Yeah, it may take a week or so before you really feel the effects. As for the taste, I just wash out my mouth after I gulp down a shell. Normally you do a shell every 20 to 30 minutes. I'm a light weight and for a long time, so 2 doses does it for me. You may need to ingest 3 to 4 a day to get the Kavalactones running through your system. Once they are firmly installed, then you find the minimum dosage. One more thing, your tolerance for alcohol is going to drop like a rock once you have Kavs in the blood stream. So go easy on the booze on your "alcohol days" if any.