The phone rang at 9:47 pm on Saturday. “One of your sessions. Make it something different,” said the caller.

The customer had been a regular for the last eighteen months. He had sampled all the products. He tasted Tangiers Cane Mint on the first pull. He observed how Trifecta The Twist evolved after thirty minutes. He was on the verge of losing interest.

In his innovative design, the first layer was DarkSide Supernova. This mint, dark leaf tobacco, was cWasserpfeifenschläuchen because of its, sharp, throat hit. The second layer was Azure 66 Love, loaded with jammy fruit, to balance out the strong mint from the lower layer. The final layer was MustHave Pinkman to add a floral creamy finish. The hookah coalss were placed, and the first draw was pure mint. In ten minutes, the fruit started to emerge. At the forty-minute mark, the finish started to reveal the floral and creamy texture. And at the fifty-five-minute mark, all three layers were fully activated and reached their optimum balance.

He immediately ordered a second bowl.

That was the first paying customer to receive the Sauron Technique.

How the Sauron Technique Works

The Sauron Technique is a three-layer bowl design, with each layer consisting of a different tobacco, and a distinct flavor. The three layers are activated at different times, and each draw is designed to create an evolving taste during a single hour long session. Because of the way heat from the coals penetrate the bowl, the different layers pack all the different flavor profiles, and are activated at different times.

The name reflects the layered design. One element dominates the bottom. One takes charge of the center. One concludes the session. Like the ring from the story, the heat is the master here. But in this case, the heat is something you can control, not something you destroy.

The bottom layer consists of dark leaf tobacco blended with mint. Thus layer provides a solid throat hit with a cooling effect. Since this layer is furthest from the heat, it stays cool for the longest time. The mint cooling effect lasts for a full hour. Smokers who prefer a cold finish will appreciate this layer the most during the final minutes of the hour.

The middle layer is the main flavor which is usually a fruit-Wasserpfeifen-Sockeld shisha. This layer is located in the optimal heating zone from the tenth minute through the forty-fifth minute. During this time, it produces the largest volume of smoke which is the primary smoke that fills the session.

The top layer is the finish which is usually a floral, cream, or dessert tobacco. This layer receives the most direct heat and cooks the fastest. During the first fifteen minutes of a session, this layer adds a top note. During the final twenty minutes of a session, this layer becomes the primary finish flavor and the middle layer fades completely.

The end effect is that the session changes flavors three times. The customer does not smoke the same flavor at five minutes and fifty minutes into the session. The experience evolves in the bowl, not on the menu.

The Heat Gradient

Normal bowls either put two flavors together or one. They hit the mouth simultaneously, and three layers create progression because heat moves through the bowl in a fixed pattern.

The charcoal heat radiates downwards, and the top layer is the closest to the heat source. It cooks the fastest, whereas the bottom layer cooks the slowest. This is basic physics; the same principle holds whether using foil or an HMD.

The layered shisha bowl design utilizes this temperature gradient. Each layer is placed specifically such that it receives the right amount of heat at the right time. Otherwise, the top layer burns and the bottom layer remains uncooked, wasting the tobacco

Dark leaf tobaccos, such as Tangiers Birquq or DarkSide, work very well at lower heat, and therefore belong in the bottom layer. Fruit flavors with high sugar content caramelize best in the middle zone. Cream and floral tobaccos handle high heat best and therefore belong in the top layer.

This design allows each smoker to develop their own combination of flavors, and once a smoker understands the gradient, they can implement any three-flavor progression they want.

Bowls and Equipment

Three-layer setups require deeper bowls. A bowl with a capacity of at least 20 grams of tobacco is mandatory.

The benchmark for 3-layer bowls is the Tangiers Small Phunnel model. It holds 20-25 grams and uses a single central spire. The Alpaca Mini Rook is also a great bowl with an easier time on the user for layering.

Bowls with multiple holes are to be avoided. Egyptian and Vortex bowls enable smoke to bypass layers. It should either be a phunnel or a deep single-spire bowl.

A Kaloud Lotus or AOT Provost HMD help distribute the heat a little more evenly to the top layer. This helps ensure that the top layer does not burn far faster than the others while still providing the bottom layers with the heat it needs to burn.

