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Tongan family reserve

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Paul Peno

Kava Curious
So far ive tried Squanch, Kava Supreme and tonight I tried Tongam family reserve. The worst of the 3 was tongan family reserve for me, tasted like straight mud. Definitely the weakest of the 3 also, barely got anything from it after 8 heaping teaspoons washed in aluballs.

I was expecting a lot more from the family reserve to be honest, hopefully I just wasn't in the Kava groove tonight and I'll retry it seeing as ive got a pound of it to get through.
 

fait

Position 5 Hard Support
I don't know much about Squanch but Kava Supreme and Tongan Family Reserve are very contrasting kavas. If Squanch is anything like Supreme, you may simply not like the Reserve because it's a heady kava rather than heavy. I could see it at the very least being good mixing into another kava to make it more balanced. But don't give up on it just yet! Try it a couple more times see if you can feel something.
 

readyman

Kava Enthusiast
Tongan Family Reserve for me its one of the best kavas ive tried but then again that is the way it effects me
 

SelfBiasResistor

Persist for Resistance!
The TFR has a very coarse grind that would be best prepped with any other method than Aluball. It's more of a gentle relaxation compared to Supreme and the dose you took was very low. Try using more and traditional or blender prep and you should have better results.
 

fait

Position 5 Hard Support
The TFR has a very coarse grind that would be best prepped with any other method than Aluball. It's more of a gentle relaxation compared to Supreme and the dose you took was very low. Try using more and traditional or blender prep and you should have better results.
8 heaping teaspoons washed in aluballs.
I was about to say 8 teaspoons is a high dose but I misread that as tablespoons since that's what most people here use to measure. Yes! 8 teaspoons is very low. The coarseness of a medium grind tends to vary per vendor. I tend to use a spice grinder on any medium grind that isn't Kavafied for Aluball prep. I leave it as is if I'm using traditional prep since it all kneads well in a strainer bag.
 

Paul Peno

Kava Curious
Sorry i meant table spoons, but i did another 8 heaping tablespoons last night and same deal. Might have to try a trad prep with it then.

On another subject, did 4 tbs of supreme and 4tbs of squanch tonight and whoa im feeling pretty crunked!
 

fait

Position 5 Hard Support
Sorry i meant table spoons, but i did another 8 heaping tablespoons last night and same deal. Might have to try a trad prep with it then.
There's a noticeable difference between Aluballed kava and traditional prep. I'd have to try another heavy kava to confirm, since most of my experience with heavy kava is Supreme, but I'm suspecting a lot of the more heady kavalactones extract with the kneading process and they don't extract as well in the Aluball, especially the more coarsely-ground medium grinds.

Another note is that the Tongan sounds like a heady kava. If you're specifically trying to conk out and rest easy, the Tongan would be more enjoyed wide awake. The heavier elements of the Tongan will onset ideally when you're going to sleep while the heady aspects of the Tongan kava can be more enjoyed while wide awake. So ideally you'd be drinking your Tongan grog around evening time and then you drink your Squanch closer to bed. Get a nice lasagna layering of your kava effects, that's the name of the game!
On another subject, did 4 tbs of supreme and 4tbs of squanch tonight and whoa im feeling pretty crunked!
That sounds like a good time right there. Rest easy!
 

ThePiper

Kava Lover
I wish id read this before ordering. The TFR isn't bad but it's not worth the premium price point and it smells and tastes like its not fresh. Honestly thinking about contacting Paulie about this because i am accustomed to a certain standard with TKR. I got 2 lbs of the tongan choice too that i will be drinking tonight but it also has that distinct smell of old or improperly stored kava.
 

ThePiper

Kava Lover
The TFR has a very coarse grind that would be best prepped with any other method than Aluball. It's more of a gentle relaxation compared to Supreme and the dose you took was very low. Try using more and traditional or blender prep and you should have better results.
Have you had this batch? Theres nothing wrong with subtle kava but this stuff smells and tastes like the old bag of bkh waka that i opened and left in my closet for 2+ years..

No offense to tkr because they have had some really special kava in the past.
 

Intrepidus_dux

Kava O.G.
Sorry i meant table spoons, but i did another 8 heaping tablespoons last night and same deal. Might have to try a trad prep with it then.

On another subject, did 4 tbs of supreme and 4tbs of squanch tonight and whoa im feeling pretty crunked!
I'd probably need a cane or walker after a dose like that of those particular two kavas. Maybe just a pretty lady to follow me around ready to throw pillows down when I fall. :joyful:
 

SelfBiasResistor

Persist for Resistance!
Have you had this batch? Theres nothing wrong with subtle kava but this stuff smells and tastes like the old bag of bkh waka that i opened and left in my closet for 2+ years..

No offense to tkr because they have had some really special kava in the past.
The last time I bought it was in August so that was probably several batches back. That one was similar to the previous early summer batch I got. I still have some. It has a mild kava scent and the flavor is pretty mild too. That's typical for the Tongans I've had. The effects are similar to that BKH Kula from about 1.5 to 2 years ago but maybe a tad heavier.

I got the Tongan choice a year or so ago and I didn't get much at all out of that one but I can say the same for a lot products I try from various vendors now days.
 

SelfBiasResistor

Persist for Resistance!
kavasseurs number 1 all time kava was tongan family reserve but that was then
That's pretty much the way it is with the kava industry. From batch to batch or harvest to harvest you're basically getting a different product (with the same name) each time. Lack of consistency is the norm.
 

Go Krunk Yourself

Kava Enthusiast
This stuff was the absolute king of KAva's when I tried it first, around the time Kavasuer recommended it. It was less and less everytime I ordered it. I really miss it, but since I haven't seen any recent outstanding reviews of 2019 batches I'm hesitant.
 
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