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Everyone's current favorite kava and the effects it gives you

Kojo Douglas

The Kavasseur
I always have a couple pounds of Squanch Waka in my arsenal, and that's been my favorite for awhile. Kava Vinaka Lawena and Waka are also faithful and strong. Currently really blown away by Kava Mama's line of of Kavas - most exciting vendor to be watching right now. She has good connections throughout the Pacific and a lot of respect for Kava farmers.
 

bogmonkey

Kava? Yes please!
Gourmet Savusavu Waka (from Kava Time) is my absolute favorite - and the benchmark by which I judge all other kavas.
It's also the best tasting kava I have ever tried. It has a light peppery vanilla-y flavor and silky texture (I add a little whole milk as well)
The effects are very balanced for me. Mostly heady though. It's very strong and clean.
The combination of incredibly good flavor, and potent effects is a one-two punch that not all great kavas can claim.
It's definitely a 'top shelf' (aka "kind bud") kava...:)

Kava Tonga, from Kavafied is a close runner up!
It also has great flavor and potent effects.
 

AlexisReal

Kava Enthusiast
Gourmet Savusavu Waka (from Kava Time) is my absolute favorite - and the benchmark by which I judge all other kavas.
It's also the best tasting kava I have ever tried. It has a light peppery vanilla-y flavor and silky texture (I add a little whole milk as well)
The effects are very balanced for me. Mostly heady though. It's very strong and clean.
The combination of incredibly good flavor, and potent effects is a one-two punch that not all great kavas can claim.
It's definitely a 'top shelf' (aka "kind bud") kava...:)

Kava Tonga, from Kavafied is a close runner up!
It also has great flavor and potent effects.
I can definitely relate to what you say about the gourmet Savusavu.

I was immediately very impressed with it myself and I agree entirely with your description about it being headie but nicely balanced.

It has a fairly long lasting antidepressant and physically relaxing effect for me which doesn't plateau off as quickly as some other kavas and I to don't mind the taste at all I Really notice that smokiness because I think they dry it by fire initially or something.


I was going to order some kavafied kava Tonga from Amazon but as soon as covid-19 lockdown came into place they instantly stopped shipping a load of products here and the customs and shipping is pricier here now on the ones which have become available again.

But I am really happy with both the N&H Wow and Solomon I recently picked up and tried for the very first time. Lovely effects from both. Not racy, but heady enough wirh mood lift, especially the Solomon.

But both balanced enough still. Nice relaxation, anti anxiety.

Pouni Ono is so uniquely refreshing and uplifting after you have already been affected by some of these other cultivars we have discussed here.

Im looking forward to trying the tongan family reserve which is on route currently I've not tried that one before.

But yeah, Gourmet Savusavu is beautiful. It just takes me to such a happy place of comfort and well being. GHK M'oi can actually make me a bit racy despite me liking the heady cultivars generally.

I just wish Kavatime shipoed to UK. I am saving an unopened lb of the gourmet Savusavu because I don't want to dip into it yet lol, although really I should practice living in the moment in the hope that I will be able to acquire more at some point.
 
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AlexisReal

Kava Enthusiast
Let us know how it is. Last years batch was disappointing for the price. Sorry to be a bummer.
Thank you for your thoughts I will certainly do my best but I'm a great kava reviewer and I'm fairly new with so many complications regarding health and substance usage and appraisal but I will do my best I have tried some very high-quality kavs in my 7 months of daily use so I will be able to make that sort of comparison but obviously not to past bathes.
 

Kavacoordinate

Kava Enthusiast
I feel you. Once you find one you really get into, it’s really hard to get back out. I just ordered a LB of Papa Kea at the behest of @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava ;)

I’m excited to try a new GHK kava after a long time. It’s been too long really.
Papa kea is lovely. I right now have fresh frozen Rahmedel from Micronesia roh and it is almost a perfect,. It really reminds me of damu. I also think I found two sources for damu so I will have to see what those end up being liked.
 

_byron

Kava Enthusiast
Papa kea is lovely. I right now have fresh frozen Rahmedel from Micronesia roh and it is almost a perfect,. It really reminds me of damu. I also think I found two sources for damu so I will have to see what those end up being liked.
Please tell me I can buy this somewhere. I do not see it on there website.
 

