Kava available in Australia

[Sunset_squash67]

Heyy sunsquash! My r&p instants arrived today too. Swap stories in a few days!

Be careful with the instant stuff!

Last night I made up a 50g batch of Melo Melo traditional (I usually do 45g of borogoru or Kelai). It felt really nice but quite different...can't explain how exactly.

Anyway I got over excited and wanted to try the palarasul instant. I had one heaping teaspoon in a glass of water and it tipped me over the edge. I was way too high and couldn't sleep all night first ever bad experience off kava. So beware, the instant is powerful stuff

 

[the_wilderness]

Be careful with the instant stuff!

Last night I made up a 50g batch of Melo Melo traditional (I usually do 45g of borogoru or Kelai). It felt really nice but quite different...can't explain how exactly.

Anyway I got over excited and wanted to try the palarasul instant. I had one heaping teaspoon in a glass of water and it tipped me over the edge. I was way too high and couldn't sleep all night first ever bad experience off kava. So beware, the instant is powerful stuff

gee you're a lucky one that a new strain hits first day! I had two tablespoons of the instant kelai and nada. that's just me tho, likely i'll have to go through the whole bag before I feel it. hoping to land on an instant that works well for me and commit for lyfe coz waiting for new strains to kick in is just too expensive a path.
one thing I'm excited about is how easy it was to get down, and zero nausea...hooray for that upgrade

 

[Nodsey]

@Nodsey how have you been? Now that the dust has (somewhat) settled with kava vendors I'm curious as to what you have been shelling!

I've been drinking El Manaro Premium Vanuatu - have to say I'm not particularly enjoying it. I've had two sleep deprived nights after drinking it, so I've come to the conclusion it's not a 'heavy'! Oh well, I've ordered some Oz Kava Gold on the back of Agador's review above, so hopefully that will knock me out!

Also, shout out to Classic Kava, who sent me a bag of Kelai out of the blue because of their concerns over a batch of waka I'd purchased a couple of months ago! Great customer service, and completely unexpected!

 

[Lotalife]

Thanks very much for all the replies and emails. Just letting you know that we now have five people for the free samples. We may do this again later in the year so will let you know again then. Thanks!

Just wanted to post my review of Classic Kavas Melo Melo that they kindly sent for me to try.

Two things stood out straightaway when I opened the bag: 1. The fine grind - almost what I’d imagine micronised kava would be like; and 2. The colour - very pale, creamy white. Most other kavas I’ve tried have been far darker.

For prep I decided to deviate from my usual traditional prep to try blender method. Went 3 tablespoons to 500ml water; blended in NutriBullet for a few minutes then double strained to remove the fine sediment.

As for taste, it was peppery and slightly bitter but reasonably smooth. Good numbness in mouth. Certainly very drinkable. The colour of the kava was again new to me - greyish white. I’ve seen a lot of kavas look this colour on you tube, particularly in the US, so was excited to try it.

The effects were very unique and interesting. It was more subtle and lighter with a creeping effect. Different to say Australian Kavas Pure Waka which has no subtly and hits you hard. This crept up on you and put me in a relaxed, contemplative mood and just took the edge off nicely. Wasn’t heavy at all. I’m thinking this may be due to a higher ratio in the blend of lawena (plant stump/base) to waka (lateral roots)? The colour also makes me think this but could be wrong.

I still have plenty of this kava and am looking forward to another try. Next time I’ll probably go for 4-5 tablespoons and use traditional prep.

Overall loved this kava and would be great for anytime, notably daytime drinking. Can’t wait to try again and will keep you posted on my further thoughts.

 

[Root & Pestle]

Woooo look at that variety! I'll add mine
here:

1.Root and pestle kava - High quality, very consistent grind, mild taste, and very strong effects (tried borogoru and Kelai so far).

2. Blue lagoon kava - very nice balanced kava - quite strong but neither too heady nor too heavy. Perfect afternoon kava. Only downside is it has a VERY strong taste. Wasn't too bad at the start, but towards the ends of the kilo I started blending it with other Kava (Tried the original one..I think it was Loa La Kesa?)

3. Green Gold Kava (Paul's Liquor) - I enjoyed this kava, not super strong but does the job. A bit more sedating, so recommend it later in the evening. Bit expensive for what it is though. Tastes fine.

4. BiloVinaka Kava: First kava I ever tried. Felt very average effects, quite mild and balanced. Had to drink quite a bit to feel anything. This could have been reversed tolerance though. On the plus side, it was the easiest to drink (from memory).

5. FijiKava: Putting this dead last, even though I haven't even tried it. Very upset - when I preordered they confirmed via email that it was "traditional grind". What came was not traditional grind, and they didn't respond to my emails after that. Will probably sell for half price on Facebook market, and I'm not touching another FijiKava product again.

