For starters, I'll say I've purchased this kava twice now and had a slightly different experience in both cases. I preferred the original batch over the second batch, so the majority of this review is more so in reference to my 1st bag. Current readers of the Kava Forums are probably well aware of the story behind Fiji Fresh, but for any future readers, I'll do a quick recap. There's a Fijian kava bar in Northern California that has a steady supply of whole kava roots being shipped in from Fiji, a patron of this kava bar decided to team up with the owner and utilize this supply to start on online kava business. Their main hook is that they will pound the whole root into powder here in California before shipping it to you. Keeping the roots intact as long as possible should, in theory, help lock in some of the 'essence' of the kava, by reducing the amount surface area that is directly exposed to the air. Whereas other imported kavas may be powdered several months or a year before you ever purchase it.
· The original batch was lab tested with a chemotype result of 462513. 7% total kavalactones, with the Kavain at 1.98% and Methysticin at 1.86%. The chemotype could just as easily be considered 642513 with percentages that close. In any case, it's a nice balanced, well-rounded chemotype.
· The scent of the powder was nice and punchy. It has a strong note of a certain indescribable kava smell that I notice on occasion. I've only been able to describe this as the 'magic scent', it's an intriguing scent that's almost familiar and foreign at the same time. Somewhat herbal and spicy but also vaguely sweet. Perhaps this is the scent of Methysticin.
· The flavor also had a quick punch in the beginning. Strong earth, pepper and bitterness but it dissipates quickly and soon becomes pretty average or mild.
· The effects were felt quite nicely after even just one shell. I got that loose swirly feeling behind my eyes that always used to be a good sign of an nicely effective kava. I rarely get this sensation from the majority of kavas these days, so it was nice to feel it again. It had a distinctly heady buzz to it, which my body is rarely ever receptive to, but it is an aspect of my favorite memorable kava experiences. Like the chemotype suggested, this was not just a lopsided heady kava, but has a great balance of heavier and tranquil kavalactones to really balance things out. In another thread, I described this kava as being like a more potent version of Wakacon's Waka. Similar effects spectrum, but with dials turned up a bit. Being the hard-head that I am, by the end of my session, I did notice it still could have been more potent to match my most memorable experiences from the past, but it was still remarkable as it was and certainly on the short-list of great kavas I've consumed this year. Also, mixing it half & half with Nangol Noble produced the best effects overall, they seemed to synergize in some way that made it become more powerful than either kava on their own.
After my first bag was gone, I bought a couple other brands of kavas, but I was so disappointed in them by comparison I immediately bought some more of the Fiji Fresh Waka. FF have acknowledged that the mixture of kavas used can change from time to time, which is completely understandable but I guess I just wasn't expecting it to change so soon. My 2nd bag of FF waka was still sufficient and I still enjoyed it but it was lacking the extra punch that the original bag had. The dials had turned down a bit and it felt a lot closer to regular old Wakacon. Being a hard head...and a broke one at that, I go through a lot of kava quite fast. $65 is a lot for me to be spending on gamble, so I'll have to be bit more cautious about ordering next time and wait to see what others are saying about the current batches first.
· The original batch was lab tested with a chemotype result of 462513. 7% total kavalactones, with the Kavain at 1.98% and Methysticin at 1.86%. The chemotype could just as easily be considered 642513 with percentages that close. In any case, it's a nice balanced, well-rounded chemotype.
· The scent of the powder was nice and punchy. It has a strong note of a certain indescribable kava smell that I notice on occasion. I've only been able to describe this as the 'magic scent', it's an intriguing scent that's almost familiar and foreign at the same time. Somewhat herbal and spicy but also vaguely sweet. Perhaps this is the scent of Methysticin.
· The flavor also had a quick punch in the beginning. Strong earth, pepper and bitterness but it dissipates quickly and soon becomes pretty average or mild.
· The effects were felt quite nicely after even just one shell. I got that loose swirly feeling behind my eyes that always used to be a good sign of an nicely effective kava. I rarely get this sensation from the majority of kavas these days, so it was nice to feel it again. It had a distinctly heady buzz to it, which my body is rarely ever receptive to, but it is an aspect of my favorite memorable kava experiences. Like the chemotype suggested, this was not just a lopsided heady kava, but has a great balance of heavier and tranquil kavalactones to really balance things out. In another thread, I described this kava as being like a more potent version of Wakacon's Waka. Similar effects spectrum, but with dials turned up a bit. Being the hard-head that I am, by the end of my session, I did notice it still could have been more potent to match my most memorable experiences from the past, but it was still remarkable as it was and certainly on the short-list of great kavas I've consumed this year. Also, mixing it half & half with Nangol Noble produced the best effects overall, they seemed to synergize in some way that made it become more powerful than either kava on their own.
After my first bag was gone, I bought a couple other brands of kavas, but I was so disappointed in them by comparison I immediately bought some more of the Fiji Fresh Waka. FF have acknowledged that the mixture of kavas used can change from time to time, which is completely understandable but I guess I just wasn't expecting it to change so soon. My 2nd bag of FF waka was still sufficient and I still enjoyed it but it was lacking the extra punch that the original bag had. The dials had turned down a bit and it felt a lot closer to regular old Wakacon. Being a hard head...and a broke one at that, I go through a lot of kava quite fast. $65 is a lot for me to be spending on gamble, so I'll have to be bit more cautious about ordering next time and wait to see what others are saying about the current batches first.
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