Coming off of Nambawan the previous night, the Mahakea didn't hit like a truck. I was on an empty stomach and had just worked out.
I know that the kavalactone percentage on this one is quite high, but I didn't find it to be a "strong" kava in the sense that I became either sedated or giddy with headiness. The slow-eyes effect was not very pronounced. Overall I think I feel pretty much "normal" but "better."
Prep and Taste
It's a little darker than the Nene... more into the chocolate milk range. The taste was not bitter at all, but I got a little bulaface from one of the cups. It went down easily and I didn't get much if any tummy gurgling upon drinking it. I brewed about 3 cups of grog on 1/2 cup of Mahakea root, which is my usual ratio. I try to keep the parameters more or less the same when reviewing something.
Onset and Effects
I could feel something at 40 minutes, and it wasn't a heady rush or the sense that gravity had increased around my chair. I'm not flying, and I'm not grounded. It's really very much in the middle. I listened to my go-to chillout music, but found that to be a little too sedate. I tried some upbeat music but found that to be a little too energetic. In the end, I stopped listening to music and played through some demos on the Oculus Rift I borrowed from work. I ran around in a few virtual reality environments before finding one that really jived nicely with the Mahakea mood: a creepy dark horror game where I crept around in dimly lit corridors and explored an abandoned hospital building. I could feel a chill on my arms and down my back. It was due to the VR experience, but heightened by the Mahakea.
I wasn't moved to poetry with this one, but do notice a nice cool feeling pulsing slowly in my torso. My heart never raced, and I had no giddiness, but I do feel overwhelmingly calm. The anxiolytic properties are quite good.
In Summary
Basically this was an easy to drink kava that didn't hit me very hard in the head or body, but gave me a sort of liquid calmness and even-handed clarity. I feel like I could function on-the-job (programmer) with no problems in this state. I feel pretty stolid and unflappable. I doubt I could get upset or stressed out in this mode. I think chilling out listening to live jazz would be perfect right now. I get the sense that drifting off to sleep is going to be a very pleasant experience tonight. I didn't get the *strength* aspect of Mahakea. Maybe I just don't. This is my second go around with it and it seems a very even and balanced experience. I'm not sure where others are feeling the strength kicking in.
Good stuff. Didn't knock my socks off but is quite nice.
Morning After Effects
Holy crap, I slept like a baby and I woke up feeling AWESOME. I didn't spring from the bed, but now that I'm up and moving around I feel fantastic. I feel light, happy with an easy laugh and grin and I'm excited that it's Friday, and that I'm going to get my annual performance review at work today and that I have a whole weekend ahead of me for adventures.
Wow! This is the most significant and pronounced positive "hangover" effect I've ever had with Kava. Just WONDERFUL.
I know that the kavalactone percentage on this one is quite high, but I didn't find it to be a "strong" kava in the sense that I became either sedated or giddy with headiness. The slow-eyes effect was not very pronounced. Overall I think I feel pretty much "normal" but "better."
Prep and Taste
It's a little darker than the Nene... more into the chocolate milk range. The taste was not bitter at all, but I got a little bulaface from one of the cups. It went down easily and I didn't get much if any tummy gurgling upon drinking it. I brewed about 3 cups of grog on 1/2 cup of Mahakea root, which is my usual ratio. I try to keep the parameters more or less the same when reviewing something.
Onset and Effects
I could feel something at 40 minutes, and it wasn't a heady rush or the sense that gravity had increased around my chair. I'm not flying, and I'm not grounded. It's really very much in the middle. I listened to my go-to chillout music, but found that to be a little too sedate. I tried some upbeat music but found that to be a little too energetic. In the end, I stopped listening to music and played through some demos on the Oculus Rift I borrowed from work. I ran around in a few virtual reality environments before finding one that really jived nicely with the Mahakea mood: a creepy dark horror game where I crept around in dimly lit corridors and explored an abandoned hospital building. I could feel a chill on my arms and down my back. It was due to the VR experience, but heightened by the Mahakea.
I wasn't moved to poetry with this one, but do notice a nice cool feeling pulsing slowly in my torso. My heart never raced, and I had no giddiness, but I do feel overwhelmingly calm. The anxiolytic properties are quite good.
In Summary
Basically this was an easy to drink kava that didn't hit me very hard in the head or body, but gave me a sort of liquid calmness and even-handed clarity. I feel like I could function on-the-job (programmer) with no problems in this state. I feel pretty stolid and unflappable. I doubt I could get upset or stressed out in this mode. I think chilling out listening to live jazz would be perfect right now. I get the sense that drifting off to sleep is going to be a very pleasant experience tonight. I didn't get the *strength* aspect of Mahakea. Maybe I just don't. This is my second go around with it and it seems a very even and balanced experience. I'm not sure where others are feeling the strength kicking in.
Good stuff. Didn't knock my socks off but is quite nice.
Morning After Effects
Holy crap, I slept like a baby and I woke up feeling AWESOME. I didn't spring from the bed, but now that I'm up and moving around I feel fantastic. I feel light, happy with an easy laugh and grin and I'm excited that it's Friday, and that I'm going to get my annual performance review at work today and that I have a whole weekend ahead of me for adventures.
Wow! This is the most significant and pronounced positive "hangover" effect I've ever had with Kava. Just WONDERFUL.
