Commentary on hookahs, smoke rings, and The Dream

A Review of Fumari Hookah Tobacco

It has been a while since we broke out the hookah tobacco reviews, but I think it was worth the wait.

We have covered a large swath of the hookah tobacco market, including some that work and some that don’t.  This time though, has been a real pleasure.  Thanks to Hobo reader Hachi M for the Fumari heads up.

The guys over at Fumari sent us a few of their premo pouches, including Chocolate Mint, Island Papaya, and Blueberry Pancake, and it was tip top stuff.

First thing you notice with Fumari: Cool pouch.  The standard in top of the line tobacco packaging is more or less the Starbuzz style tincan, and for a minute there I was thinking that was the only way to go. Not only did I notice the cool material of the bag, but everyone who glanced at it sitting on my coffee table were compelled to give it a grasp.  They liked, I liked, everyone agreed:  This is a cool and useful piece of packaging.

Now down to brass tacks:  This is a slippery-wet tobacco.  I’d say similar to Starbuzz in cut, but a bit juicier.  We packed our first bowl of Chocolate Mint in a phunnel.  Great idea.  The Chocolate Mint tastes like an After 9 mint, and similar to the Al Waha offering.  Mint is an easy flavor that every hookah tobacco company has mastered, and to a certain degree the Chocolate Mint has been successfully replicated.  This offering is notable for its clean taste (better than Al Waha) and that it is easily adaptable to a phunnel bowl, which increased its life span to the hour-plus range.  Great offering.

Next was Island Papaya served in the clay Hobo bowl.  Now I don’t like papaya, nor papaya dog, which leads me to believe they totally got this flavor wrong: This shit is great.  It has a candied taste like many typical hookah tobaccos, but somehow this flavor just cooked.  It lasted long and remained strong.  It is a re-buy from our end, without hesitation.  The Blueberry Pancake was of similar demeanor, but with way too much punch.  It is over the top sweet.  Definitely necessary to mix this with something more mellow, like Al Waha and Nakhla fruit flavors.  Mixed its a good, powerful additive, but not necessarily something we’d get every re-raise.

The issue with Fumari is the price.  At 9-bones for 100 grams this puts it at a gram to gram price higher than Romman or Starbuzz.  And if you are only comparing it to those two brands, the buck or two more it costs I think its worth it.  If you are going to go top-line Fumari is a respectable choice, and I think as good as hookah tobacco gets.  If you are more budget conscience, get a pouch of Fumari, like Island Papaya, and mix it with a pedestrian tobacco, like Nakhla.  The flavor is potent, and its worth the buy to get more taste out of your standard bowl.

Overall, look this is a pricey tobacco and one of the few products in the hookah market that has actually branded itself well with a great product and strong, independent following (much like the HoboHookah, cheers!).  Also, for a premium tobacco, we never had a problem with Fumari working the way it should.  In a mod-bowl, in a phunnel, straight or mixed it all smokes right.  For all that they demand respect, and our patronage.

Hookah Tobacco Review: Fumari Hookah Tobacco

• Type: Premium Hookah Tobacco
• Signature Flavor: Island Papaya
• Best Flavors: Chocolate Mint, Orange Creme, Prickly Pear, Cantaloupe,  Rose
• Worst Flavors: Cola
• Price: $9 per 100 grams ($22.50 at 250 grams)
• Ease of Use: 10/10
• Overall: 8/10