Walk into any hookah lounge in Cairo, Dubai, London or New York and Double Apple is on the menu. It’s on every menu, in every city, because for decades it has been the default answer to the question “what shisha flavour do you want?” I’ve introduced dozens of people to hookah and the ones who tried Double Apple first are almost always the ones who came back. The ones who started with something trendier had a 50/50 chance of deciding hookah wasn’t for them. That’s not a coincidence.
Here’s everything worth knowing about it: what it actually tastes like, where it came from, which brand to start with, and how to get the most out of it.
What Does Double Apple Actually Taste Like?
Not two kinds of apple — that surprises a lot of first-timers. The name comes from the Arabic Tuffahatain, referring to a pairing of two flavours rather than two apple varieties. What you’re actually getting is apple and anise (liquorice), which blend into something warm, herbal and sweet that’s unlike anything else in shisha.
- Primary note: Anise — warm, herbal, slightly sweet
- Secondary note: Apple — crisp and fruity, sitting underneath
- Finish: A lingering herbal sweetness that coats the palate
The anise dominates in most versions. If you like liquorice, aniseed, or ouzo you’ll probably love it immediately. If you dislike those flavours it might not be your thing — but try it at least once, because the combination in smoke form is considerably more nuanced than it sounds on paper.
History and Origin
Double Apple was one of the earliest commercially produced shisha flavours, with roots in the hookah cafes of Egypt and the Levant in the mid-twentieth century. Brands like Nakhla were among the first to mass-produce it in molasses form. The pairing of apple and anise drew on traditional Middle Eastern flavouring — arak, the anise-based spirit popular across the region, was almost certainly an influence. Over generations the flavour became inseparable from hookah culture itself. Many traditional smokers still consider anything else a novelty.
Why It’s Still Number One
The reasons are less mysterious than people make them sound. Double Apple tastes remarkably consistent across brands, so you always know roughly what you’re getting. The flavour holds up over a long session without fading the way fruitier tobaccos often do. It produces thick, aromatic clouds. And for a huge portion of the world’s hookah smokers, it’s the flavour they first smoked — that kind of nostalgia is hard to compete with. Every brand makes a version, every lounge stocks it, and that universal availability keeps it at the top.
Best Double Apple Brands Compared
| Brand | Rating | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Al Fakher | 9/10 | The most widely smoked Double Apple on the planet, and the one I’d always recommend starting with. |
| Nakhla | 8.5/10 | The original. |
| Starbuzz | 7.5/10 | A more Western-facing interpretation — sweeter, the anise dialled back to approachable rather than assertive. |
| Adalya | 8.5/10 | The one that’s taken over European lounges in recent years. |
| Mazaya | 8/10 | Rich and deep, popular in Gulf countries, handles heat well without burning. |
Al Fakher Double Apple — 9/10
The most widely smoked Double Apple on the planet, and the one I’d always recommend starting with. Balanced apple and anise, smooth, consistently wet, excellent clouds. Affordable. This is the benchmark. Anise intensity: medium. Session length: above average.
Nakhla Double Apple — 8.5/10
The original. Drier and more tobacco-forward than Al Fakher, stronger anise presence, slightly rougher smoke — this is what Double Apple tasted like before the modern era smoothed everything out. Traditional smokers often prefer it for exactly that reason. Anise intensity: high. Session length: average.
Starbuzz Double Apple — 7.5/10
A more Western-facing interpretation — sweeter, the anise dialled back to approachable rather than assertive. Thick, smooth smoke. Good for someone who wants to ease into the flavour without the full anise hit. Anise intensity: low-medium. Session length: above average.
Adalya Double Apple — 8.5/10
The one that’s taken over European lounges in recent years. Bright, clean, anise-forward with a noticeable apple sweetness on the exhale. Wet tobacco, great clouds, and it strikes a genuinely nice balance between traditional intensity and modern smoothness. Anise intensity: medium-high. Session length: above average.
Mazaya Double Apple — 8/10
Rich and deep, popular in Gulf countries, handles heat well without burning. More subtle apple than some versions, with the anise carrying the session. Well-crafted tobacco with good moisture throughout. Anise intensity: medium-high. Session length: above average.
How to Pack It
Double Apple is forgiving — a semi-dense pack in an Egyptian clay bowl or a phunnel both work well. Moderate density lets the heat penetrate evenly; the one thing to avoid is overpacking. Leave a small gap between the tobacco and the foil or HMD. Either foil or an HMD suits it fine — start with two coals and add a third after five minutes if the session needs more heat. Natural coconut coals make a real difference here; quick-lights introduce a chemical note that clashes with the herbal anise.
Mixing Double Apple
Purists smoke it straight, and I’d recommend doing that first so you understand the flavour before adding anything. But these combinations are all genuinely worth trying:
- Double Apple + Mint (70/30) — the most popular mix, adds cooling freshness to the herbal warmth
- Double Apple + Grape (50/50) — a classic Middle Eastern combination that deepens the sweetness
- Double Apple + Cinnamon (80/20) — warm spice alongside the anise is surprisingly elegant
- Double Apple + Lemon (70/30) — citrus acidity brightens the whole flavour
- Double Apple + Rose (60/40) — floral and herbal, popular in Gulf countries
More in our flavour combinations guide.
Cultural Context
In the Middle East, Double Apple isn’t just a flavour preference — it’s a cultural default. It’s what gets ordered for guests, what elders smoke, what traditional cafes stock more of than everything else combined. Ordering something else in an old-school Egyptian cafe can genuinely raise eyebrows. That cultural weight carries into Western hookah culture too, where Double Apple has become a marker of authenticity — smokers who know and appreciate it are often seen as more connected to the tradition than those who stick exclusively to fruit flavours.
Spotting Genuine Product
With a brand as popular as Al Fakher, counterfeits exist. Buy from established retailers, check for holographic seals and batch numbers, and inspect the tobacco: genuine Double Apple should be uniformly moist and have a strong anise aroma when you open it. If it smells faint or looks dry and clumpy, something’s off.
Trying It for the First Time
Start with Al Fakher. Use natural coals. Don’t judge it on the first pull — the anise can be surprising initially, but by the third draw the flavour settles and you start to understand why it’s held the top spot for so long. If the intensity is too much straight away, a 50/50 mix with mint or grape makes it more approachable. Pair it with mint tea or Arabic coffee if you want the full experience. Either way, try it properly at least once — it’s a genuine piece of hookah history. For a wider look at the best flavours, see our top 15 ranked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Double Apple shisha strong?
Moderately. Blonde-leaf versions (Al Fakher, Starbuzz) sit at a mild-to-moderate nicotine level that most smokers handle comfortably. Traditional dark-leaf takes — Nakhla especially — are noticeably stronger, with a real buzz behind the flavour. The anise profile makes Double Apple taste bolder than its nicotine content actually is, which is why first-timers sometimes assume it is stronger than it really is.
What is Double Apple called in Arabic?
Tuffahtayn — literally "two apples" — sometimes transliterated as tufahtain or tofahtein. Order it by that name in most Middle Eastern lounges and you will get exactly this flavour; it is the default shisha across much of the region, the way "a coffee" needs no further explanation.
Which brand makes the best Double Apple?
Al Fakher's is the modern benchmark — smooth, balanced anise, and the version most lounges pack by default. Nakhla's is the traditional dark-leaf choice with a stronger kick and deeper tobacco character. The full brand rankings and mixing ratios are covered above.
