Price doesn't seem to mean much as far as potency is concerned

[Weioo]

I haven't been around or drinking kava for long, just a couple months but this is my experience. I was curious if others have noticed the same?

I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for and making purchases from reviews. I've bought and tried 4-5 different kava now. I've had the Nambawan and Borogu from BKH. I've had the Mahakea awa from Gourmet, and a couple others. I expected the Nambawan and Mahakea to knock my socks off for the price and after reading reviews, but it wasn't much better than the other two non mentions I've had. Then there is one of my cheapest kavas, the Borogu... I didn't expect much from this but wow, this is what knocks my socks off. I have a nice little euphoric experience and become ultra relaxed, I love it.

Also, the Mahakea was supposedly 19% kavalactones content and the Borogu around 10%. That being said, do different kavas effect people differently? Anybody else have this experience?

 

[kavadude]

I would say you can certainly get quality kava for around $30-35/lb, and that paying more is not going to yield a great increase in potency, although you might find types of kava with chemotypes you find more agreeable (Hawaiian kavas, for example are going to be more expensive simply because of the higher cost of living and doing business in Hawaii v. the South Pacific).

 

[Blippy5]

Yea price really isn't dictated by potency. Probably more supply and demand, if one sort grows slowly, or is more rare.

That said Boroguru knocks my socks too

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

Different kavas definitely affect people differently, although they general seem to affect most people pretty similarly, it looks as though there are always a fraction of people who have a differing response. I've noticed some kavas just tend to fit my 'keyhole' better than most...

The 19% Mahakea is probably from an old measurement. Most available kavas tend to range from 8-10 % as a standard and 11-14% on the rarer/higher end. You also might perceive different chemotype arrangements to feel stronger than others as well, even if their overall KL% isn't much different. On top of all that, many people report having to 'break through', to some degree, with new strains. Similar to the "reverse tolerance" phase with kava in general.

When I go with budget kava, under 30 bucks, it's always about 1/2 as strong as any other standard stuff.
Strength isn't the only consideration for pricing though.
Don't forget kava can occassionly be fickle for no reason. Plus, emptiness/fullness of you stomach greatly impact your experience, as can your set-and-setting. Or you can have a very stubborn body, like me, and go on long sprees where huge amounts of strong kava have mediocre reactions...then the tide can change and I'll have weeks where every session is complete relaxing bliss.

I'm currently in a long drought.
So is California.
El Niño.
tangent.

 

[verticity]

Yes, I'll agree with @shakas, in my experience, "budget kavas" such as Best Fiji Kava or Wakacon, and the company that shall not be named, are on average weaker than premium ones like Gourmet Hawaiian Kava or Bula Kava House. When you buy "premium" you can (usually) be assured of consistent quality--but there is more variability in "budgets" But it is a statistical, not an absolute thing.

 

[Vekta]

Potency is one thing but not the whole enchilada with kava. It's a balancing act...unless you're ordering fresh frozen with overnight shipping.

 

[ElDudarino]

[snip] Or you can have a very stubborn body, like me, and go on long sprees where huge amounts of strong kava have mediocre reactions...then the tide can change and I'll have weeks where every session is complete relaxing bliss.
[snip]

could that be non-reverse tolerance?

 

[Deleted User01]

On this price thing, anything made in Hawaii is going to be a little bit more expensive than stuff coming from non U.S. islands or even stuff on the mainland U.S. Also, 100 percent noble kava is also a little bit more pricy because it is not cut or blended with Tudei. I pay the premium willingly and gladly.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

While getting cheap and good kava directly from the farmers on some of the islands is definitely possible, it takes some effort and few of these farmers have the means and the capital to properly process larger quantities of the plant, not to mention meet various regulatory requirements and enter the global market. Ensuring consistent quality, potency, nobility, reliability, appropriate storage, processing, shipping, etc. all cost a lot of money regardless of whether one operates in Hawaii or in Tonga. I would venture to say that some of the equipment, power, materials etc are probably cheaper in Hawaii than on some of the Pacific Islands. While Hawaii certainly has higher labour costs and taxes than the South Pacific, I don't think that this can fully explain the difference. It does explain some of it, but probably not all of it. I just think that @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava is a unique producer who does spend the extra money on all the above-mentioned stuff that guarantees truly superior quality. How many Tongan farmers or even distributors send their samples regularly for testing? How many of them conduct research and engage with the scientific community? How many use the kind of machinery that Chris uses? How many of them have the time and means to directly respond to all their potential customers? And please, don't get me wrong, I don't mean to imply that the Tongan/Samoan, etc. farmers do not know how to grow good kava. I am talking about what they export. It's just a matter of incentives. Chris has built a recognized brand, cares about his reputation and goes for quality. The South Pacific farmers produce good stuff for their own use or for their families, but when it comes to selling/exporting it, they largely rely on distributors who pay them per kg and often do not care/know much about kava. Naturally, there are exceptions. Some overseas distributors (like Chris or Mike) try to establish good, direct contacts with farmers and then they can get quality. We we've seen that both Chris and Mike can get superb powders from places like Fiji which are otherwise notorious for poor quality export kava. And then they are able to offer good, noble powders that are slightly cheaper (at least per lb) than Hawaiian-grown kavas, though some of us might still prefer Hawaiian because of their unique character. Or at least to have a wider spectrum of kava types.

But in general, it does seem to me that getting superb, guaranteed-noble and fresh kava outside of the South Pacific will always mean a higher price. At the same time, it is likely that a high price doesn't always guarantee high quality. In the case of GHK I believe that the higher price is more than justified by quality and reliability.

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

not to mention, there really isn't much difference in price between most of the main US companies (shipping to US):
Nakamal @ Home - Stone/Black Sand: $46 + 5 shipping = 51$
Paradise Kava - Borogu $45 + 5 shipping = 50$
Gourmet Hawaiian - $50 - FREE SHIPPING = 50$
Kalm With Kava - Borongoru: $44 + 5 shipping = 49$
Hawaiian Kava Center - $47 + 5 shipping = 52$

Bula Kava, KavaBoy & Kule'a tend to be a few bucks cheaper and similarly as good.
A few places have a premium kava like BKH Nambawan, N@H WOW & PK Van 7...they cost a bit more, but also seem to be about 1 or 2 tablespoons stronger and relatively lighter flavored.