Yes, Number 1!! Thank you for that.

 

[bulanydjiboi]

**Classic Kava review**

The Vanuatu Nakamal Kava packs a punch! I mixed 50 grams in 500 ml water for a first wash, then did a second and third wash in 100 ml and whoa! This is a quality grind that is more potent than I expected and knocked me for 6. Effects are felt within 5 mins of my first sip and lasts for hours after that into the next morning.

 

[Classic Kava]

**Classic Kava review**

The Vanuatu Nakamal Kava packs a punch! I mixed 50 grams in 500 ml water for a first wash, then did a second and third wash in 100 ml and whoa! This is a quality grind that is more potent than I expected and knocked me for 6. Effects are felt within 5 mins of my first sip and lasts for hours after that into the next morning.

Thanks for the review!

 

[bobsag]

Is anyone selling Solomon kava in Australia yet?

 

[Classic Kava]

Just wanted to post my review of Classic Kavas Melo Melo that they kindly sent for me to try.

Two things stood out straightaway when I opened the bag: 1. The fine grind - almost what I’d imagine micronised kava would be like; and 2. The colour - very pale, creamy white. Most other kavas I’ve tried have been far darker.

For prep I decided to deviate from my usual traditional prep to try blender method. Went 3 tablespoons to 500ml water; blended in NutriBullet for a few minutes then double strained to remove the fine sediment.

As for taste, it was peppery and slightly bitter but reasonably smooth. Good numbness in mouth. Certainly very drinkable. The colour of the kava was again new to me - greyish white. I’ve seen a lot of kavas look this colour on you tube, particularly in the US, so was excited to try it.

The effects were very unique and interesting. It was more subtle and lighter with a creeping effect. Different to say Australian Kavas Pure Waka which has no subtly and hits you hard. This crept up on you and put me in a relaxed, contemplative mood and just took the edge off nicely. Wasn’t heavy at all. I’m thinking this may be due to a higher ratio in the blend of lawena (plant stump/base) to waka (lateral roots)? The colour also makes me think this but could be wrong.

I still have plenty of this kava and am looking forward to another try. Next time I’ll probably go for 4-5 tablespoons and use traditional prep.

Overall loved this kava and would be great for anytime, notably daytime drinking. Can’t wait to try again and will keep you posted on my further thoughts.

Thanks very much for the review!

 

[Sunset_squash67]

I've been drinking El Manaro Premium Vanuatu - have to say I'm not particularly enjoying it. I've had two sleep deprived nights after drinking it, so I've come to the conclusion it's not a 'heavy'! Oh well, I've ordered some Oz Kava Gold on the back of Agador's review above, so hopefully that will knock me out!

Also, shout out to Classic Kava, who sent me a bag of Kelai out of the blue because of their concerns over a batch of waka I'd purchased a couple of months ago! Great customer service, and completely unexpected!

Ah damn, hope you don't have too much of the el Manaro left to get through.


I feel you on the sleepless night though. For the first time ever I had an insane bout of insomnia after kava. I posted about it earlier but basically I had 50g of Melo Melo (first time trying), then a heaping teaspoon of instant paralasul.

Felt quite uncomfortable and couldn't get a wink of sleep all night. Very bizzare since kava seems to be sleep-neutral for me.

What was your sleep like with the el Manaro kava? Like just waking alot? Or not being able to sleep?

I'm still not sure what did it - the Melo Melo or the palarasul. I have a feeling it was the instant palarasul though.

Classic kava sent me a free trial of bir kar to review but I told them I would need a week or so before trying. That little incident left me a bit anxious around kava unfortunately and i want to give them a fair review

 

[the_wilderness]

have you got to any more of the instants @Sunset_squash67 ? looks like I'll get the whole 300g lot without feeling much at all, already smashed through two packs...reckon that's on my cultivar RT/body type, but still bummed to lose the cashola. 3 tbsp serves all in one go so taking plenty enough to feel it. guess i'll be going back to slamming a litre of traditional grind...yeuch
On another note, had an outstanding experience on Wakanavu this week...reckon I'll go back and try another few of theirs. Reminded me why I persist despite my body fighting the kava mojo. Note it's up there with BL on taste tho

 

[the_wilderness]

Exciting update...just logged in to Wakanavu and their prices are literally halved from when I bought there last. Halved, people! This bodes well for the Aus prices shifting closer to US ones.
I had the Premium Savusavu last time. Recommend, it's similar strength to Blue Lagoon so cost effective on that front too.

