderberry, Spectrum Russian raspberry, Chabacco Elderberry, Spectrum Forest mix (wild berry), Element blackberry, Duft Raspberry
B - Trifecta Raspberry, Babos (lemon orange raspberry), Banger Niemals antäuschen (wildberry), Holster Wild punch (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry), Holster Miss jossy (strawberry, raspberry)
Citrusy, tropical
Pre-mixed:
D - Malaysian Acid Rain, Malaysian Sour blow, Must have Pinkman (grapefruit, strawberry, raspberry)
B - Tingle Tangle, Papa Luma (grapefruit lime and lemonade)
Lemon:
D - Darkside Lemon Blast, Black burn Lemon sweet
B - Fumari lemon mint, Azure Winter Lemon, Os Monster
Orange:
D - Must Have Orange team, Darkside Barry Orange, Tangiers Orange soda,
B - Al Massiva Ghettolied, Azure Winter Orange, Trifecta Natural Order
Lime:
D - Must Have Lemon Lime, Sebero Limoncello
B - Trifrcta Lime, Fumari Limoncello
Pineapple:
D - Duft Pineapple, Malaysian Pineapple, Element pineapple, Spectrum pineapple boom
B - Pure Pineapple
Passionfruit:
D - Element maracuya, Chabacco Passionfruit, Darkside Falling star, Nash Passion, Chabacco Passion
B - Pure maracuya, Maridan Tingle Tangel Purple/Tropical, Banger 3 Mal im leben, Adalya Love 66, Puré Passion bomb, Zomo Passionfruit mint
Grapefruit:
D - Must have Grapefruit, Grapefruit & pomelo
B - Holster Bloody punch, Trifecta Grapefruit
Kiwi:
D - Chabacco Kiwi, Darkside Cyber Kiwi, Must have Kiwi smoothie, Duft Kiwi Tini, Inferno Kiwi
B - Quwi Punch, Savu Kimi, Handgemacat & illegal (kiwi and pineapple), AF kiwi, Zomo kiwi lemon
Tangerine:
D - Duft Kamquat, Nash Tangerine, Must have Mandarin
B - Pure Tangerine
Papaya:
D - Nash papaya
B - Fumari Island papaya, Element air Maui
Yuzu:
D - Chabacco Pomelo
B - Social Smoke Japanese Yuzu
Fruity Refreshing
Pear:
D - Malaysian Pear, Inferno Pear, Element Pear, Sebero Green Pear
B - Holster Perry Punch, Trifecta Pearfect, Zomo Pik Pok, Savu Green Bear
Green Apple:
D - Duft Apple candy, Must have Apple drop, Malaysian Crazy Apple, Sebero Green Apple
B - Os Bonnie and Clyde
Watermelon:
D - Element Watermelon Holls, Must have Melonade
B - Os 54, Holster Watermelon Punch, Zomo Watermelon Mint, Social Smoke Watermelon Chill, Fumari Watermelon
Cucumber:
D - Inferno cucumber lemonade, Must have Cucunade, Duft Cucumberita
B - Aqua mentha Green Shake, Element air cucumber lemonade, Trifecta Cucumber Mojito, Azure Cool cucumber, Haze cucumberita, Zero Basil Cucumber
Cactus:
D - Darkside Desert Eagle, Element Cactus fig, Duft Cactus Jack, Malaysian Cactus, Spectrum Agave Cactus
B - Os Unknown, Zomo Cactus Jack, Holster Ice Katuz, Banger Kuck Kuck, Fumari Prickly Pear
Creamy
Banana
D - Darkside Bananapapa, Sebero Banana cream, Must Have Paradise, Element Banana daiquiri
B - Element bananerro, Fumari Banana Custard
Coconut
D - Darkside Tropic Ray, Darkside Bounty Hunter, Puer Cocos Rain, Puer Pina colada
B - Element Air Pina colada, Os star child
Tiramisu
D - Duft Tiramisu, Tabú Tiramisu, Starbuzz Vintage Tiramisu
Caramel/Candy/milky
D - Must Have Candy Cow, Must have Unicorn Treats, Element air milky mouse, Darkside Killer Milk
B - Hookain White Caek, Social Smoke Dulce de Leche
Chocolate
