In the interest of full disclosure, Social Smoke was kind enough to give us this flavor to try. However,  we work hard to deliver opinions unbiased by brand, vendor, or the circumstances that led to their acquisition.

Rating

[Rating:3.5/5]

Cut & Composition

Social Smoke Clove was very moist, but not dripping. The cut was medium to fine cut with very few, small stems.

Price & Quantities Available

100g – $10.95
250g – $20.95
1kg – $69.95

The Set-Up

This review was performed after two smoking sessions on a Khalil Mamoon Pearl and a Vortex bowl using about 10g of tobacco, sealed with two layers of standard tin-foil punctured in a star pattern.

The Experience

As is usual with Social Smoke tobacco, getting started may require slightly more heat than other brands, but this can be accomplished by adding a wind cover to the bowl at the beginning of your smoking session. Once it began, the clouds were not as dense as other Social Smoke flavors, but not unacceptable so. Right from the first draw with the coals sitting on the bowl, the flavor was clear and distinguished. Clove was a bit more temperamental than other flavors. Too much heat quickly degraded the flavor into a burnt taste, but reducing heat restored the flavor to what was intended. Clove delivered no buzz whatsoever.

The Flavor

Social Smoke Clove is clearly related to cinnamon flavors. But that taste is not overpowering. It really does taste very much like whole cloves (pictured on the packaging) you might use in cooking. The taste is mild, but spicy even a little smokey, and compared to other spice shisha flavors, far less sweet. If you have smoked clove cigarettes, you’ll find the Clove flavor familiar, but more smooth with a bit of sweetness to it.

The Insight

Social Smoke Clove is right up my ally. The spice is rich and tasty, but not in your face. It really went great with my iced mocha drink. I found myself a little frustrated by having to pay more attention to my heat management, but no so much so as to ruin the experience, or deter me from smoking it in the future.

Who Should Try This Flavor

People who find themselves at home with sweet fruit or berry flavors probably won’t care much for this one. But for people who love spice flavors, or enjoy tobacco itself may find this is just their kind of flavor. I would recommend people who are new to hookah try Social Smoke Clove prepared to watch their heat closely otherwise they may have a bad experience. Experienced smokers I described above will probably fall in love with this flavor.