Does anyone know if due to the shortage in Tonga if there will ever be Pouni Ono available again? I havent been able to find anything that is quite as heady, even gHK moi. Emailed KWK a few weeks ago and havent heard back, but I imagine he is probably understandably overwhelmed by inquiries.
Has anyone heard if Pouni Ono will ever be available again?
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theGrogfather
Sipping on Waka juice. Laid back
@Kalm with Kava any way to shed some light on the current Tongan kava situation? I'm also curious as I've never tried this one.
Kavafied
Kava Vendor
Tongan Kava prices are crazy right now...most are asking around $50-$55 USD a Kg in Tonga at the moment. US (Mainland) street prices and at Kalapus are selling Kava Tonga anywhere from a $100 USD to $200 USD a kg. Cheapest place to get Kava Tonga right now is in Hawaii where you can get it around $80 a Kg. Hard to know if other Kavas are mixed in though to get the price down.
nabanga
Kava Enthusiast
A friend just got back from the whale conference in Nukualofa and told me that he was asked for US$100/kg. The shops and petrol stations that used to sell 100g baggies for 5 pa'anga ($3) are now $10.
At this rate by the time I get back there in October I'll have to take some with me.
What are these German pharma companies doing with it all anyway? Are they really making some miracle medicine, or are they all holed up in someones garage drinking shells 24/7?
At this rate by the time I get back there in October I'll have to take some with me.
What are these German pharma companies doing with it all anyway? Are they really making some miracle medicine, or are they all holed up in someones garage drinking shells 24/7?
Kalm with Kava
Kava Vendor
Great question @Kavaguy and a definitely an email we get a lot, apologies if I missed yours! Here's the skinny: Kavafied is absolutely right, at present the Tongan prices are through the roof (that price is without shipping and packaging added in) and quality has dropped significantly. Our Pouni farmer sold us everything he had left about 5 months ago that was old enough to harvest but he may have some plants maturing by Nov/Dec. We tried a couple neighboring sources but the kava tested very high in chlorophyll and very low in kavalactones I.e. they are using too young of plants and mixing stalks in. For now we're just waiting for the original source to mature.
In the meantime, we've tried out a few new varieties from Fiji and Vanuatu - one which is very promising. Hoping to work out a deal soon and roll it out in the coming months to see if its a good replacement
In the meantime, we've tried out a few new varieties from Fiji and Vanuatu - one which is very promising. Hoping to work out a deal soon and roll it out in the coming months to see if its a good replacement
Ricardo Piquant
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Thank you for being thorough and curating good kava for us all. I, for one, sincerely appreciate it, as in sure everyone else does too!Great question @Kavaguy and a definitely an email we get a lot, apologies if I missed yours! Here's the skinny: Kavafied is absolutely right, at present the Tongan prices are through the roof (that price is without shipping and packaging added in) and quality has dropped significantly. Our Pouni farmer sold us everything he had left about 5 months ago that was old enough to harvest but he may have some plants maturing by Nov/Dec. We tried a couple neighboring sources but the kava tested very high in chlorophyll and very low in kavalactones I.e. they are using too young of plants and mixing stalks in. For now we're just waiting for the original source to mature.
In the meantime, we've tried out a few new varieties from Fiji and Vanuatu - one which is very promising. Hoping to work out a deal soon and roll it out in the coming months to see if its a good replacement
wormwood
Kava Enthusiast
Thanks for refusing to sell subpar product. Another reason why you are one of the best in the business.Great question @Kavaguy and a definitely an email we get a lot, apologies if I missed yours! Here's the skinny: Kavafied is absolutely right, at present the Tongan prices are through the roof (that price is without shipping and packaging added in) and quality has dropped significantly. Our Pouni farmer sold us everything he had left about 5 months ago that was old enough to harvest but he may have some plants maturing by Nov/Dec. We tried a couple neighboring sources but the kava tested very high in chlorophyll and very low in kavalactones I.e. they are using too young of plants and mixing stalks in. For now we're just waiting for the original source to mature.
In the meantime, we've tried out a few new varieties from Fiji and Vanuatu - one which is very promising. Hoping to work out a deal soon and roll it out in the coming months to see if its a good replacement
Kalm with Kava
Kava Vendor
It's tough to say as everyone responds a bit different to each kava, but I would suspect the Vula would be too heavy for you as well then. I would suggest trying a Lawena possibly as the people in Fiji routinely use those for daytime drinking.
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Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
The way I understand it, the way a lot of customary systems work in Melanesia (yes, I know Tonga is Polynesian) leads farmers to avoid maximizing yield for economic gain. Wealth is perceived as something to be "shared." So rather than plant more to meet obligations, farmers will plant "enough" to meet obligations.
In other words, capitalism is not alive and well in Melanesia.
In other words, capitalism is not alive and well in Melanesia.
Not sure what cultivar "Pouni Ono" was/is. I don't see that as a recorded Tongan Kava name, though different regions will call the same plant something else. We have two new amazing Tongans coming up later this week. They're single cultivar, with no stems, from 3.5 year old plants, which is nearly impossible to get right now from Tonga. This is exclusive stuff, and is absolutely amazing. A little on the expensive side, but reasonable for the level of quality. We'll be sending out a more detailed description in our newsletter Tuesday or Wednesday.
Sorry to hijack the thread a little bit, but some people are very particular about which kavas they drink. Maybe one of our new ones is what you're looking for.
Sorry to hijack the thread a little bit, but some people are very particular about which kavas they drink. Maybe one of our new ones is what you're looking for.
wormwood
Kava Enthusiast
Is this a heady kava Mike?
Kavafied
Kava Vendor
That's spot on for Tonga. Only way to ensure any supply is to farm it yourself. Hopefully others follow suite once they see all the work we are putting into our Kava farm. However Kava Tonga will always be limited when you consider Tonga's size in comparison to Fiji and Vanuatu. Tonga is about 5% in landmass compared to Fiji or Vanuatu.
I didn't know that although looking on a map now it looks obvious.
Try "Akau" when it becomes available, hopefully later this week. Should be just what you're looking for.
Kalm with Kava
Kava Vendor
Loa Lawena seems to be a good heady one from people's reviews [emoji106]
I assume you meant Judd? Yeah, they're both going to be pretty heady. The Akau a little more so, I think, with the Kula being a little more balanced overall.
I actually have a third coming that I'm keeping under wraps for a couple more weeks. Oooooohhhh you guys are in for something special....
Go Krunk Yourself
Kava Enthusiast
Good thing I got some saved from last year.
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