Since the tobacco smells like a mix of melon and citrus, I would compare the flavor to that of a passion fruit. The flavor has the sweetness found in melon flavors backed with a bite you would find in citrus flavors. The sweat and sour components of the flavor are balanced in a way that anybody can enjoy this flavor at any time. The flavor is not over whelming and doesn’t leave you asking for more. Since this is a washed tobacco that contains little nicotine, this is one tobacco that should be in everyone’s stash.

At the start of the session, the flavor does resemble an orange soda. While the bowl heats up, the flavor becomes a thick and mild orange flavor. The flavor is not a natural orange flavor but more of a candy sweet smoke without a synthetic after taste that most shishas bring to the table. A pleasurable session can still be salvaged once the tobacco is over heated. The flavor will return if a proper heat level can be obtained after a short period of time.

Although the Flying Saucer bowl is not a revolutionary product and will not replace the HJ mini alien bowl, this newly designed hookah bowl has made smoking heat sensitive tobacco a breeze. If tobacco is packed and treated just like it would be in the HJ Mini Alien Bowl the Flying Saucer bowl will match or beat the flavor results every time. I have found that clouds are not always as impressive in this bowl, but that may be because of the bowl’s tendency to remain cool.

Two puffs into a session and you will find yourself reminiscing about times when you were a kid sitting pool side with a fist full of blue Sour Punch Straws and a can of Surge. The flavor is almost identical to those flavor packed tubes of punchy sour goodness. Being that this is a washed tobacco that contains little nicotine, this is another tobacco that should be in everyone’s stash.

There is a new technique that, so far, has been proven (by myself and others) to instantly acclimate Tangiers Noir Tobacco. Before removing the tobacco from the sealed bag, massage the bag for 4-5 minutes. This completely mixes the tobacco in its “California” climate controlled bag. Then, empty the tobacco in to your shallow air tight container, and let…

The flavor is light, airy, and easy to overheat. The grapefruit flavor is spot on to its name though; there is a nice citrus flavor backed with a bitter flavor that you would expect from an actual grapefruit. If the tobacco can be smoked successfully, it could be a very pleasant smoke on a hot, muggy day. Since the flavor is not heavy and thick, like you might expect from Tangiers, it might just become a summer smoke for the more experienced hookah enthusiasts.

After a long conversation with Eric Hoffmann from Tangiers tobacco (also the genius behind the original phunnel bowl), Eric informed me that there would be some new Tangiers flavors on the market in late June. Also with the new batch comes the reintroduction of an old sweet spot; Pineapple.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or have nothing to do with the global community of hookah smokers), you’ve already heard about the new HJ Alien Mini Phunnel bowl. The bowl isn’t a revolution, it’s a refinement of the hugely popular Tangiers Phunnel Bowl.
The aim is simple, smoke great—and do it with as little tobacco and coals as possible.
A full review will be coming in the near future. But for now, let’s get a quick look at how the HJ Alien compares to other bowls.