Wow, this stuff is good.  I usually stick with Al Fakher because it’s not too cheap and not too expensive, assuming there couldn’t be too much of a difference between this and, say, Starbuzz.

But there is a noticable difference.  Starbuzz is a bit more expensive, but it’s also a bit higher quality.

The flavor of Starbuzz Pomegranate shisha is just sweet enough, without a hint of harshness.  This is the sort of shisha you could smoke for hours and never feel like it’s wearing on your lunges or taste buds.

Incidentally I don’t have any pictures of the Starbuzz shisha itself, since I was smoking it at a hookah bar (King Tut’s — Tempe, AZ)… here’s what I do have though:

Starbuzz shisha smoke:

The hot hot coals that heated up that Starbuzz shisha:

I thought that Starbuzz is all hype in light of there Budweiser-esque posters, but it turns out that the extra cost really is worth it.

Also, here’s what King Tut’s interior looks like:

King Tut’s wall ornament — Egyptian mask.