Romman Shisha Reviews

[ZookahHookah]

Post Romman Shisha reviews here.

[ZookahHookah]

Brand/Flavor:
Romman Mint

Methodology:
-Approximately 50 hits/person across 35 minutes
-3 individuals in the circle
-33mm Golden coal, offset holes, foil rotated every couple minutes
-22" generic 1-hose hookah
-Vase filled with cold water

First Impressions:
VERY sticky, lots of molasses, but not unmanageable, slightly stemmy, all typical for Romman. Aromatic but not overwhelmingly so. Professional-looking tin with a zip lock pouch within. Zip lock pouch is fairly useless, leaks molasses rendering tin rather disgusting. (Shisha was transferred to a jar earlier this week, more details to follow on that technique.)

Post Mortem:
Almost cooked all the way through. Only about 10% retained any kind of moisture.

Pros:
-Decently thick smoke, quite usable for rings, french inhale, etc.
-Consistent smoke
-Significant buzz
-Natural mint taste for the majority of the bowl
-Strong menthol coolness

Cons:
-Mildly stemmy
-Slightly metallic aftertaste towards the end of the bowl

Eric's Thoughts:
Mint isn't my favorite flavor to smoke on its own. I've had mint mixed with many different flavors in the past from fruit to chocolate, and to be quite honest, I don't really like the mint on its own. I feel that mint is better suited as an enhancement for other fruit flavors and should really rarely be smoked alone. I felt that the flavor didn't have anything beyond the menthol's cooling sensation, which really cannot be held against it as it is advertised as a pure mint flavor. Overall, good smoke, wouldn't do it alone too often, but the flavoring is certainly as advertised.

Andrew's Thoughts:
First 20 minutes were spectacular. Natural mint flavor with powerful cooling that opened up my chest and lungs (I'm asthmatic). The metallic taste kicked in about two thirds of the way into the bowl, but was much like that of organic toothpaste–probably the result of a menthol overdose. The nicotine rush was so strong that I had to lie down only 10 minutes into the bowl, and was physically uncoordinated until a full 15 after we had put down the hose. Overall, the experience was quite enjoyable (as a mint-lover, admittedly), if quite intense. In my experience, the mint also mixes quite well with other flavors (berry, chocolate, etc.), so I honestly don't see how you can possibly go wrong with this shisha.

Peanut Gallery:
(Caroline)
I agree with Andrew--the mint completely cleared out my sinuses, which was nice.

Conclusion:
Honest and intense, Romman Mint is perfect for any mint-lover, though it might be a bit strong for the rest of us, not to mention a bit pricey ($5/50g, $12/125g). However, mint's natural mixability makes this shisha a difficult one to pass up.

EDIT (4/06/09): After nearly an hour of debate, we've decided to change the grade to B+/A-, as I (Andrew) strongly believe that Romman Mint is a run-out-and-buy shisha, whereas Eric finds its overwhelming flavor when smoked on its own to be too negative a quality to warrant an A of any kind. We are both very opinionated (as advertised!).

B+/A-

[ZookahHookah]

Brand/Flavor:
Romman Cappuccino

Methodology:
-20 hits/person over 30 minutes
-2 people in the circle
-40mm Golden centered on foil
-22" generic 1-hose hookah filled with ice water

First Impressions:
Not the juiciest by Romman standards, but still very juicy. Box is simple and descriptive. A few stems, but typical of Romman tobacco. It smells strongly of coffee and mocha, great smell.

Post Mortem:
Cooked completely through, only about 5% retaining any kind of moisture at all.

Pros:
-Thick smoke
-Nice, complex flavor
-Decent flavor retention
-Good buzz

Cons:
-Flavor weak at times
-Seemed to burn easily
-Actual flavor is difficult to distinguish from that of burning shisha

Andrew's Thoughts:
Spectacular aroma that made me think of hot mochas from Rao's or Starbucks. Good, tasty hits, but the flavor faded in and out, and the tobacco, though juicy, came to a burn within a few minutes and required constant attention. Might be worth trying again with a Vortex bowl, though we have no personal experience with them.

Eric's Thoughts:
This flavor was a bit underwhelming to me. That's not to say it was a bad flavor, it certainly tasted as advertised, the flavor could have just been a bit stronger. The smoke was good and thick, typical Romman tobacco and the smell is reasonably strong and pleasant and lasts quite a while. Its got a good buzz, again as is typical of Romman tobacco. All around, a good complex flavor, not terribly strong, and thus, not the most enjoyable smoke, but its definitly not unpleasant. I wouldn't say don't buy it, but I'd say that you shouldn't expect any kind of intensity from it.

Conclusion:
Pleasant and smokeable, I would probably buy this again, but especially with Romman's price increase, the occasionally disappointing flavor and frequent burning might not make this shisha worth it for everyone. Not terrible, but not great, only alright at best.

