I’ve been revisiting Al Waha a lot recently and I’ve been pretty happy with the results. Al Waha Apricot is the latest tobacco on the menu and I’m not entirely disappointed.
I know that this is a gigantic surprise, but the smell in the package is similar to dried apricots. I’d say that’s a good sign. The scent is not overpowering or sickeningly sweet, so I had high hopes for this tobacco before I ever loaded it in my bowl.
You should know that this tobacco is seriously wet, but I would not call it drippy. It’s is not like the modern tobaccos such as Fantasia that are basically juice with a little tobacco mixed into it. It’s more of a sticky consistency, which I would say is similar to the Nakhla Mizo tobacco that I love so much. The cut is also similar to Nakhla, but perhaps a little more irregular. I’ve found more long strips of tobacco in the Al Waha that I’ve been smoking, but it’s not a problem other than when packing my smallest bowls. The next time I get a pack of Al Waha I might take a rocking chop to it just to make sure that the largest pieces are cut down a little.
The flavor was a little lacking. It is obviously apricot and it was definitely pleasant, but it was a bit weak. The taste is similar to a sweetened, dried apricot as one might find in a sweet apricot chutney. The texture of the smoke is pretty good with a smooth and round mouth feel, but the clouds are nice and puffy.
If this tobacco were stronger in flavor I might be tempted to call it my favorite apricot flavor, which is a fruit I find to be poorly represented in the world of hookah.