limey
Member
Hi all
Just got back from Morocco, thought I'd report on what I found.
Background: my 6th trip to Morocco, over 13 years or so.
If you dont know the country, hash is mostly produced in the rif, an east/west mountain chain running across the north (mediterranean) coast and up to 100km or so inland. Probably 90% of the hash smoked in europe comes from the rif. Quality is variable from very good to very poor. The best goes to Amsterdam ; the worst goes to the UK!
Received wisdom is that the high rif (around Ketama) and the western rif produce the best hash as these areas get the most moisture, the eastern rif is particularly dry. Of course, the actual farming probably makes more difference than the location but as a rule of thumb, seems to work.
Notes on pressure to buy: the Rif is one place you will find hash pushers. And by that, I mean pushy! They will exert pressure to buy, especially if they think you may be interested in taking some home. One does hear reports of people in taxis and private cars actually being run off the road by other drivers who want to pressure them to buy hash (though I have never witnessed this and think it is something of an urban myth). Anyway, there are lots of growers and more dealers and everyone has a kilo to shift. And with home growing taking off in Europe (especially Spain) they are a little more desperate than 10 years ago.
Like dealers anywhere they will also take advantage of the stoner hanging out for a smoke, and will typically sell them crap if they get the chance.
So, to avoid pressure to buy, I dont really go for the "come on a visit to my farm" invites, as they always end up with you being aggressively pressured to buy a significant quantity or face a long and tedious walk back to the main road. And it can be a bit scary but more to the point, very boring. I was on holiday and couldn't be bothered, and thus sacrificed the possibility of accessing the best on offer in favour of an easier life. Secondly, I make sure I always have some smoke, even if it isn't the best, so I never have that desperate look in my eye when dealing with the dealers.
So, the report...
deal #1 - 4-5 grams for 10 euros. Al Hoceima. 2008 crop hash, very fresh, from eastern rif. Grey-blond hash, not pressed especially hard. Slightly on the soft side though not "squidgy". Suberb light flavour, no acridity, very smooth smoke, clean, soft grey ash residue. Top end of 2nd quality (best one is likely to find outside the farms). High - warm, physical and relaxing, almost like mild dose of opium, clear headed, buiding for 10 minutes or so. After 30 mins, very sedative. Staying awake very, very difficult! Top hash, some of the best I have had in Morocco. You would only find this quality in top Dutch coffeeshops, and at a price.
deal #2 - 25-30 grams for 10 euros. Cala Iris. 2007 or 2008 crop. Commercial quality, from eastern rif. Light brown hash with sticky dark outer (from the pressing). typical moroccan hash, would be considered to be slightly better than "soapbar" in the UK. No henna mixed in so wasn't total crap but very mild high (good for sitting on the beach), slight acridity in the flavour, some dark stick residue in the bowl after smoking. Not good hash but at 10 euros for an ounce, one cant complain! (see above notes on avoiding pressure to buy for why we bought this)
deal #3 - 15 grams for ?20 euros. Chefchaoen. 2007 crop from Chefchaeon area. Good commercial quality but a bit dry and old. Light brown hash. Typical of better tourist quality stuff. Would be considered good (not amazing) quality in the UK and at the cheap end of the range in Amsterdam/Netherlands. Slight acridity in the flavour, some dark stick residue in the bowl after smoking. Ok hash really, would have been nice when it was fresh.
deal #4 - 2 grams for free: gift. Oued Laou. 2007 crop from western rif. Top commercial quality. Light brown hash, slightly darker surface. Very volatile under a flame. Good round flavour - distinctly moroccan - with very mild acridity. Quite strong. Would be considered exceptional in the UK and good in the Netherlands. Great stuff.
deal #5 - 2 grams for free: taster. Oued Laou. 2008 crop. Top, top commercial quality, from a caramello (a stick for swallowing/stuffing). Dark brown throughout, very fine granular texture, sticky but not oily or squidgy, broke with a clean snap after gentle heating with lighter. Very very volatile under a flame. Great flavour - distinctly moroccan - with very very mild acridity. Strong. Would be considered exceptional in the UK and very good in the Netherlands. Excellent stuff.
Conclusions - the much touted reduction in the growing zone in Morocco has made absolutely no impact at all on availability! Rif still a good place to buy hash and smoked some of the best I have had in Morocco so no complaints. Chefchaoen however has gone downhill significantly as a place to buy. The town is now very very touristy and somewhat gentrified. Still the same exploitative sketchy pushers hanging around with not alot of quality to offer. Ketama still full of pushy buggers trying to get you to visit their farms. If you are in the rif, go up to Talembote/Akchour instead or head down to Oued Laou, which seems a better place than ever to buy.
Happy to respond to questions. Peace, out.