B-

[ZookahHookah]

Brand/Flavor:
Romman Chocolate Strawberry

Methodology:
-20 hits (Eric), 10 (Caroline), and 5 (Andrew) over 30 minutes
-3 people in the circle
-40mm Golden centered on foil
-22" generic 1-hose hookah filled with ice water

First Impressions:
Standard for Romman: juicy, slightly stemmy, and smelling delightfully of real strawberries dipped in chocolate. The smell is absolutely mouthwatering. Packaging was the typical new Romman design, black and red with a pictured depicting the flavor within.

Post Mortem:
Cooked (or "donezo", as Eric so eloquently put it). Very little moisture remaining. Again, typical for Romman shishas.

Pros:
-Thick, malleable smoke
-Significant buzz

Cons:
-Flavor was not strong AT ALL
-Buzz bordered on sickening (at least for Andrew, but then he smoked way too much anyway)

Andrew's Thoughts:
Smell: orgasmic. Taste: spectacularly disappointing. I really could barely taste anything, although what flavor I did notice was quite similar to the scent. Still, while the smoke itself was good, I would not personally purchase this again.

Eric's Thoughts:
This was a grade A disappointment in my book. Everything leading up to the smoke hitting my tongue led me to believe that this flavor would be absolutely incredible. And in the end, all I could come away with was a resounding "eh". The smoke was thick, as is typical with Romman tobacco, but the flavor, which we at first classified as "subtle" quickly turned to "weak" or "nonexistent". Perhaps it is due to the massive expectations I had going into this review, but I cannot now say that this flavor was in any way good. If you're looking for a smokable tobacco, you can certainly do a helluva lot worse than this, but if you're looking for a good flavor, you'd be far better off buying something else.

Peanut Gallery:
(Caroline) I was quite excited when we bought this one, and even more so when we opened it up: the smell is amazing--just like fresh strawberries in chocolate. However, once we started smoking, I was horribly disappointed. The flavor is anything but intense; merely a hint of strawberries and chocolate. Interesting, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

Conclusion:
Great smell and great smoke thickness. But these attributes do not make up for the almost entire lack of flavor. Its not the worst thing in the world, but there are many brands/flavors out there that significantly eclipse Romman Chocolate Strawberry ($5/50g). In the end, would not buy again.

C+

[ZookahHookah]

Brand/Flavor:
Romman Rose

Methodology:
-20 hits/person over 27 minutes
-3 people in the circle
-40mm Golden somewhat off-center on foil, rotated every few minutes
-22" generic 1-hose hookah filled with ice water

First Impressions:
Typical Romman cut (so slightly stemmy), but juicier than most. Delightful rose smell is strong but not overpowering.

Post Mortem:
Thoroughly cooked, only very slightly sticky at the bottom.

Pros:
-Strong sweet rose flavor that doesn't overpower
-Solid buzz
-Delightful smoke

Cons:
-Burned a little quick
-Flavor could have been a little stronger

Andrew's Thoughts:
Rose has always been one of my favorite shisha flavors, and the Romman Rose delivered on most, if not all, the criteria I have for good rose tobacco. The flavor is strong, pleasant, and natural, while avoiding the overpowering nature of some of the other roses I've sampled.

Eric's Thoughts:
I like rose, I've always liked rose, and Romman does it very well. Admittedly it wasn't as strong as some of the rose shisha I've smoked in the past, but at the same time, this isn't a bad thing. Previous bowls of rose have been overpowering. Romman's rose is most certainly not overpowering, rather it is present without overstaying its welcome. The smoke thickness wasn't great at first, but after a while it got going quite well. Typical Romman smoke, typical Romman buzz, nothing new there. Bottom line is, it was quite good and I would absolutely buy it again.

Peanut Gallery:
(Caroline) Rose is hands down my favorite flavor. It smells absolutely beautiful and is generally a nice break from the usual sickly-sweet fruit flavors. Produces a decent amount of smoke, as well as being quite calming. I think this could be enjoyable even for someone who doesn't like rose or other more herbal flavors.

Conclusion:
It seems that as we smoke more and more Romman, we start to lose sight of those qualities that make it great. We've begun to take the accurate, natural flavor, thick smoke, and strong buzz for granted, and as a result this review was somewhat hard to write. Although we couldn't find really anything wrong with it, it somehow seemed less exciting than an "A" shisha ought to. However, taking into account Caroline's opinion and my own memories of the first time I smoked Romman, this tobacco really is up for an A, held back only slightly by minor complaints regarding flavor and duration.

A-

[Liz]

Stickied it for you

Really nice reviews, I'm using you in my tutorial

[ZookahHookah]

thanks for the sticky and the compliment

[ZookahHookah]

Brand/Flavor:
Romman Apple Cinnamon

Methodology:
-20 hits per person over 35 minutes
-3 individuals in the circle
-40mm Golden coal, off-center holes with a larger ventilation hole opposite
-Foil rotated every minute
-22" generic 1-hose hookah filled with ice water

First Impressions:
The box is the new Romman design, red and black with a picture of the flavor inside. Incredibly intense smell, very sticky shisha. Typical Romman cut, a couple of stems. The shisha smelled strongly of hot cinnamon

Post Mortem:
Only about 50% of the tobacco was black by the end. A good portion of it retained the original color, though very little of it was still sticky.

