First time ordering kava, can you help me pick from my finalists? :)

[kl.techie420]

Hi Kava pro's and newbies alike, I just posted something on this site yesterday but it wasn't in the forum so who knows if anyone sees it unless they are looking there, or the person who started that topic.  So I'll paste it here again so I don't to write it twice!  

Trying to decide between trying as my first time ordering this great
stuff, based on reviews here, either of your two top ranking kavas -
1. Paradise Kava - 100% Hawaiian Awa 9.8/10
2. Hawaiian Kava Center "Hiwa" Kava 9.8/10
And of course Venuatu3 which is apparantly rarely in stock, and even read here someone got a batch not near as strong as the first one reviewed.

Also
under my scope after reading all your reviews, is Kava Kauai's Vanuatu (want to try this variety eventually!) and Fiji, as well as Pacific Kava - Waka Kava. What would you try
first..knowing what you know now? haha  (and if you couldn't order from Nakmal@home)  Seems the higher ranking kavas aren't necessarily basic ones from Fiji or Vanuatu..at first I thought I'd only have to read about 2 or 3 kinds, but I've read most of the reports here and then there are a couple other companies not mentioned much as well I'm curious about.  Like, has anyone recently tried some stuff from Kava Kauai? (they are only briefly mentioned here..)  And did that one Fijian kind ever get reviewed that people were waiting for..? As well there was a section of this forum where PNG was the only kind reviewed, from Kule Kava Farm, but curious about their other products?

So far I love the look of the creamy kavas, though the Hiwa review doesn't show a very creamy looking bowl, the review makes it sound incredible!  Whereas, the pictures of the 100% Hawaiian Awa (Paradise) in the review, look amazing, both the powder and the bowl of it prepared (grog you call it?). 

By the way, I didn't mention any of the N@home ones because they claim
on their site they don't ship to Canada, so I'm trying to choose from
other ones. I see there is kavacanada.ca website, but they basically are
selling with shipping included, the 2 main products from Kava Kauai
(realkava) plus the popular hi-ranked 'mix' of kavas from Paradise. Their totals are
just about the same as if I ordered it direct. Not sure if there's any
advantage to one or the other..but wasn't impressed that there were links
which led to Kona Kava around the site, and only hearing less favorable
reviews about them.. other than that, their prices are in Canadian
dollars and include shipping so it may be the same either way. Any
help/ideas are appreciated, thanks for the great reviews! In the absence
of any kava here yet, I'm living off the reviews! haha
Anonymous
said...(Under Pacific Waka review)



Oops, hope its okay this didn't land in the forum but under one of the
varieties of kava I'm interested in - it appears to be the stronger of
the Fijan varieties. I do want a good taste but also a strong-ish
effect. Can tell the hi-ranking kavas reviewed here are all super, just
trying to pick one. $45 (Hiwa, or Venatu) or go for the more expensive
$70 for Paradise's 100% Hawaiian Awa 'blend'? I like the sounds of the great taste of Fijan but
not sure if I'll find it strong enough? It sounds like it has pretty
enjoyable effects as well however. Thanks again! Looking forward to ordering my first one or two varieties of the best kava that can be bought online these days, not sure when I'll get to try the fresh-frozen stuff tho!  -Jordan (next kava-convert in-waiting..)Vanccouver Island, BC, Canada

 

[kl.Lanake]

Can't go wrong with Hawaiian Kava Center Hiwa. They also sell Opihikao "spotted hiwa". Fresh frozen root from Paradise Kava is the best in the taste category of any kava's I've tried. I also recommend that one if its' available.

 

[starsofclay]

Someone has told me very ademantly that paradise kava's hiwa is much better than hawaiin kava center's hiwa! but i've only tried hkc hiwa, which is good also.



and fiji waka is excellent, and also a great amount for the price



don't try kona kava anytime soon until you can feel the effects of kava better because it is pretty weak/mild.

 

[kl.techie420]

Hey thanks for the replies folks, yeah starsofclay, I don't actually plan on ever trying kona kava. A friend had some once, and I got ready to order a bag like he had, but then I found this site..I don't send away money for online things without careful consideration, I don't just have money to burn..though I do 'smoke' through some of my money.. haha But anyways, I now know of several better choices than kona, it is a shame their site looks so appealing and legit/professional, and yet...sounds like people aren't feeling any of their products as strongly as these other companies. I now see you've posted a few links to yet more vendors who aren't reviewed on here..I presume the companies reviewed here are the most popularly-used ones? Have you tried anything from that company that had yet another new kava you hadn't heard of? I was following some links from this forum you posted. For now of course, I want to order from a place that's been tried/tested/approved by many.



Well based on your newest suggestion, I just peeked at Paradise's site again, is that 'Hiwa' they sell? They say it's "Grown organically, our kava is a blend of Native Hawaiian Cultivars only. You will find that no two batches of micro processed kava are perfectly identical." Oh I see from the review here that: "According to the Paradise Kava website, this is a blend of Hiwa, Mahakea, and Mo'i varieties"



HKC's description says "Private reserve Hiwa, micronized (hiwa, 1#). One pound of 100% Hawaiian kava root powder, Hiwa variety, naturally grown (organic fertilizers, no pesticides/herbicides) in Hawai'i, sun-dried, micronized for a melt in your mouth texture and efficient absorbtion" Definitely sounds appealing, but if you think the other one for about $25 more for a pound, from Paradise, is possibly a better choice, I'd consider it instead. I'm just wondering if, for the $70, if it truly goes a very long way..?



So guess one is a blend, and one is just micronized private reserve Hiwa.. by fiji waka do you mean from Pacific?



Oh I wish I could be the next kava-reviewer and get samples sent to me..! however I guess if I've tried hardly any of them (maybe one time did a mellow amount of kona kava that I was offered, which was hastily blended in the blender and then strained..lol) and can't order from nakmal@home, then I wouldn't make a very good reviewer unless I had access to all the varieties. I am quite attentive, good with words, and love trying new entheogens and legal and healthier highs. I could be an unofficial reviewer, you could sneak me samples of the ones N@H won't ship me to Canada! haha



I assume there are a few well-seasoned kava drinkers/reviewers here even in the absence of the main guy who does it? I still think I could catch up with y'all if I could just order all the varieties.

 

[starsofclay]

well by fiji waka i mean from kava by rex. ( kavabyrex.com )



yeah the "hiwa" from paradise kava that i was referring to is a blend of hiwa mahakea and mo'i, but apparantly that blend is much more pleasurable than just hiwa alone. i have the hiwa from hawaiin kava center, and it is nice but to be honest i hardly ever drink it by itself, i usually blend it with something to round out the effects a little better. I have mixed it with malekulah magic from vanatau kava store, which turned out nice, i really don't like the magic by itself either. I've also mixed it with a kava that i bought from rcoz, a user on here, and the taste was a little heavy but also good effects. so in my opinion i would go for the one that is already a mix, and it probably is the next on my list.



don't pay 70 dollars for a pound of it from paradise kava though, try the smallest bag, just to see how you like it first. in fact if you really are trying to try alot of kavas i would suggest buying the smallest amount you can from each vendor because there are going to be some that you may not end up liking. even if they do get great reviews on here, the effects are different for everyone. I for one do not like solomon, the taste is too strong for my taste and i only got good effects from it once, the other times where dull.



n@h is so expensive, and there are so many other good kavas out there that do ship to canada, that i wouldn't worry about missing too much.