Powdered Kava Review Chief's choice
- Thread starter ThePiper
- Start date
recentreturn
Kava Enthusiast
...and its already sold out!
kastom_lif
Kava Lover
Get some waka! Strong as hell yet surprisingly balanced.
recentreturn
Kava Enthusiast
Well, I gotta try some "Kava Vinaka" when I get a good baseline. I had a good session with Kava Supreme last night that left me with an afterglow this morning. But I got both the KV waka and lawena this morning and got a little impatient... I tried a couple strong shells of the lawena and a strong shell of the waka. ...now I'm feeling pretty couch-locked, which wasn't the goal. I wanted to try them mixed! Hopefully I will get a better sense for how these kavas affect me soon.
P.S. I can't wait to try this stuff from baseline. I suspect the lawena might be just what I've been looking for. Not sure if it is all the kavalactones already built up in my system or what, but I am finishing the rest of what I couldn't drink this morning (mix of their waka and lawena, mostly second wash) and it is INSANELY strong. I kinda think the lawena all by itself might be perfect, or with just a little waka. But it'd be great to be able to try the Chief's Choice, which sounds like it might be in between.
P.S. I can't wait to try this stuff from baseline. I suspect the lawena might be just what I've been looking for. Not sure if it is all the kavalactones already built up in my system or what, but I am finishing the rest of what I couldn't drink this morning (mix of their waka and lawena, mostly second wash) and it is INSANELY strong. I kinda think the lawena all by itself might be perfect, or with just a little waka. But it'd be great to be able to try the Chief's Choice, which sounds like it might be in between.
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recentreturn
Kava Enthusiast
Just noticed the Chief's Choice is back in stock.
ThePiper
Kava Lover
I cant stomach the waka sadly. considering the lawena. That waka is too strong for me 
I could probably drink it after taking a few days off kava lol. They have some high quality unique stuff and reasonably fast shipping. I LOVE that they show you kavalactone percentages. Some vendors claim to test but for some reason dont share this data with customers?!?
I could probably drink it after taking a few days off kava lol. They have some high quality unique stuff and reasonably fast shipping. I LOVE that they show you kavalactone percentages. Some vendors claim to test but for some reason dont share this data with customers?!?
kasa_balavu
Yaqona Dina
It'd be great to have a reliable way to gauge the expected potency of a kava, but (unfortunately) KL% is not a reliable indicator of the efficacy and potency of kava.
One reason vendors don't post KL% is because they fear customers might put too much stock in it and might avoid a great kava just because it has a low KL%.
Another reason is that labs use different methods to determine that figure and the result will be different depending on the method used. For example, the Applied Sciences Lab at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji uses a more precise method than the one more commonly used by US labs, but as a result kava tested there will usually be 3-4% higher in KL than the same kava tested in most US labs.
As for the vendor being discussed in this thread, I find what they've done a bit odd. They printed the KL% on the labels, which is a poor choice because this figure is supposed to change from batch to batch. Then again, maybe they always print the exact number of labels they need per batch. Curiously, the COA they post includes a KL% for the Lawena, but this has been cropped out of the COA for the Waka and Chiefs Jungle products.
In any case, I noticed their most expensive kava (Chiefs Jungle) is listed at 10.22%KL on their website, and 11.22% on the label. A typo, maybe. Anyway, note how this is 3% lower than the cheaper "Waka" they sell. What they call their best kava doesn't have the highest KL%, which reflects my earlier point about KL% being a poor indicator of kava quality.
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ThePiper
Kava Lover
I just find the (426, 436, etc) helpful and like that they're there because it's fun to look at those numbers in kind of a geeky way, and also to see if the kava is high in the same lactones that tudei kavas are. I don't put too much stock in sheer quantity of lactones. If that were something to go by than we might as well be drinking tudei too.
kasa_balavu
Yaqona Dina
In that case I agree 100%. I'd love for all vendors to post the chemotypes of their kava.
In my earlier post I was only referring to the overall KL content.
ThePiper
Kava Lover
Yeah gotcha. I agree there. I ordered the lawena so I will report back. I'm not a big lawena guy because for me it tends to feel like something is missing and I still get the minor side effects on the stomach despite a lesser effect. However I figured since the Waka is so extremely powerful, the lawena might be just right for Goldilocks. My review should be coming in in the next week or so for those who are interested.
recentreturn
Kava Enthusiast
I did not find the lawena to be weak. The taste is very mild (almost too mild for me) and it comes out thicker than the waka.
recentreturn
Kava Enthusiast
Okay. Too early or not (re: dermo); I just had a shell of Chief's Choice! Gonna drink 3 tbs worth then go for a snowy walk before the temp drops and everything gets snowier.
First impression: Smells and tastes wonderful when kneaded up. First touch of kavain just hit my brain.
Update: going to 6 tbs. Then walk (this is why I had to disqualify myself from micro...) 3.5 tbs down the hatch. Feels good. Better not listen to the kava or I won't get outside. I think its just starting to hit my body now.
[(tangential observation: I notice kava makes me space out, unfocus my eyes and stare off blankly for brief moments rather spontaneously but controllably... that used to happen to me when I was a kid...kava is the first thing that has brought that back...I wonder what brain chemical does that...)]
Well, I may not finish all this or I might be too doped to get out.
Update...sorry if it is TMI but this kava is ground finely enough that it is feeding the bacteria in my gut like Bati used to...
Update: finished 6 tbs. Slight nausea which I just ascribe to not spacing shells enough b/c of my desire to start my walk before dark. Effects are very balanced and nice with a bow toward the heady; its a potent product that I would compare favorably with Kava Time's excellent products (Taveuni's Secret or Savusavu). Love that clean light smell/taste. Making me clench my teeth a little, as some kavas tend to do. Gonna drink a little ginger tea then go for my walk (will probably end up sitting on a rock amidst snow till after dark...and after freezing; but it'll still be warm relative to the usual temps.
First impression: Smells and tastes wonderful when kneaded up. First touch of kavain just hit my brain.
Update: going to 6 tbs. Then walk (this is why I had to disqualify myself from micro...) 3.5 tbs down the hatch. Feels good. Better not listen to the kava or I won't get outside. I think its just starting to hit my body now.
[(tangential observation: I notice kava makes me space out, unfocus my eyes and stare off blankly for brief moments rather spontaneously but controllably... that used to happen to me when I was a kid...kava is the first thing that has brought that back...I wonder what brain chemical does that...)]
Well, I may not finish all this or I might be too doped to get out.
Update...sorry if it is TMI but this kava is ground finely enough that it is feeding the bacteria in my gut like Bati used to...
Update: finished 6 tbs. Slight nausea which I just ascribe to not spacing shells enough b/c of my desire to start my walk before dark. Effects are very balanced and nice with a bow toward the heady; its a potent product that I would compare favorably with Kava Time's excellent products (Taveuni's Secret or Savusavu). Love that clean light smell/taste. Making me clench my teeth a little, as some kavas tend to do. Gonna drink a little ginger tea then go for my walk (will probably end up sitting on a rock amidst snow till after dark...and after freezing; but it'll still be warm relative to the usual temps.
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Ricardo Piquant
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm having some kava vinaka chief's choice now. First time I got from them. I gotta say, it's really good kava. Flavor is great. Grind is nice. I can squeeze and knead it forever and it still gives the good stuff (a lot of kava isn't like that). It's also potent with a really nice effect. I am very pleasantly surprised!
PsyGuru
Kava Enthusiast
Is the new batch just as good?Picking up the new batch plus lawena. Fingers crossed they are good again