Tobacco Selection

Each layer has distinct gaps to fill.

For the bottom layer:

• Tangiers Cane Mint (Birquq line) – cools things down with a very nice cooling effect.
• DarkSide Supernova – really minty with superior thickness to the smoke.
• Trifecta Dark Leaf mint blends.
• MustHave Space – combination of mint and grape. Quite the unique combination actually.

For the middle layer:

• Azure Love 66 – sweet and a little fruity with some cream. Works really well for transitioning.
• Tangiers Maraschino Cherry – sweet cherry.
• DarkSide Pancake – a really nice sweet syrupy fruit that meshes really well with the heat.

And the top layer:

• MustHave Pinkman – a little floral and berry with a nice and creamy texture. Definitely one of the higher layer options.
• Trifecta Morning Glory – some floral peach and cream with a little layer to it.
• Azure Cinnamon Cookie – some dessert layer warmth for the last layer.

Darkside Cookie — Vanilla and Baked Goods

Packing Instructions

These instructions are for packing a Tangiers small Phunnel bowl with a heat management device (HMD).

1.Prepare the tobacco.Take each flavor out and if the flavor if dripping wet, pat them dry. If they are dry, put a drop of vegetable glycerin on them. Weigh and portion each flavor. Pack 7 grams of Dark Mint in the bottom, 8 grams of the Fruit flavor in the middle, and 5 grams in the top layer (which is the Floral or Cream flavor).

2.Pack the bottom layer.Take the 7 grams of Dark Mint and lightly fluff. Drop it in the bowl and do not press. Evenly distribute it around the spire using a poker and leave it sitting 3 millimeters (mm) below the spire rim and about 40% of the bowl depth from the bottom.

3.Pack the middle layer.Take 8 grams of the Fruit flavor and fluff it. Then drop it in the bowl and do not mix. Leave it level, flush, and even with the spire rim. This stage is filling the next 40% of the bowl depth.

4.Pack the top layer.Take 5 grams of the Floral or Cream flavor, fluff it, and drop it in the bowl. Then form a mound that sits 2 to 3 mm above the bowl rim. This constitutes an overpack, and the HMD will press it down.

5.Place the HMD and coals.For a Kaloud Lotus, use two (2) 26mm coconut coalss. For an AOT Provost, use three (3) 22mm coals. Light them until they are glowing orange with no black spots and drop them in the HMD and close the lid.

6.Pre Heat and Smoke.Wait three minutes. This is the pre-heating phase. Without it, the top layer takes too long for the flow to activate and the bottom layer heats up with unevenness. The top layer starts to bake and the middle layer gets warm, while the bottom layer stays inactive for this period.

Once pre-heating is done, a first pull should be taken. The top layer should bring forth floral or creamy notes, and the smoke should be thick. If the smoke is thin, another minute should still be waited before another pull is taken.

At ten minutes, the middle layer begins to draw in notes of fruit. People usually note this as the time when things get interesting.

At twenty-five minutes, the balance reaches its peak.

At forty minutes, the bottom layer flavor begins to take full notice. Mint is the predominant flavor, but fruity and creamy notes linger still.

At the hour mark, the session is done. The HMD is laid to rest, the coals are quenched, and the used tobacco is disposed of.

Common Mistakes

Tobacco blends and pressed layers. Mixing the layers destroys the progression we aim for. Boundaries of each flavor or layer should be kept distinct and clean.

Do not put light floral tobacco in the bottom layer because it burns and the heat does not reach it. You also should not put heavy dark leaf mint on top because it burns fast and leaves a harsh smoke. You need to match the strength of the tobacco to the level of the heat at that specific depth.

Skipping the pre-heat.

An absence of three minutes of pre-heat means the gradient does not form. The session just ends up being a bland, flat mix.

Using the wrong bowl.

Shallow bowls lack a good vertical space. If a bowl cannot hold twenty grams, do not even try this technique.

Tested Lounge Combinations

When the team has a solid understanding of the gradient, it is your turn to create unique progressions. Here are three tested combinations:

“The Cool Down”

• Bottom: Tangiers Cane Mint
• Middle: Azure Love 66
• Top: MustHave Pinkman

The original combination and most tested and most reliable. Start here.

