Dazed and Confused is a blend, starting with a very mild mint, which will fade as the session continues, then introducing an ambiguous, mild-sweet berry/melon blend.

Melon Medley, as the name would suggest, is a hodgepodge of other melon flavors. Most likely Honey Dew, Cantaloupe and Watermelon. However, the flavors are indistinct and the overall taste is ambiguous. If you’re a frequent hookah smoker, the flavor will be similar to Nakhla and Al Fakher’s Sweet Melon, only slightly more mild. In real world comparisons, the flavor is very much like a candy-cantaloupe.

Though the scent is very much that of children’s breakfast cereal, the flavor is not so much. After Sex is sweet, but not nauseatingly so. It is a berry/fruit mix with some very subtle citrus undertones. The flavor is tasty and refreshing, and though there is no detectible mint sensation, After Sex still has a cool freshness to it.

It’s a popular misconception that a bigger hookah means bigger and better smoke. But this is untrue. Let’s look at the facts.

Larger Hookahs Often Have Traditional Chambers

Larger hookahs have a number of great advantages, but also their fair share of drawbacks.

Bigger hookahs, hookahs larger than about 30”, are usually made in the Middle East according to many traditional standards. For example, larger hookahs frequently employ what’s called a ‘traditional chamber’. This is a reference to the inner-workings of the hookah…

Soft Black is an unflavored tobacco. The taste is that of tobacco, made slightly sweet by the molasses ingredient. The result is something similar to smoking a standard pipe, unflavored cigar or expensive cigarette. Like natural tobaccos, the taste is dark, rich and earthy. It goes excellently with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. If the natural tobacco taste is too much for you, as it is for some people, adding a small amount of mild flavored tobacco, such as mint, cinnamon or jasmine can add the subtle sensation of smoking a flavored pipe tobacco or flavored cigar. Soft Black can also be added to strong, flavored tobaccos to mild things out a bit. But be warned, the more Soft Black you add to a flavored tobacco the more natural tobacco taste you will introduce.

Chocolate Mint is, in a word, unbelievable. While there are many Chocolate Mint flavors on the market, none has managed to capture my attention like Fusion’s attempt. The flavor, and the aroma, are exactly as the title suggests—chocolate mint. The mint, while distinct, is not overpowering. It won’t clear your sinuses. And the chocolate is a sweet, chocolate cake flavor. Unlike other brands where the chocolate flavor is more like a protein shake, Fusions chocolate is much more realistic.

Dragon Fruit is a sweet blend of berries and melon. Though the combination isn’t obvious at first, rather the first sensation is bright with a delicious ambiguous berry sweetness, and just a hint of something tangy. When exhaling through the nose as well, those who have a very acute sense of smell will notice a vague hint of something chemical. For almost everyone else, it will go undetected.

At first taste, Mobster is a confusing flavor. It is a candy, sweet, fruity flavor with a floral finish. It’s very difficult to compare to something in the real world, which adds to the confusion. The scent is that of candy dipping sticks (you know, the giant Pez that you lick and then dip in Pixi Stick dust?), but the taste betrays the smell. They’re almost nothing alike. The smell is extremely sweet, but the flavor, while sweet, is far more mild. Mobster could also be compared to another Social Smoke flavor, The Edge. However, Mobster is only a mild sweetness, with a noticeably more intense floral finish.

The Edge flavor is difficult to nail down. There is a subtle candy-watermelon taste and likely some blended berries as well. But the overall taste is a kind of candy rush—very sweet, but with a delicate floral finish.

Absolute Zero is an intense mint/spearmint flavor, and in that way, it is fairly simple. However, Social Smoke has made some very subtle adjustments to the mint flavor. There is an extremely subtle sweet berry flavor underneath the mint. Identifying the berry is difficult. Blueberry is likely, but the flavor is so well hidden it’s not especially important. Thanks to this welcome addition of sweetness, Absolute Zero tastes less like a mint leaf and more like a very cold glass of Vitamin Water.