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This is the second time that I've purchased the Borogu from Kalm with Kava. The first time I wasn't thinking of writing a review, but this time I made it a point to pay attention and jotted some notes. It was on sale when I purchased it, $30 for a pound which is an excellent price. Shipping costs were reasonable and the order was processed quickly. I placed the order through the KWKwebsite in the afternoon and, later that evening, I received the email notice that the package was ready to go out in the mail--it arrived a few days later. I've ordered from KWK several times and I am always very appreciative of their responsiveness to questions, speed of shipping, and quality of their different kava products--great things!
The kava in this batch of borogu had a coarser grind that I've seen in some other kavas. According to the website, a fortunate set of circumstances resulted in this batch being harvested from primarily waka roots. I'm not sure if that is why the grind is more coarse because of this or if it is for another reason, but the grind was definitely one of many positive characteristics.
One of the reasons that I like the coarser grind is because it's easier to knead without clogging the strainer. I use hot water and have found that with finer grinds, the finely ground kava and/or activation of starches (if the water gets a little too hot), can make it difficult to knead. In this case, everything went faster than usual--after a few minutes, the water was fully opaque and starting to develop a sheen, which I usually interpret to mean that the kavalactones are being extracted. I usually knead for about 10 minutes and that seemed to do the trick. The color is light tan with a very, very slight greenish tint.
My ratings above don't really capture my evaluation of the effects. I find that this kava is on the heady side of things but not quite as much as something like Pouni Ono. Although Borogu does have that heady, good feeling to it, I've found that it also has a very nice calming effect that makes it possible to deal with menial tasks (e.g., dealing with a full email inbox) without losing my mind. This, to me, is probably one of my favorite characteristics of this kava--it's heady but not to the point where I want to stop what I'm doing (usually work) and go find something else that is more fun to do. For me, it generates a sense of body and mind calmness that is pronounced and keeps me from getting distracted, so that it's possible to get things done that I need to do (whether it's dealing with emails for work or making progress on those detailed tasks that have to be done but we'd all prefer to avoid).
In sum, Kalm with Kava's Borogu is another great kava that I like to keep on hand as my "get stuff done" kava. The price is great and effects are consistently good, so I see it as an excellent value. Well done, Kalm with Kava!
The kava in this batch of borogu had a coarser grind that I've seen in some other kavas. According to the website, a fortunate set of circumstances resulted in this batch being harvested from primarily waka roots. I'm not sure if that is why the grind is more coarse because of this or if it is for another reason, but the grind was definitely one of many positive characteristics.
One of the reasons that I like the coarser grind is because it's easier to knead without clogging the strainer. I use hot water and have found that with finer grinds, the finely ground kava and/or activation of starches (if the water gets a little too hot), can make it difficult to knead. In this case, everything went faster than usual--after a few minutes, the water was fully opaque and starting to develop a sheen, which I usually interpret to mean that the kavalactones are being extracted. I usually knead for about 10 minutes and that seemed to do the trick. The color is light tan with a very, very slight greenish tint.
My ratings above don't really capture my evaluation of the effects. I find that this kava is on the heady side of things but not quite as much as something like Pouni Ono. Although Borogu does have that heady, good feeling to it, I've found that it also has a very nice calming effect that makes it possible to deal with menial tasks (e.g., dealing with a full email inbox) without losing my mind. This, to me, is probably one of my favorite characteristics of this kava--it's heady but not to the point where I want to stop what I'm doing (usually work) and go find something else that is more fun to do. For me, it generates a sense of body and mind calmness that is pronounced and keeps me from getting distracted, so that it's possible to get things done that I need to do (whether it's dealing with emails for work or making progress on those detailed tasks that have to be done but we'd all prefer to avoid).
In sum, Kalm with Kava's Borogu is another great kava that I like to keep on hand as my "get stuff done" kava. The price is great and effects are consistently good, so I see it as an excellent value. Well done, Kalm with Kava!