“Morning Rise”

• Bottom: DarkSide Supernova
• Middle: Trifecta The Twist
• Top: Trifecta Morning Glory

This one is citrus forward. A lemon and lime middle pairs with a peach floral top. The mint keeps it cool.

“Dessert Course”

• Bottom: MustHave Space
• Middle: DarkSide Pancake
• Top: Azure Cinnamon Cookie

This one is sweet and heavy. The base is mint with grapes to stop it from becoming too sweet, and the cookie adds a nice warm finish.

Why Lounges Should Offer This

Most lounges serve the same flavors in the same way. A customer gets a flavor and gets a single note for sixty minutes. A few lounges serve a two-flavor mix. Almost no one offers a session that changes over time.

The Sauron Technique differentiates your menu from competitors, who do not provide anything like it. Customers are drawn back not for specific flavors, but for an experience that cannot be purchased anywhere else. It is an experience that is thrilling and new each time.

The cost is the same as a normal dense pack. The same amount of tobacco is used, and the Sauron Technique is easy to implement. Most of the time, the bottom line does not change, but the value that perceived is much greater. Customers are willing to pay more for something intriguing and impressive, as opposed to a one-off flavor. While paying twenty dollars for a bowl that contains only one flavor seems steep, they are likely to feel they got a bargain paying twenty-five dollars for a bowl that contains three flavors layered, as well as a three-layer bowl that progressively changes flavor.

The Sauron Technique uses the same ratios and same time as standard dense packs, so it takes only one shift to learn how to pack the Sauron Technique. It is a quick learn for anyone who knows how to pack a phunnel bowl. One practice typically is all they need to learn.

Standard dense packs often leave unused tobacco around the edge of the bowl. With the Sauron Technique, three-layer bowls cook more evenly and more flavor leaves the bowl, and more flavor goes to the customer.

The Sauron Technique sells itself because of the marketing that goes along with it. People take pictures of it, post about it, and share it. It is a hook for word-of-mouth advertising. The Sauron Technique draws in customers who want to satisfy their curiosity.

Scaling For Your Lounge

Create a system to provide this service at scale. Identify 3-5 combinations. Line them up in the menu. Standardize components and store them in labeled containers. Staff can pack a bowl in 2 minutes.

Sauron sessions should have uniform bowls and HMDs. Train staff to set up the session. Train them on session timing. They should know the session taste at 5 minutes, 20 minutes, one hour.

Make the Sauron Technique the most expensive item on your menu. The session is 60 minutes. It changes every 20 minutes. The session is worth the experience.

The Science Behind the Layers

Heat moves through a hookah bowl by conduction and convection. If a bowl is deep and a phunnel, it’s mostly convection. The charcoal heats the tobacco, then the user inhales the tobacco and the air pulls it through. As it moves through the bowl, the air cools.

The top layer of tobacco receives air that is about 200℃. The middle layer receives air that is about 150-180℃. The bottom layer receives air that is about 120-150℃. These values are approximated. The shape of the bowl, how tightly the tobacco is packed, and the frequency of the user’s draws all affect these values.

Every tobacco type has a different optimum temperature range to extract the best flavor. Mint oils (menthol) vaporize around 45 degrees Celsius. Since the bottom layer is the coolest, menthols are best suited for that section. The middle layer is best for fruity esters, which vaporize at mid-range temperatures. High heat stable, cream, and floral compounds fit well in the top layer.

This is the same idea as layering a shisha bowl. The same idea is used during the cooking of a steak: Different heats yield different results.

Final Thoughts

The Sauron Technique is not for every customer. Some customers prefer the same flavor for the whole hour, and that is just fine. It is something new for a customer who has been coming to your lounge for eighteen months.

It is for the customer who arrives and says, “Surprise me.”

It is for the lounge owner who seeks a reason to increase their prices without a higher cost.

If you layer the bowl correctly, set the coal to heat, and time the session, your customers will notice a difference with what time it is.

They will be back for a second bowl. That is the purpose of the technique.