I got a nice fat bag of Kumakua from @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava
and have now officially dusted it. It's always fun to try a new cultivar, especially one that doesn't seem to be widely accessible outside of it's homeland. Judging from what I could recall of the early reviews on the forum, I thought it was going to be a full blast head-only type of kava. But, much to my surprise, I was glad to find out it was more than that...in my experience.
The taste was a fairly standard, earthy bitter. One thing that stood out, I'd say, was a more 'woody' flavor.
The heady effects were not an immediate blast, but something that began to emerge strongly after a few shells. Nice & wooshy, yet chill.
The heavy effects were on the upper end of mild. While there is a perception of heaviness, it's not actually felt in your entire body.
The sedative effects were very smooth and chill. A nice comforting embrace. Gently pushing you into slow and calm relaxation.
This and the anxiolytic effect seem to kick in gently 1st, while the head effects build. After the peak, the sedation becomes sleepy.
The anxiolytic effect synergized perfectly with the early sedation, to put me in a soft cozy bubble.
Overall it's a great kava. A small step above some of the more middle-of-the-road kavas, that I've also enjoyed. I personally liked that it wasn't the lightest head-only type of vibe. It has that slow-mo, slow down vibe that I might compare to Mapulehu or 'Opihikao. The difference being, Kumakua ends up having more of a head rush than Mapulehu and less of the 'magic sparkle' than 'Opihikao.
I get the feeling that slamming large doses quickly or chuggin' down a micronized version of this might be a major experience.
It still can't dethrone Maha/Papakea, but if you get a chance, you should give it a try, and see if Kumakua is the one for you-uh.
The taste was a fairly standard, earthy bitter. One thing that stood out, I'd say, was a more 'woody' flavor.
The heady effects were not an immediate blast, but something that began to emerge strongly after a few shells. Nice & wooshy, yet chill.
The heavy effects were on the upper end of mild. While there is a perception of heaviness, it's not actually felt in your entire body.
The sedative effects were very smooth and chill. A nice comforting embrace. Gently pushing you into slow and calm relaxation.
This and the anxiolytic effect seem to kick in gently 1st, while the head effects build. After the peak, the sedation becomes sleepy.
The anxiolytic effect synergized perfectly with the early sedation, to put me in a soft cozy bubble.
Overall it's a great kava. A small step above some of the more middle-of-the-road kavas, that I've also enjoyed. I personally liked that it wasn't the lightest head-only type of vibe. It has that slow-mo, slow down vibe that I might compare to Mapulehu or 'Opihikao. The difference being, Kumakua ends up having more of a head rush than Mapulehu and less of the 'magic sparkle' than 'Opihikao.
I get the feeling that slamming large doses quickly or chuggin' down a micronized version of this might be a major experience.
It still can't dethrone Maha/Papakea, but if you get a chance, you should give it a try, and see if Kumakua is the one for you-uh.
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