D - Bonche Dark chocolate, Puer Kit Kat, Puer Raffaello, Black Burn Black Brownie, Black Burn After 8, Duft Brownie, Element Beigum Waffle, must have choco mint
B - Hookain White Brown
Coffee
D - Element Irish Cream, Darkside raff in the jungle
B - Fumari Mochaccino, Azure Barista Choice, Trifecta Morning Glory
Pistachio
D - Chabacco Pistachio Macaroon, Must Have Pistachio Cake
B - Os Franklin, Social Smoke Pistachio Breeze, Element Air Gelato Al Pistachio
Nuts
D - Inferno Peanut, Duft Fried Cashew, Duft Hazelnut, Spectrum Nutter, Element Nut Mix
B - Holster Bono, Trifecta TKO
Vanilla
D - Must Have Ice crea, Must Have Vanilla Cream
B - AF Vanilla, Trifecta Vanilla, Element Air Vanilla Sky
Cookie:
D - Must Have Cookies, Spectrum Cooke & Milk, Element Cookie Monster, Bonche Cookie, Chabacco caramel cookies, Chabacco milk cookies
Corn:
D - Duft King corn, Chabacco caramel corn, Tabu Corn sticks
B - zero Corn
Lemon waffle/cake/pie
D - Chabacco Creamy Lemon Waffle, puer lemon marmalade, Must have lemon pie
B - Al massiva Nasib, Azure lemon muffin
Cinnamon:
D - Chabacco Cinnamon roll, Inferno Cinnamon bun
B - Azure cinnamon cookies, Social Smoke Cinnamon roll
Savory
Cheese
D - Inferno Cheese, Spectrum Spicy Cheese, Spectrum Herb Cheese
Bacon
D - Spectrum Bacon, Spectrum bacon cracker
Curry
D - Spectrum Spicy Curry
Carrot
D - Northern Carrot Juice
Others
Mint:
D - Northen North, Element Moroz, Darkside Supernova, Sebero Artic, Black Burn Something Icy
B - 7 days Cold Death, Pure FML, Trifecta Twice the Ice x, Social Smoke Absolute zero, Zomo strong mint, Zomo Swiss alps, Azure Alaskan Ice
Honey:
D - Kismet Black honey, Must have Honey holls, Black burn Black Honey, Element Honey&Honey, Chabacco Honey berries
Cola:
D - Sebero Cola, Darkside Cola, Puer Siberian Cola, Duft Lazer Cola
B - Azure Mexi cola, Zero Cola
Liquor:
D - Must Have Citrus Spritz, Duft Scoth Whiskey, Must have Mulled Wine, Spectrum Fire Wine, Chabacco Rum Lady Muff
B - Azure Apple Cider
Ginger:
D - Puer Cenozoic Ginger
B - Social smoke ginger tea
Spiced
Herbal:
D - Darkside Basil Blast, Chabacco Euculyptus, Infernó Lemongrass, Spectrum Chinese Grass, Element Thyme and Bergamot
B - Azure lemongrass
Woody:
D - Element Fir, Element Baikal, Darkside Needles, Kismet Black Sandalwood, Kismet Black Forrest
B - Shades Wood Master
Tea, Floral
Green Tea
D - Black burn Green tea
B - Azure Matcha Mint
Lemon/lime Tea
D - Spectrum Brazilian tea, Darkside Astro tea, Tangiers Lemon Tea
B - Starbuzz Lemon tea, Fumari Citrus tea, Azure Royal Queen
Black Tea/Earl grey
D - Must have Earl Grey, Kismet Black Tea, Darkside Bergamonster, Spectrum Berga tea, Fumari Dark Earl grey, Chabacco Mumbai tea
B - Trifecta Earl grey, Afzal Earl grey, Savu Black Tea
Chai Tea
D - Duft Chai Latte, Malaysian Spiced Chai, Chabacco Milk Oolong
B - Fumari Spiced Chai, Azure Chai Masala, Azure Viva la horchata
Floral Tea
D - Darkside Darksupra, Chabacco Jasmine tea, Spectrum Jasmine tea,
Floral
D - Chabacco Blooming Garden, Kismet Black rose, Kismet Black jasmine, Kismet Black Violet, Kismet Black Flowers, Kismet Black Lavender, Tabu Jasmine Lemonade
B - Trifecta Nawar, Azure Winter Rose, AF Rose, Starbuzz exotic Rose, Trifecta Lavender Mint, Starbuzz Flower Power