Pros:
-Accurate cinnamon with noticeable apple flavor
-Thick smoke
-Strong buzz

Cons:
-Cinnamon frequently overpowers, sometimes to the point of unsmokeability
-Apple flavor could be stronger

Andrew's Thoughts:
When first smoking this, it was almost intolerable. While the flavor itself was delicious, tasting strongly of cinnamon yet retaining undertones associated with apple crisp, the cinnamon "burn" was just too strong. However, especially in other bowls we've smoked (all generally with the above methodology), I have enjoyed this shisha, though with a caveat: you absolutely cannot hit it too hard, nor can you allow it to burn. Given the chance, this shisha will incinerate your lungs. Other than its dangerous cinnamon flavor, the Romman Apple Cinnamon was quite tasty, with excellent smoke and buzz, and I would probably buy this again (though not any time soon).

Eric's Thoughts:
The first time I smoked this flavor (40mm center coal), it was far too intense. I went into this expecting a sweet cinnamon and was met with a Big Red cinnamon kick to the throat. The flavor is quite imbalanced in my opinion. The flavor is dominated by the cinnamon, and the apple is only a mere afterthought. I'm not entirely sure if that is what Romman was shooting for, but I feel that a more balanced interplay of cinnamon and apple would have been more enjoyable. Some may think that there is no such thing as too intense when it comes to shisha. But if ever there was a shisha that was unenjoyably intense, this is it. There were times when the tobacco wasn't even harsh, yet we were coughing because of the overpowering nature of the cinnamon. Making this flavor more balanced, and thus less intense, would make this flavor far more enjoyable and accessible for everyone. Now while I'm harping on how unbearable the flavor is, understand that it is not that the flavor is always unbearable. Rather, with this flavor, you have to make many changes to how you typically smoke hookah. We found ourselves poking what we would normally consider unnecessary holes in the foil in order to let some clean air into the stem. Once that happened, the flavor became not only bearable, but enjoyable. Bottom line is, don't expect to be taking huge hits because the cinnamon burns.

Peanut Gallery:
(Caroline) Despite its harshness, I enjoy this flavor. It is extremely strong, but if you're careful with it, or even mix it with something else to tone down the spiciness of the cinnamon (something we haven't yet done), its definitely worth trying. I had best results when I inhaled slightly less than I usually do.

Conclusion:
Frequently harsh and overpowering, the Romman Apple Cinnamon should be approached with caution. However, when set up correctly, this shisha can reward you with thick smoke, a strong buzz, and a rich flavor. We might buy this again, but not without careful consideration.

B-

[ZookahHookah]

Brand/Flavor:
Romman Grape

Methodology:
-20 hits/person across 30 minutes
-3 individuals in the circle
-40mm Golden coal offest holes with a ventilation hole opposite
-Foil rotated every couple hits
-Ophelia filled with ice water

First Impressions:
New Romman box design, red and black with a picture of a bunch of grapes on the front. Typical Romman cut with a few small stems. Shisha is very juicy and smells strongly of grapes, not a perfectly natural smell, more like grape Jolly Ranchers or grape jelly, but a bit less sugary (a bit like wine).

Post Mortem:
Cooked all the way through, only 5% retaining any kind of moisture at all.

Pros:
-Decent smoke
-Moderate buzz
-Flavor matches smell

Cons:
-Flavor is unexpected, not very sugary sweet
-Flavor is not incredibly strong

Andrew's Thoughts:
I picked this up at Trade Roots (the local head shop) on an impulse, but I've always wanted to try grape shisha, and Romman is a consistently solid brand. From a distance, the shisha smelled good, like Welch's mixed with Manischewitz. Up close, however, the smell was overpowering and somewhat unpleasant. The taste of the smoke was quite similar to the smell, a somewhat bitter grape jelly. Though the smoke was thick (we even blew some smoke bubbles), I really wasn't satisfied with the flavor. I had hoped for something sweeter and more obvious, and while the grape wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was looking for.

Eric's Thoughts:
I've been wanting to smoke a grape flavor for a while now, and while this wasn't quite what I was expecting from a grape flavor, I did enjoy it. I feel that the slight lack of flavor and lower density of smoke might come from the fact that we had a hole opposite the coal pattern, thus diluting it all. So I feel that this flavor, when smoked with a more airtight seal, will probably yield a better result. The grape as stated above isn't an insanely sweet sugary grape, but rather a tart grape flavor. It has great depth and I would definitely continue smoking it.

Peanut Gallery:
The grape was…decent. Nothing incredibly special, but it wasn’t bad. The flavor was not as strong as I had hoped, nor as sweet as I was expecting; rather, it was mild and a bit on the bitter side, in a good way. We likened the flavor to concord grape jelly. Interesting, subtle, and something I will probably smoke again.

Conclusion:
While this flavor might not be what one would expect out of a grape shisha, it's hard to say that it's bad. It is an accurate grape flavor, subtle and deep. If you're looking for a sugary-sweet grape, this isn't it, but Romman Grape is unquestionably grape flavored, and a solid smoke to boot.

B

[roka_zulu]

These reviews are pretty badass--
Very detailed and descriptive.

good work zook ;]