BulamamatoNCIRVCKKPC

Learn to love me, assemble the ways...
I'm the same, heady kavas give me more anxiety, almost like a comedown effect with depression, etc. I much prefer heavier kavas but I have to be careful because I can feel a bit lethargic after a few days in a row of hitting the heavies hard. TKR used to do a heavier Tongan that was beautiful, my favourite kava ever but apparently he can't get it anymore. Other than that I'm a big fan of Hiwa, Wow, Kava Time Kadavu and a few others that just do the job really nicely.
I have anxiety disorder! Thanks for sharing. I was about to mix up some Nambawan tomorrow, as I ran out of melo melo from both KWK and BKH, none in stock. I think I'll leave it and try a dilute version of Wow instead and Kadavu for my bedtime tea. Great info. I think all I have left is a huge cupboard full of "heady", unopened kavas because I cannot tolerate them and never knew it until I tried a few (mostly, Tongans but, strangely, many Fijians as well).
 

Darcy Jay Strutt

Kava Curious
Really new to kava but of the 3 nice kavas I have tried being Melo Melo, Cactus Kava Mâlôlô & TKR Tongan Family Reserve, the Tongan Family Reserve was amazing,,, 2 shells was enough to glow for hours... really potent cerebral effects as well as pain and anxiety relief. The mongrel grog I made from the makas was equally amazing! Made me fall in love with kava.

I can recommend all three but my favourite thus far is Tongan Family Reserve.

Side note: I enjoyed the taste of it the least lol.
 

Russell Caruso

TravelingMan
With so much being out of stock, I bought some stone from Nakamal At Home. GOOD stuff. Thinking this might be my current favorite. I've been switching between Nambawan & Nangol Noble from BKH for almost a year now. All are favorites of mine, but I think stone has really impressed me and earned itself the favorite title.
 

BulamamatoNCIRVCKKPC

Learn to love me, assemble the ways...
With so much being out of stock, I bought some stone from Nakamal At Home. GOOD stuff. Thinking this might be my current favorite. I've been switching between Nambawan & Nangol Noble from BKH for almost a year now. All are favorites of mine, but I think stone has really impressed me and earned itself the favorite title.
Is it heady or heavy for you? I have an unopened bag of Stone too. Would love to know which I can crack into whilst awaiting the restocking of my two favs (melo melo and borongoru).
 

scaryjarri

Kava Curious
I purchased several pounds after rediscovering it due to not having many Kavas that I really love at the moment. We busted out a bag and its very body for me, so i purchased 3 more.

I would note that I need to consume a lot more water when drinking it and I dont like to session it all day long as its so strong.

We took all of the random bags that weve had open and werent in love with and mixed them in a big 64oz jar. Its brought back some good feelings.

Gourmet Savusavu Waka (from Kava Time) is my absolute favorite - and the benchmark by which I judge all other kavas.
It's also the best tasting kava I have ever tried. It has a light peppery vanilla-y flavor and silky texture (I add a little whole milk as well)
The effects are very balanced for me. Mostly heady though. It's very strong and clean.
The combination of incredibly good flavor, and potent effects is a one-two punch that not all great kavas can claim.
It's definitely a 'top shelf' (aka "kind bud") kava...:)

Kava Tonga, from Kavafied is a close runner up!
It also has great flavor and potent effects.
 

AlexisReal

Kava Enthusiast
I've been drinking a lot of more heavy to balanced style kavas or straight balanced. I find I can drink balanced to heady kavas occasionally too without too much problem. I like Mahakea a lot right now. If you're reacting similar to me then I would say definitely avoid heady Fijian kavas but try some slightly headier Vanuatu or especially Tongan kavas. I find my tolerance to those is a lot better. Loa Waka you would not like, that sent me into a very strange place but Pouni Ono was manageable for me. Most Borogu kavas are just about right in the middle but a lot depends on where it was grown.
Hi Edward. Oldish post. But this you describe may be why you enjoy WoW kava.

I feel a definite, instant mood lift and certain euphoria. The heaviness is not overwhelming, and more gradual.

Intererrsting TKR discontinued an even better Tongan. The two they have now are very high quality.

I am thinking of trying some Borogu, for the first time, from new vendor P.S.L Kava. Looks good.
 
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