NOT FOR LIGHT WEIGHTS!
Now that I got that out of the way, I recently got my hands on a kilo of Al Fakher Soft Black and I am very happy. This is a black style molasses from Al Fakher and it is far from the modern tobaccos that many people are used to. Black style molasses are an older form of hookah smoking that consists almost entirely of molasses and tobacco leaves.
The leaves are unwashed and the molasses is strong. The flavor that you can expect from a tobacco like this is of medium molasses and aged tobacco. It’s slightly sour, a little sweet and ten kinds of smokey. There are subtle notes of dark forest fruit like plums that are over ripe and maybe even a bit fermented. I mean that in a good way. The flavor is like a slightly mellowed version of Salloum unflavored but Al Fakher Soft Black is a lot easier to deal with.
Most black style tobaccos that make it to this shore (there are not many) will be so dried out and solid that I would feel safe using them as house building material. This means that you need to re-hydrate the tobacco with molasses and glycerin. It requires a bit of cooking and careful balance of ingredients to get it back to it’s original form. Al Fakher Soft Black comes packaged how Al Fakher packages all their tobacco now. It’s in a plastic tub and inside that is a sealed plastic bag that keeps it all very fresh and can be sealed back up to maintain that freshness.
As stated at the beginning of this review, Al Fakher Soft Black is not for the new smokers. This is a strong tobacco that gave me a good medium buzz. It should be no surprise that I smoke a lot of hookah but I am also a cigar smoker and have a fairly high nicotine tolerance. This is a blend to be sipped and enjoyed slowly unless you are a seasoned smoker. If you are willing to run the risk this blend can produce some impressive clouds but it must be tended to carefully as it can overheat. The classic style means that it is not as heat resistant as what many are used to.
I have been smoking this out of a Khalil Mamoon Double trimetal and the tobacco was packed into a small funnel bowl. Four coconut coals got this going nicely and producing some big puffy clouds. I would suggest either using a washable hose or devoting a leather hose to just this flavor or black molasses in general. This will ghost.
8.5 out of 10. I love this tobacco but I understand that it is not for everyone It’s strong and fairly complex in flavor but a bit heat sensitive and may be a little hard for less experienced smokers to smoke properly.
I love this too. Well I am a herbal blend smoker. I use daily around two times. It works good for me.
interesting article – oh serious.. which herbal blend ot you use?
Hey Paul, Im wondering what bowl did you use with 4 Coconaras?
Well, the small Tangiers funnel can hold 4 coals if the tobacco can handle the heat. I also use 4 coals on some very large and shallow Egyptian clay bowls when smoking things like jurak and black moassel that need more heat than modern style tobacco.
Just wondering, is this to be packed loosely or like zaghloul?
My guess would be like zaghloul.