 

[Groggy]

This is a great thread and I just want to remind all of the members participating on this thread, that leaving formal reviews on their favorite vendor websites and their folder here at KF is the best way you can thank them/ pay it forward, to all the people out there still looking and researching this amazing plant!

Plus you'll be helping support your favorite vendors & as always, the more honest the feedback, the better.

EDIT: I can (and will) copy and paste reviews from here into their respective vendor review folders but I would still encourage you all to edit the shell rating and add or edit them..

End of transmission

 

[Sunset_squash67]

have you got to any more of the instants @Sunset_squash67 ? looks like I'll get the whole 300g lot without feeling much at all, already smashed through two packs...reckon that's on my cultivar RT/body type, but still bummed to lose the cashola. 3 tbsp serves all in one go so taking plenty enough to feel it. guess i'll be going back to slamming a litre of traditional grind...yeuch
On another note, had an outstanding experience on Wakanavu this week...reckon I'll go back and try another few of theirs. Reminded me why I persist despite my body fighting the kava mojo. Note it's up there with BL on taste tho

Ah that's a shame about the instants...at least you found wakanavu and it works for you!

I only bought one of the instants - the palarasul. Still haven't touched it (or any kava) since that bad night, so have a whole bag minus one heaped teaspoon.

Once I fix my sleep (been having issues the past 1.5 weeks) I'll go back and do some small experiments to determine if it was.the Melo Melo, or the palarasul that did it. Or possibly the synergy between both?

 

[Nodsey]

What was your sleep like with the el Manaro kava? Like just waking alot? Or not being able to sleep?

Just being on the edge of sleep - not quite asleep, not quite awake, and often wide awake, usually finishing up being fast asleep by about 5am, then waking up to the alarm clock a coupe hours later!

 

[Agador]

Thanks very much for all the replies and emails. Just letting you know that we now have five people for the free samples. We may do this again later in the year so will let you know again then. Thanks!

Here is my review of the sample Mel Melo which Classic Kava was kind enough to provide.

The product is packaged professionally in a sealed heat resistant resealable pouch with expiry date and batch no. which indicates a high level of quality control consistent with being processed in a HACCP accredited facility in Vanuatu.

Upon opening the pouch I was a little apprehensive that the kava looked to be very fine, almost micronised. I have had problems in the past with extremely finely ground kava powder as it tends to bring me perilously close to gagging, a classic example being the anaemic strength 'Fijkava' brand which I was unfortunate enough to purchase previously and which stuck like hot tar to the back of my throat. There is almost no aroma to the very white/cream Mel Melo powder which is unusual - perhaps just a hint of cashew? - very pleasant.

For my first session I prepared two tablespoons in approximately 750ml of water and downed 500ml immediately. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the taste which was almost neutral and very chuggable. It's my habit to drink kava around dusk here in tropical North Queensland - its a special time where you can enjoy the late sunset and the cloud reflected colours it produces, along with the bird life which noisily get ready to settle down for the night.

Almost immediately I could feel the effects coming on - a powerful but at the same time light body load acceleration into a nice euphoric cerebral state. All kava drinkers experience heightened auditory awareness, and this Melo Melo is very notable in this regard - It sounded like the local cicadas had plugged into amps!

I decided to keep the balance of the first wash to one side for later that evening and did a 500ml second wash. Immediately after consuming the second wash the strength and intensity of effects markedly increased with noticeable body load and sedation along with a continued pleasant state of mind. At this point I was in kava heaven and decided to put the balance of the first wash in the fridge for the next day and just enjoy the rest of the evening listening to my favourite music.
Unlike other Melo Melo I have tried in the past, the effects of consumption seemed to last a lot longer. I slept very well with lucid dreams. Morning after I was in a pleasant clear frame of mind with relaxed body muscles which really helped with my regular 5km walk!
All in all a very, very good experience. It's a beguiling, unique kava and one that deserves further experimentation. On one hand you have the classic Melo Melo effects of euphoric/uplifting and muscle relaxing effects with the option of stepping into the heavier sedated soothing, full body relaxing effects with a further quick bowl or two. Whatever you do, a common thread of positive , pleasant mind relaxation seems to be a corner stone of this impressive kava mix.

I highly recommend it and intend to get me some more!

 

[Sunset_squash67]

Just being on the edge of sleep - not quite asleep, not quite awake, and often wide awake, usually finishing up being fast asleep by about 5am, then waking up to the alarm clock a coupe hours later!

Gah, this was EXACTLY what I experienced! Man I didnt know kava could do that

 

[Classic Kava]

Here is my review of the sample Mel Melo which Classic Kava was kind enough to provide.

The product is packaged professionally in a sealed heat resistant resealable pouch with expiry date and batch no. which indicates a high level of quality control consistent with being processed in a HACCP accredited facility in Vanuatu.