Just got back from Morocco, thought I'd report on what I found.
Background: my 6th trip to Morocco, over 13 years or so.
If you dont know the country, hash is mostly produced in the rif, an east/west mountain chain running across the north (mediterranean) coast and up to 100km or so inland. Probably 90% of the hash smoked in europe comes from the rif. Quality is variable from very good to very poor. The best goes to Amsterdam ; the worst goes to the UK!
Received wisdom is that the high rif (around Ketama) and the western rif produce the best hash as these areas get the most moisture, the eastern rif is particularly dry. Of course, the actual farming probably makes more difference than the location but as a rule of thumb, seems to work.
Notes on pressure to buy: the Rif is one place you will find hash pushers. And by that, I mean pushy! They will exert pressure to buy, especially if they think you may be interested in taking some home. One does hear reports of people in taxis and private cars actually being run off the road by other drivers who want to pressure them to buy hash (though I have never witnessed this and think it is something of an urban myth). Anyway, there are lots of growers and more dealers and everyone has a kilo to shift. And with home growing taking off in Europe (especially Spain) they are a little more desperate than 10 years ago.
Like dealers anywhere they will also take advantage of the stoner hanging out for a smoke, and will typically sell them crap if they get the chance.
So, to avoid pressure to buy, I dont really go for the "come on a visit to my farm" invites, as they always end up with you being aggressively pressured to buy a significant quantity or face a long and tedious walk back to the main road. And it can be a bit scary but more to the point, very boring. I was on holiday and couldn't be bothered, and thus sacrificed the possibility of accessing the best on offer in favour of an easier life. Secondly, I make sure I always have some smoke, even if it isn't the best, so I never have that desperate look in my eye when dealing with the dealers.
So, the report...
deal #1 - 4-5 grams for 10 euros. Al Hoceima. 2008 crop hash, very fresh, from eastern rif. Grey-blond hash, not pressed especially hard. Slightly on the soft side though not "squidgy". Suberb light flavour, no acridity, very smooth smoke, clean, soft grey ash residue. Top end of 2nd quality (best one is likely to find outside the farms). High - warm, physical and relaxing, almost like mild dose of opium, clear headed, buiding for 10 minutes or so. After 30 mins, very sedative. Staying awake very, very difficult! Top hash, some of the best I have had in Morocco. You would only find this quality in top Dutch coffeeshops, and at a price.
deal #2 - 25-30 grams for 10 euros. Cala Iris. 2007 or 2008 crop. Commercial quality, from eastern rif. Light brown hash with sticky dark outer (from the pressing). typical moroccan hash, would be considered to be slightly better than "soapbar" in the UK. No henna mixed in so wasn't total crap but very mild high (good for sitting on the beach), slight acridity in the flavour, some dark stick residue in the bowl after smoking. Not good hash but at 10 euros for an ounce, one cant complain! (see above notes on avoiding pressure to buy for why we bought this)
deal #3 - 15 grams for ?20 euros. Chefchaoen. 2007 crop from Chefchaeon area. Good commercial quality but a bit dry and old. Light brown hash. Typical of better tourist quality stuff. Would be considered good (not amazing) quality in the UK and at the cheap end of the range in Amsterdam/Netherlands. Slight acridity in the flavour, some dark stick residue in the bowl after smoking. Ok hash really, would have been nice when it was fresh.
deal #4 - 2 grams for free: gift. Oued Laou. 2007 crop from western rif. Top commercial quality. Light brown hash, slightly darker surface. Very volatile under a flame. Good round flavour - distinctly moroccan - with very mild acridity. Quite strong. Would be considered exceptional in the UK and good in the Netherlands. Great stuff.
deal #5 - 2 grams for free: taster. Oued Laou. 2008 crop. Top, top commercial quality, from a caramello (a stick for swallowing/stuffing). Dark brown throughout, very fine granular texture, sticky but not oily or squidgy, broke with a clean snap after gentle heating with lighter. Very very volatile under a flame. Great flavour - distinctly moroccan - with very very mild acridity. Strong. Would be considered exceptional in the UK and very good in the Netherlands. Excellent stuff.
Conclusions - the much touted reduction in the growing zone in Morocco has made absolutely no impact at all on availability! Rif still a good place to buy hash and smoked some of the best I have had in Morocco so no complaints. Chefchaoen however has gone downhill significantly as a place to buy. The town is now very very touristy and somewhat gentrified. Still the same exploitative sketchy pushers hanging around with not alot of quality to offer. Ketama still full of pushy buggers trying to get you to visit their farms. If you are in the rif, go up to Talembote/Akchour instead or head down to Oued Laou, which seems a better place than ever to buy.
Happy to respond to questions. Peace, out.
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