How to Choose a Shisha Flavour: A Beginner's Guide

Choosing a shisha flavour for the first time can feel like ordering wine from a list with no descriptions. The good news is that the choice comes down to three questions, and the person preparing your session can do most of the work for you. Here is how to get it right, whether it is your first pipe or your fiftieth.

Start with a profile, not a flavour name

Flavour menus are long and the names are not much help. Think in profiles instead:

• Fresh: mint, citrus, cool notes. Clean, light, easy to smoke for a long time. The classic starting point.
• Fruity: berries, tropical fruit, grape, melon. Sweeter, rounder, generous. Crowd-pleasers for a table that shares.
• Bold: dark, woody, spiced or dessert-like blends. Deeper and more intense; better once you know you enjoy the ritual.

Almost every good session can be described in one of those three words. Say which one you want and the rest becomes easy.

Match the flavour to the moment

Shisha changes with the time of day and what you are drinking.

• Afternoon, with tea or fresh juice: fresh profiles. Our Lunch & Chicha set, a dish of the day with a Standard session between noon and 4 PM, is built for exactly this.
• After dinner, with a cocktail: fruity blends sit well next to citrus-led drinks; a bolder blend pairs with whiskey or a darker cocktail.
• Late night, when the lounge slows down: this is when bold, woody blends make sense, and when a long session is at its best. We are open until 3 AM.

Standard or Premium

At Maison Almaz there are two ranges, and the difference is the tobacco.

• Standard, 285K: Union Hookah tobacco, clean and balanced, prepared and coal-changed by our team throughout the evening. The right choice for a first session and for long, relaxed evenings.
• Premium, 350K: Darkside tobacco, darker and more intense, for guests who want more body and a longer finish.

Both are served with natural coconut coals and looked after by the team, so the heat is never your problem.

When in doubt, let the master choose

The most reliable way to find a flavour you love is to describe what you like and hand over the decision. Tell the team: fresh or fruity or bold, sweet or not, how long you plan to stay, what you are drinking. They will build a blend for the table, and if you like it, they will remember it next time.

If you want to go further, the Almaz Tasting turns the choice into a journey: three heats over about 90 minutes, prepared tableside by a master, following one of three paths. SEVER is fresh and mineral, ZAKAT fruity and gourmand, NOCH bold, woody and spiced. It is 500K on Standard and 700K on Premium, and it is the fastest education in flavour we know. Details on our shisha lounge page.

A few practical notes

• Shisha is served to guests aged 18 and over.
• Sessions can be enjoyed at your dining table or in the lounge; ask for a booth if you plan to stay.
• Sharing is normal: one pipe for two or three people is the usual rhythm, with fresh mouthpieces for everyone.
• The full range and prices are on the menu.

Ready to try? Reserve a table or message us on WhatsApp, and tell us the profile you are in the mood for.