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Kava doesn't get me off anymore

yiki

Kava Enthusiast
A few years back with potent and heady kavas like VKS "Kaolik", it was very easy to "get off" for lack of a better word.
These days, no kava works, i just drink what i have as quickly as possible so it hits harder and the result is "kava blue balls" and a lot of nausea which makes drinking kava almost a chore.

I attribute that in part to lack of potency.
But also to the lack of yangonin.

I think the yangonin witchhunt has gone too far. Where are yangonin rich kavas? Do they even exist anymore?
 

kaba

Kava Curious
Agree 100!!!! Waste of money and lots of it too!!! I just bought Cactus Java, Malolo and Loa and it was 100$ down the drain. Hasn't been anything good out there since 2017. I need to stop wasting such insane amount of money on inferior kavas. Prices go up and quality of kava is worse and worse
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
A few years back with potent and heady kavas like VKS "Kaolik", it was very easy to "get off" for lack of a better word.
These days, no kava works, i just drink what i have as quickly as possible so it hits harder and the result is "kava blue balls" and a lot of nausea which makes drinking kava almost a chore.

I attribute that in part to lack of potency.
But also to the lack of yangonin.

I think the yangonin witchhunt has gone too far. Where are yangonin rich kavas? Do they even exist anymore?
Can you elaborate for what feeling or experience you feel Yangonin brings over the other KLs?
 

Edward

Aluballin' in the UK
Kava Vendor
Agree 100!!!! Waste of money and lots of it too!!! I just bought Cactus Java, Malolo and Loa and it was 100$ down the drain. Hasn't been anything good out there since 2017. I need to stop wasting such insane amount of money on inferior kavas. Prices go up and quality of kava is worse and worse
Spending money on Cactus Kava and expecting bang for your buck was a bit optimistic! Have you tried something like Hiwa from GHK or Kavafied Supreme? Lots of other choices, N@H stone or wow, realkava.com have some good kava, anything from Root of Happiness.
 

Dr.Krunk

Certified Quack
I can enjoy just about anything but tend to prefer the stronger varieties. I’ve never been disappointed with Nambawan from Bula Kava house or Savusavu from Kava time. They are both fairly potent if that’s specifically what you are after.
 

Bula Kava House

Portland, OR
Kava Vendor
Kava Bar Owner
Agree 100!!!! Waste of money and lots of it too!!! I just bought Cactus Java, Malolo and Loa and it was 100$ down the drain. Hasn't been anything good out there since 2017. I need to stop wasting such insane amount of money on inferior kavas. Prices go up and quality of kava is worse and worse
We've still got some really strong kava. Nambawan, Nangol, and Melo Melo will get you pretty kava hammered. The current batch if instant is stupid strong too. I drank too much the other night and literally couldn't see or stand straight.
 

Kavashua

Mmmm Kava
I haven’t drank any kava for a few months now. I was having potency issues even with some of the more powerful kavas. I’m not sure what the reason was but I’m hesitant to say the kava I was drinking was weak because so many people old and new on the forum seem to be having no trouble with it. I’ve chalked it up to an issue with my own chemistry and plan on giving it another go sometime soon
 

sɥɐʞɐs

Avg. Dosage: 8 Tbsp. (58g)
Review Maestro
I've had the same issue for the last couple years...the majority of kavas just barely scratch the surface these days. But there are some that still do the job a bit better than most. For me, Kava Supreme, Fiji Fresh Waka, 5-Star, Nambawan and Nangol do me good.There can still be some variation between batches...but it's hard to say whether or not the perceived variation comes from the root itself or from how my body is reacting at the time.

I've also had some good root from the kava society this year ...and recently my friend has been buying some BKH Melo Melo that has been hittin' me right, even better than my last batch of 5-Star actually. In fact, everyone that released Melo Melo last year, had some good effective root.
::KavaChug::
 

Edward

Aluballin' in the UK
Kava Vendor
I haven’t drank any kava for a few months now. I was having potency issues even with some of the more powerful kavas. I’m not sure what the reason was but I’m hesitant to say the kava I was drinking was weak because so many people old and new on the forum seem to be having no trouble with it. I’ve chalked it up to an issue with my own chemistry and plan on giving it another go sometime soon
I did go through a stage like that myself and found the way round it was to increase the dose for a few days and then I found I could get what I wanted at lower doses again. I'm talking about going from 4 to 6 tbsps to a cupful.
 

fait

Position 5 Hard Support
We've still got some really strong kava. Nambawan, Nangol, and Melo Melo will get you pretty kava hammered.
I'm kicking myself for having not bought some Nambawan the other week. I have a really old bag my friend bought two years ago and he luckily kept it well-preserved, so he gave me it and I've been using it. The last kava night I had with friends said the nambawan really did a number on them.
The current batch if instant is stupid strong too. I drank too much the other night and literally couldn't see or stand straight.
Brb buying some instant.

