Best and Worst tasting kavas ?

[Plantacious]

In my limited experience, there doesn't seem to be a wide range or spectrum of the quality of taste in kava.
I know they are all unique in taste, however probably not much different in how good or bad (most of course, lean heavily on the bad side), but I wanted to hear from others. Perhaps some taste considerably "less bad" than others, that I havn't heard about ?
In your experience, what would you say are best tasting kavas, as well as the worst tasting kavas ? You can include anywhere from
about one to three in each answer.
If you'd like to include the vendor along with the strain, that's fine. But this thread is more about taste than potency.
Although if you want to add a separate list for best/worst in potency that's fine too.

 

[Go Krunk Yourself]

To me, all Kava is absolutely rancid tasting and I always have to hold my nose and follow it down with something sweet. Concentrates and candies are fine.

 

[the_wilderness]

It tastes damnawful, but I'm of the 'consistency of paint' school. I think if I was having the 'average' dose, which seems about half of what I use, I'd enjoy the flavour profiles more. Hawaiian is by far the least offensive for me. In general, the darker the kava is, the worse it tastes to my palate. Fiji kava manageable. Vanuatu bad. Micro bad. Kava King real bad. Hot kava worst.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

In my limited experience, there doesn't seem to be a wide range or spectrum of the quality of taste in kava.
I know they are all unique in taste, however probably not much different in how good or bad (most of course, lean heavily on the bad side), but I wanted to hear from others. Perhaps some taste considerably "less bad" than others, that I havn't heard about ?
In your experience, what would you say are best tasting kavas, as well as the worst tasting kavas ? You can include anywhere from
about one to three in each answer.
If you'd like to include the vendor along with the strain, that's fine. But this thread is more about taste than potency.
Although if you want to add a separate list for best/worst in potency that's fine too.

I believe as a good working definition of "good tasting kava" - it tastes so good you would drink it even if there were no effects. There are, for me anyway, a few like that.

But also, I think there's very different receptors in the people who hate the taste of all kava and people who enjoy the taste of kava, or at least some of them. What I mean is a lot of this isn't really a matter of opinion, it's a matter of receptors you have, and the longer you drink kava, in general the more receoptors for the flavour you have. And less for the numbing effect, and some other things. The flavour experience is dependent on the qualities of the kava itself but also dependent on the receptors the drinker might have, or not have. And then finally there is subjective preference. Some people like sweet and some people don't, e.g., some can eat beets, some can't. Nobody is "wrong" or inaccurate, it's just there's a bunch of variables.

That said, in Buveurs de Kava Lebot has a chapter on taste, and it was always a consideration when selecting traits to breed for over the centuries.

Disclaimer: I love the taste of kava and flavour is a consideration, not so much when I buy as when I re-buy.

Finally, it is possible to work around flavour through blending. e.g. Best Fijian Waka tastes tolerable but not good. Mix it with Kava Tonga and I can drink it by the gallon, and do.

 

[recentreturn]

For me:
Best tasting: Tongan, Fijian waka/lawena blends, Hawaiian.
Worst tasting: Vanuatu

 

[Plantacious]

I recently discovered that RoH Samoan tastes pretty good, relatively speaking for kava.

 

[Zaphod]

BKH had a Tongan Fu'u that was absolutely delicious. It had a slightly vanilla/mocha/almondish taste, very light and smooth. Probably the best tasting dried kava I have ever had. I almost thought it was mixed with flavoring. I find most Hawaiians and Tongans to be very drinkable. Vanuatu kavas tend to be really bitter after taste and make me shake my head like dog after gulping down. I thought (based on popular sentiment on tudeis) that the PNG Tudei would be bad but it was not awful and somewhere squarely in the middle of the drinkability range. All that said the fresh frozen kava I drank was 10x better drinkability then any dried kava I have had to date.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

BKH had a Tongan Fu'u that was absolutely delicious. It had a slightly vanilla/mocha/almondish taste, very light and smooth. Probably the best tasting dried kava I have ever had. I almost thought it was mixed with flavoring. I find most Hawaiians and Tongans to be very drinkable. Vanuatu kavas tend to be really bitter after taste and make me shake my head like dog after gulping down. I thought (based on popular sentiment on tudeis) that the PNG Tudei would be bad but it was not awful and somewhere squarely in the middle of the drinkability range. All that said the fresh frozen kava I drank was 10x better drinkability then any dried kava I have had to date.

That frozen nene is definitely a taste winner. But fresh is an unfair advantage, looks like.

 

[bogmonkey]

It's easy for me to list the number one - I have not had it's equal:
Gourmet Savusavu Waka from Kava Time
I add a little milk, nothing else...it tastes divine. I generally enjoy the taste of kava and never add sweeteners (just whole milk)
The Gourmet Savusavu has a super silky texture and tastes of vanilla...oh man I feel a shell comin on.

 

[tarragon]

From smooth and grassy to dark bitter piney, I enjoy all the flavors. I drink it hot.

 

[KJ/P1X]

I make kava with rice drinks (aka vegan milk) and I like the taste of it. But I also like yerba mate. Where most people hate yerba taste. Don't have any preferred yet as I just taste few and all taste more or less the same.

btw: I love the numbing effects in the mouth. when I take a sip I keep it in my mouth for a long time. It makes it kick faster and numbing more effective.

 

[Kava o'puss]

Best:
Fresh frozen Nene. Only kava I've ever been able to drink like an ordinary drink- not down like a shot of tequila.
ROH Samoan.
The limited edition BKH from last year. Forget the name
Some of the GHK stuff.
Worst:
Stone (but sure is strong ....)
Tikiram's Vanuatu is pretty rough, but strong.
Some of the more potent Waka's are pretty rough...
Hard to get a decent tasting kava that is also on the high end of potency. Hold your breath, knock back like a shot and quickly throw some skittles in your mouth.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

For me by far the best taste I had was the frozen Nene. But of medium grind it would have to be Leka Hina, but coming close behind, Nambawan, 5 Star, Kavafied's Kava Tonga, Rahmwanger sakau, and basically anything from the Kavaroots and also anything from Kava Time. Also love both the KWK and the RoH Samoan, though both taste quite different. I also appreciate the flowery flavour of mongrel grog from freezer makas. Oh, and the Fiji Fresh lawena.

 

[Kava o'puss]

Yeah,that's it. Leka Hina was name of the special reserve BKH kava I was thinking of.

 

[Kava o'puss]

For me, the ROH Samoan was the best tasting medium grind kava; kinda tasted peanut buttery. Not very potent and needed more kava to get an effect, but was pretty pleasant.

 

[Kava o'puss]

N@H Stone used to be my go to kava when I wanted a potent heavy hitting kava. But since the price increase and thinking of that god awful taste, i haven't had it in a while.

 

[recentreturn]

Yeah,that's it. Leka Hina was name of the special reserve BKH kava I was thinking of.

Leka Hina... that wins my vote for most disgusting fake review (not most disgusting kava; haven't tried it).

 

[Kava o'puss]

 

[Kava o'puss]

Yeah, that was pretty mild tasting kava. I saved the container because I thought it looked nice, like the packaging of a good Scotch...or in case I wanted to post a fake review. It was a kava I purchased only once - about a year and a half ago and didn't recall the name at the moment. Geez