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Loa Lawena First Try

fueledbykava

Kava enthusiast
Just wanted to post a review from a semi-experienced Kava drinker. Wow this variety was different. Being chemotype 426351, I felt that this one would be a good variety to try given how low chemotype 5 is listed and I have had nausea/illness in the past from other varieties.

The first thing that I noticed is the distinctly different smell and taste that this one had. It immediately smelled of butter to me, with a secondary smell of burnt wood/fresh charcoal/fireplace smell. The smell and the taste was overpowering at first, but after feeling the effect, the taste was not such a big deal for me and was something that I was willing to look past. Also, I found that peanut butter covered the taste very well and acted as a potent chaser.

I would describe the feeling as somewhere between an alcohol drunk with a bit of a heavy indica type of relaxation. It was different than any other strains that I had tried to date from Cactus as well as other vendors, and despite the original contempt for the taste has become my current favorite in terms of the effects. Will buy again!
 

fueledbykava

Kava enthusiast
Just wanted to follow up to this review. I've found that unlike any other kava that I've tried to date, this specific chemotype doesn't give me any nausea whatsoever.

In the past couple of months, I've tried several Kavas from different cultivars and of varying chemotypes. They've all been fantastic and unique experiences, and have afforded me the ability to learn much more about this fantastic plant. Loa Lawena was the latest new try, and after going through over a pound of it so far, I've only had the slight side effects of a bit of bloating and sometimes a bit of heartburn, both of which I will gladly take over the nausea that, up until now, I've just accepted as a side effect that I would have to live with when drinking kava.

So it seems that I'm one of the few that is more sensitive to Kava, but hey, if taking a tums, drinking some water, and chewing on a few salteens is all I need to abate these symptoms, then that's a win for me. Also, I've read other reviews that mentioned that since this variety is a stump root type, it will be headier, so perhaps this type would be easier on my GI tract going forward. I can't wait to try more, but for now, I've found a solid favorite that I can drink regularly.
 

fueledbykava

Kava enthusiast
Hello there, yet another follow up!

Having begun to love this Kava, I went ahead and purchased two 1lb bags of it. I've open one of which and prepared it my usual way (rubbing it against itself in the mesh bag in a bowl of warm water, occasionally kneading and squeezing it against the walls and bottom of the bowl), and noticed that this particular harvest was pretty weak. I actually don't feel any effects from it at all, having upped the amount that I use from one half cup to one cup of powder per two cups of water.

I've also tried using almond milk with the water (as the kavalactones are lipophillic) with 1tsp of soy lecithin to attempt to increase the potency, as well as trying the blender method by letting it run for a few minutes and then squeezing it through the strainer bag.

Neither methods increased the potency to the point that I feel the effects like I had in the past. It's a shame that it happened to be a full 1lb bag (that I've mostly depleted in my potency trial variations) and I'm hoping that the second bag is stronger.

I've written Cactus Kava asking if this is normal and how often should this occur, helping me to better decide how much I should purchase at once in the future but have not heard back (it's been several days).

Better luck next time I suppose!
 

The Kap'n

The Groggy Kaptain (40g)
KavaForums Founder
Thank you for keeping us up to date with your findings. Threads like these really do help us understand the kavas that are out there. In terms of batch variation, yeah, it's pretty normal among most kava vendors. One bag will knock you out of the park, while the next could leave you wanting a refund. Kava being a natural, non-standardized product will have variations, sometimes wildly.
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
Hello there, yet another follow up!

Having begun to love this Kava, I went ahead and purchased two 1lb bags of it. I've open one of which and prepared it my usual way (rubbing it against itself in the mesh bag in a bowl of warm water, occasionally kneading and squeezing it against the walls and bottom of the bowl), and noticed that this particular harvest was pretty weak. I actually don't feel any effects from it at all, having upped the amount that I use from one half cup to one cup of powder per two cups of water.

I've also tried using almond milk with the water (as the kavalactones are lipophillic) with 1tsp of soy lecithin to attempt to increase the potency, as well as trying the blender method by letting it run for a few minutes and then squeezing it through the strainer bag.

Neither methods increased the potency to the point that I feel the effects like I had in the past. It's a shame that it happened to be a full 1lb bag (that I've mostly depleted in my potency trial variations) and I'm hoping that the second bag is stronger.

I've written Cactus Kava asking if this is normal and how often should this occur, helping me to better decide how much I should purchase at once in the future but have not heard back (it's been several days).

Better luck next time I suppose!
There are some other vendors like squanch kava that have very god Lawena , you could always try from a different vendor until you find the right one for you.
 

fueledbykava

Kava enthusiast
There are some other vendors like squanch kava that have very god Lawena , you could always try from a different vendor until you find the right one for you.
Thanks for the suggestion! I will definitely check them out. I have had a good experience with Cactus until this last batch, but am certainly open to trying other vendors' as well!
 

fueledbykava

Kava enthusiast
Thank you for keeping us up to date with your findings. Threads like these really do help us understand the kavas that are out there. In terms of batch variation, yeah, it's pretty normal among most kava vendors. One bag will knock you out of the park, while the next could leave you wanting a refund. Kava being a natural, non-standardized product will have variations, sometimes wildly.
Good to know that this is expected. This being the first type of kava that I can tolerate, I hadnt yet begun consuming enough of any one brand or variety to track differences amongst those factors. Happy to continue contributing and sharing my experiences!
 

Croixton

Newbie
Hey Fueledbykava - I order 90% of my kava from cactus kava (and I go through about 4-5 pounds a month). This last batch of loa lawena had a really strong chemical smell and taste, and it's the first time I've ever not been able to drink kava! Luckily I ordered some "eva from them as well, and some micronized (both were fine), because I have two pounds of kava on my hands that I'm going to have to throw out! I've reached out to them via their website and fb messenger, but they haven't responded. I'm pretty disappointed, and now looking around for a new budget kava that meets my needs (heady/euphoric, fast shipping, easy on the bank account).
 

fueledbykava

Kava enthusiast
Hey Fueledbykava - I order 90% of my kava from cactus kava (and I go through about 4-5 pounds a month). This last batch of loa lawena had a really strong chemical smell and taste, and it's the first time I've ever not been able to drink kava! Luckily I ordered some "eva from them as well, and some micronized (both were fine), because I have two pounds of kava on my hands that I'm going to have to throw out! I've reached out to them via their website and fb messenger, but they haven't responded. I'm pretty disappointed, and now looking around for a new budget kava that meets my needs (heady/euphoric, fast shipping, easy on the bank account).
Wow, interesting. I wonder what's going on with them. I'm willing to give businesses the benefit of the doubt on certain things nowadays what with covid and all, but I would expect at the bare minimum to be able to answer emails and messages. In the meantime, I'm thinking of giving Squanch and Fiji Fresh a try as they both also have lowenas.
 
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