Another interesting kava from Chris. At first I was a bit reluctant to try it as I generally prefer light-coloured, heady kavas to some of the heavier, more bitter varieties. And this hiwa is indeed a darker than, let's say, Mapulehu. Its smell is also a bit stronger and more spicy. But certainly not unpleasant.
The grog was also darker. Surprisingly, the taste wasn't as bitter as I would normally expect from such a dark kava. It was rather smooth and easy to drink. Not as "sweet" or "buttery" as some of the light-coloured kavas, but definetely more complex and spicy than bitter.
I didn't have to wait long for the effects. This is certainly a strong kava. After just a couple of shells I felt the familiar "ringing in the ears" which always indicates potency (and potentially a high kavain content). However, the real power of this kava lies in its "deeper" side, which takes a bit more time to get activated. After apx 20-30 minutes I started feeling the heavier effects. A wave of warmth moved from my head towards my shoulders and my back. It felt like a gentle massage. My back pain was gone, my body felt pleasantly light, but I could also feel the familiar kava euphoria. Two of my friends who shared this kava with me also noted how muscle-melting and overly pleasant this kava is. It's also a very long-lasting kava. While we had quite a lot of it (70g per person), it still lasted for much longer than I expected (I could feel it's pleasant effects for hours!). I just wish I had used a bit less water as I sometimes feel a bit bloated from drinking too much liquid (I prefer a few very strong, small shells to fiji/tonga style of drinking 50 watery shells).
In sum, a true muscle-melter. A bit more bitter than some of the headiest and smoothest varieties, but one of the best body-relaxing kavas I've had in a long time. This is what I call a "liquid massage" kava.
I also had absolutely no troubles falling asleep and woke up today feeling fresh and calm.
The grog was also darker. Surprisingly, the taste wasn't as bitter as I would normally expect from such a dark kava. It was rather smooth and easy to drink. Not as "sweet" or "buttery" as some of the light-coloured kavas, but definetely more complex and spicy than bitter.
I didn't have to wait long for the effects. This is certainly a strong kava. After just a couple of shells I felt the familiar "ringing in the ears" which always indicates potency (and potentially a high kavain content). However, the real power of this kava lies in its "deeper" side, which takes a bit more time to get activated. After apx 20-30 minutes I started feeling the heavier effects. A wave of warmth moved from my head towards my shoulders and my back. It felt like a gentle massage. My back pain was gone, my body felt pleasantly light, but I could also feel the familiar kava euphoria. Two of my friends who shared this kava with me also noted how muscle-melting and overly pleasant this kava is. It's also a very long-lasting kava. While we had quite a lot of it (70g per person), it still lasted for much longer than I expected (I could feel it's pleasant effects for hours!). I just wish I had used a bit less water as I sometimes feel a bit bloated from drinking too much liquid (I prefer a few very strong, small shells to fiji/tonga style of drinking 50 watery shells).
In sum, a true muscle-melter. A bit more bitter than some of the headiest and smoothest varieties, but one of the best body-relaxing kavas I've had in a long time. This is what I call a "liquid massage" kava.
I also had absolutely no troubles falling asleep and woke up today feeling fresh and calm.