(No really, the first 50g I bought of your instant didn't pull its punches.)
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
I'm kicking myself for having not bought some Nambawan the other week. I have a really old bag my friend bought two years ago and he luckily kept it well-preserved, so he gave me it and I've been using it. The last kava night I had with friends said the nambawan really did a number on them.
Brb buying some instant.

(No really, the first 50g I bought of your instant didn't pull its punches.)
Ditto. I have been loving the latest nambawan and I ran out just yesterday...and BKH is out of stock! @Bula Kava House your killing me smalls.
 

DonL

Kava Curious
Interesting. In my experience and according to scientists kavas with more yangonin are heavier, more groggy and lingering. My favourite kavas (very heady) have relatively little yangonin or dhm.
A good example is Kelai
This exactly. I recently bought a pound of Waka 11 Year from BHK and all it did was make feel like shit.. groggy, sleepy and just that blah feeling. It sucks because the 11 Year use to give me such amazing euphoria without any groggy effect whatsoever. The same with Waka from Squanch. That stuff use to be magic... put me in such a great mood and the next day my libido was through the roof. Man, I miss the Kava from a few years back.
 

DonL

Kava Curious
I haven’t drank any kava for a few months now. I was having potency issues even with some of the more powerful kavas. I’m not sure what the reason was but I’m hesitant to say the kava I was drinking was weak because so many people old and new on the forum seem to be having no trouble with it. I’ve chalked it up to an issue with my own chemistry and plan on giving it another go sometime soon
If you find a solution and/or a vendor/batch that works for you, let me know. Because I'm going through the same thing and I'm not sure if it's me or the kava I'm getting is weaker?
 

Kavashua

Mmmm Kava
If you find a solution and/or a vendor/batch that works for you, let me know. Because I'm going through the same thing and I'm not sure if it's me or the kava I'm getting is weaker?
I will, I’m pretty optimistic that things will get better
 

Palmetto

Thank God!
Well, for similar reasons, I tried K@. Seemed good for a few days, but now does almost nothing positive. When I finish this batch, I'm unlikely to order K@ again. I really like certain kavas so much better when they are in form. I would love to see some new Hawaiian cultivars, but that front seems really quiet in the last 2 years.

I suspect this problem is somewha cyclical, and this is the lowpoint that we must drudge through.
 

Alia

'Awa Grower/Collector
Yes @Palmetto I hope you are correct and that someone will begin offering more varied cultivars from Hawai'i. Hawai'i is fortunate to have its own good cultivars and some which were legally introduced from different regions also wonderful (Rahmedel comes to mind). It isn't for lack of trying -- a person I know gives workshops here on propagation of 'awa weekly to Farmers groups and even school agriculture classes so the varied cultivars are out there being grown...just not enough folks ready to be both farmers and retailers.
PS- @yiki Posting "get me off" in relation to kava is likely a generational misunderstanding.
 
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Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
Yes @Palmetto I hope you are correct and that someone will begin offering more varied cultivars from Hawai'i. Hawai'i is fortunate to have its own good cultivars and some which were legally introduced from different regions also wonderful (Rahmedel comes to mind). It isn't for lack of trying -- a person I know gives workshops here on propagation of 'awa weekly to Farmers groups and even school agriculture classes so the varied cultivars are out there being grown...just not enough folks ready to be both farmers and retailers.
PS- @yiki Posting "get me off" in relation to kava is likely a generational misunderstanding.
kava doesn't get me off. It gets me on. Or even just, it gets me.
 

yiki

Kava Enthusiast
It is shocking yet oddly comforting to know that im not the only one having that "problem" :p
It is also quite interesting to hear that you associate a heavy feeling with yangonin. My reference kava was VKS "Kaolik" which was beautiful in its "expansive" and "creative" headhigh. You could feel some substance to it that went beyond a simple rush. Euphoric yet not short lived. Even small amounts added to a bland kava adds more color to it. I have very very little left its so sad.

Current kava im trying is pouni oni
which i also a dissapointment. Not heady enough to get you off, but also sedating so that higher doses just lead to more sedation. The worst of two worlds.

It is strange, even kavas like vks malekula magic had a euphoric component to it that is missing now.

I need to stop wasting such insane amount of money
Amen to that.

And well...

Posting "get me off" in relation to kava is likely a generational misunderstanding.
You heard me right :p
But i mean it more in a metaphorical way...like, you need to accumulate a critical mass of ...and then...you just reach a tipping point...where...
 
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