- cpReview
- {"Grade":8,"Potency":8,"Mind":8,"Body":5,"Anxiety":8,"Sedative":7,"Taste":"-1","Preparation":"8-10 Tbsp in 3 cups hot water. Strained with a 150 micron strainer.","Duration":"","SideEffects":"Enjoyment.","Headline":"A semi-deep mystical buzz that's both heady & sedating yet, somehow, simultaneously light & sufficiently potent."}
Melomelo is a popular kava in Vanuatu, that used to be more available online in the past. It's largely grown on the island of Ambae and is one of the two known cultivars exported to and grown in Solomon Islands. This Melomelo has a great zesty, Vanuatuan peppery scent, with a hint of something sweet and clean to it. It's pretty similar to Borogu in it's scent and flavor, but it has a hint of it's own distinct magic going on as well. While the flavor is similar to other peppery Vanuatu roots, it's a bit gentler, watered down and quicker to dissipate. This is a good thing. The grind is a bit chunky, but still has a lot of fine powder too. To maximize your results I'd recommend using at least a 100 micron strainer. I had the best results using a 150 micron strainer. I attempted a 200 micron once, but it only increased negative side effects without increasing the desirable effects.
The first shell typically seemed pretty light and heady, but every time I slammed a 2nd shell the effects kicked in nicely and brought me to a pretty sweet place that's been hard for me to get to with most kavas lately. Successive shells bring me deeper, when the heady and mildly 'mystic' elements fade, it leaves me in a very calm, clear, sedated state. What stood out to me was how this kava was kind of heavy without really being heavy the way I know it...and heady without being weak. The heaviness is not the full body musculoskeletal heaviness/inebriation like you'd typically get with high DHM, but it's heavy/balanced, fizzy zen-like state of mind that your body flows along with. I'd say this kava is balanced, not heavy in the traditional way, but heavy in some way. Lighter on the stomach than a DHM type too...well, except for the night I used a 200 micron strainer, that was rough on the gut.
Overall, it's a near perfect Vanuatu kava, with a wide enough effects spectrum to please just about any drinker. Using my 150 micron strainer, it gave me strong enough results for me to be completely happy with the purchase and the experience. That's a rarity for me these days. My expectations are low these days and this one was a pleasant surprise.
The first shell typically seemed pretty light and heady, but every time I slammed a 2nd shell the effects kicked in nicely and brought me to a pretty sweet place that's been hard for me to get to with most kavas lately. Successive shells bring me deeper, when the heady and mildly 'mystic' elements fade, it leaves me in a very calm, clear, sedated state. What stood out to me was how this kava was kind of heavy without really being heavy the way I know it...and heady without being weak. The heaviness is not the full body musculoskeletal heaviness/inebriation like you'd typically get with high DHM, but it's heavy/balanced, fizzy zen-like state of mind that your body flows along with. I'd say this kava is balanced, not heavy in the traditional way, but heavy in some way. Lighter on the stomach than a DHM type too...well, except for the night I used a 200 micron strainer, that was rough on the gut.
Overall, it's a near perfect Vanuatu kava, with a wide enough effects spectrum to please just about any drinker. Using my 150 micron strainer, it gave me strong enough results for me to be completely happy with the purchase and the experience. That's a rarity for me these days. My expectations are low these days and this one was a pleasant surprise.
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