Upon opening the pouch I was a little apprehensive that the kava looked to be very fine, almost micronised. I have had problems in the past with extremely finely ground kava powder as it tends to bring me perilously close to gagging, a classic example being the anaemic strength 'Fijkava' brand which I was unfortunate enough to purchase previously and which stuck like hot tar to the back of my throat. There is almost no aroma to the very white/cream Mel Melo powder which is unusual - perhaps just a hint of cashew? - very pleasant.

For my first session I prepared two tablespoons in approximately 750ml of water and downed 500ml immediately. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the taste which was almost neutral and very chuggable. It's my habit to drink kava around dusk here in tropical North Queensland - its a special time where you can enjoy the late sunset and the cloud reflected colours it produces, along with the bird life which noisily get ready to settle down for the night.

Almost immediately I could feel the effects coming on - a powerful but at the same time light body load acceleration into a nice euphoric cerebral state. All kava drinkers experience heightened auditory awareness, and this Melo Melo is very notable in this regard - It sounded like the local cicadas had plugged into amps!

I decided to keep the balance of the first wash to one side for later that evening and did a 500ml second wash. Immediately after consuming the second wash the strength and intensity of effects markedly increased with noticeable body load and sedation along with a continued pleasant state of mind. At this point I was in kava heaven and decided to put the balance of the first wash in the fridge for the next day and just enjoy the rest of the evening listening to my favourite music.
Unlike other Melo Melo I have tried in the past, the effects of consumption seemed to last a lot longer. I slept very well with lucid dreams. Morning after I was in a pleasant clear frame of mind with relaxed body muscles which really helped with my regular 5km walk!
All in all a very, very good experience. It's a beguiling, unique kava and one that deserves further experimentation. On one hand you have the classic Melo Melo effects of euphoric/uplifting and muscle relaxing effects with the option of stepping into the heavier sedated soothing, full body relaxing effects with a further quick bowl or two. Whatever you do, a common thread of positive , pleasant mind relaxation seems to be a corner stone of this impressive kava mix.

I highly recommend it and intend to get me some more!

Thanks very much for the review!

 

[Lotalife]

Just wanted to post my review of Classic Kavas Melo Melo that they kindly sent for me to try.

Two things stood out straightaway when I opened the bag: 1. The fine grind - almost what I’d imagine micronised kava would be like; and 2. The colour - very pale, creamy white. Most other kavas I’ve tried have been far darker.

For prep I decided to deviate from my usual traditional prep to try blender method. Went 3 tablespoons to 500ml water; blended in NutriBullet for a few minutes then double strained to remove the fine sediment.

As for taste, it was peppery and slightly bitter but reasonably smooth. Good numbness in mouth. Certainly very drinkable. The colour of the kava was again new to me - greyish white. I’ve seen a lot of kavas look this colour on you tube, particularly in the US, so was excited to try it.

The effects were very unique and interesting. It was more subtle and lighter with a creeping effect. Different to say Australian Kavas Pure Waka which has no subtly and hits you hard. This crept up on you and put me in a relaxed, contemplative mood and just took the edge off nicely. Wasn’t heavy at all. I’m thinking this may be due to a higher ratio in the blend of lawena (plant stump/base) to waka (lateral roots)? The colour also makes me think this but could be wrong.

I still have plenty of this kava and am looking forward to another try. Next time I’ll probably go for 4-5 tablespoons and use traditional prep.

Overall loved this kava and would be great for anytime, notably daytime drinking. Can’t wait to try again and will keep you posted on my further thoughts.

Had another go of Classic Kava’s Melo Melo yesterday.
Went traditional prep this time with 5 tablespoons in 1L water.
Really nice light feeling buzz which comes on slow. This kava just puts you in a great place without being heavy or sedating. Great kava for a long session which you could finish off with something like a Waka. Love it!!
Can’t wait to try Classic Kavas other offerings!!

 

[Hittvalley]

I've been drinking El Manaro Premium Vanuatu - have to say I'm not particularly enjoying it. I've had two sleep deprived nights after drinking it, so I've come to the conclusion it's not a 'heavy'! Oh well, I've ordered some Oz Kava Gold on the back of Agador's review above, so hopefully that will knock me out!

Hi Nodsey, I've had the opposite with the El Manaro. I have found it definitely sits in the heavy range for me and is quite noticeably less jangly than others I've had, like anything from Savusavu for example. I make it in an Aluball with two balls filled to halfway and add a little oat milk to two shells of warm water because I read about fats helping. Shame it hasn't been a winner for you. I have some other kavas I haven't really spent time with because of El Manaro. Hope the Oz Kava Gold is a goer.