I was excited to try Papa Kea after reading some very old reviews of it. I didn't know much about it except that it had a favorable chemotype (462351) was strong (20-22% kavalactones, holy crap). It's a little fireplug of a plant, all short and knobbly and thick.
And it packs a lot of punch.
Preparation and Taste
It's a waxy one. Probably because it's extremely fresh. I have a theory that the waxier kava (leaves lots of waxy yellow-brown residue on the strainer) is fresher, though I haven't looked into it. Anyways, it took some serious elbow grease to strain the 2 heaping tbs through the 25 micron nylon bag. Towards the end, especially.
The water was cloudy immediately, and then took on the telltale look of kava pretty fast. Lots of oil suspended in water makes for an interesting look.
Taste (I drink it warm after straining) was very mild and tastes a lot like many of the GHK kava varieties. Not harsh at all, mild flavor and some bitterness as to be expected, at the very end.
Onset and Effects
At 30 minutes, it started to make some rumblings. At 40 it hit me like a freight train with very strong body and body-head effects. The feeling of moving around as if through a thick invisible fluid. Eye lag, shoulder droop (relaxation) and light haze. This was at 3 shells that I drank very close together, and at my 4th I was starting to feel some nausea because I was drinking them too close together.
Full effects at just after an hour. The body feeling was strong, deep and not entirely comfortable. A little unsteady on standing. In part because of vertigo and eye lag, but also loose limbs that felt uncoordinated.
Multiple times the thought occurred to me "Man, Papa Kea ain't nothin' to fuck with." thinking of the Dave Chappelle sketch for Wu Tang Financial where they're all dancing at the end.
Next Morning Effects
I did feel a little low in the morning. My alarm clock woke me into a state of happy sleepiness that I endeavored to maintain at all costs. The cost of showing up 2 hours late to work, for example. It made perfect logical sense at the time.
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
It's strong. Yes. And it's surprising that Kavain is so high in the chemotype, because it was less euphoric than other kava like Boroguru and Borongoru even. In fact, I found it to be mildly dysphoric to a degree, but not fully unpleasant. It was an interesting kava for me because it's completely unique in that regard.
I will come back to it in the rotation and give it another try, but I found it to be a good experience, but not a great one. It's a body-centric kava with heavy effects on the head as well.
Until then, I will be using it to to mix with other varieties that lack the punch but have other qualities I'm after.
And it packs a lot of punch.
Preparation and Taste
It's a waxy one. Probably because it's extremely fresh. I have a theory that the waxier kava (leaves lots of waxy yellow-brown residue on the strainer) is fresher, though I haven't looked into it. Anyways, it took some serious elbow grease to strain the 2 heaping tbs through the 25 micron nylon bag. Towards the end, especially.
The water was cloudy immediately, and then took on the telltale look of kava pretty fast. Lots of oil suspended in water makes for an interesting look.
Taste (I drink it warm after straining) was very mild and tastes a lot like many of the GHK kava varieties. Not harsh at all, mild flavor and some bitterness as to be expected, at the very end.
Onset and Effects
At 30 minutes, it started to make some rumblings. At 40 it hit me like a freight train with very strong body and body-head effects. The feeling of moving around as if through a thick invisible fluid. Eye lag, shoulder droop (relaxation) and light haze. This was at 3 shells that I drank very close together, and at my 4th I was starting to feel some nausea because I was drinking them too close together.
Full effects at just after an hour. The body feeling was strong, deep and not entirely comfortable. A little unsteady on standing. In part because of vertigo and eye lag, but also loose limbs that felt uncoordinated.
Multiple times the thought occurred to me "Man, Papa Kea ain't nothin' to fuck with." thinking of the Dave Chappelle sketch for Wu Tang Financial where they're all dancing at the end.
Next Morning Effects
I did feel a little low in the morning. My alarm clock woke me into a state of happy sleepiness that I endeavored to maintain at all costs. The cost of showing up 2 hours late to work, for example. It made perfect logical sense at the time.
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
It's strong. Yes. And it's surprising that Kavain is so high in the chemotype, because it was less euphoric than other kava like Boroguru and Borongoru even. In fact, I found it to be mildly dysphoric to a degree, but not fully unpleasant. It was an interesting kava for me because it's completely unique in that regard.
I will come back to it in the rotation and give it another try, but I found it to be a good experience, but not a great one. It's a body-centric kava with heavy effects on the head as well.
Until then, I will be using it to to mix with other varieties that lack the punch but have other qualities I'm after.
Also it is a slow growing kava and I think that is why it is so different than the rest ans so strong. It is also in limited supply because it is one of the more rare Hawaiian kava's
