To my surprise, the Solomon Islands kava arrived today. It smelled really fresh, and although it's a powder that's not clumpy, it seems almost oily. I scooped up 1/3 of a cup and put it into a blender with a tablespoon of MCT oil (for those who don't know, it's the concentrated good fat that comes from coconut oil or palm oil) and a cup and a third of warm water. I blended it for a minute or so, and I have found this method to yield results that are at least as good as 10+ minutes of kneading. Then I squeezed it out and let it cool in the fridge until I was ready to drink it later. I haven't had this kind for a long time, and I have become quite a bit better-versed in kava varieties, and it tasted somewhat Tongan to me. That's really where the similarity stopped because it comes on fast, and it is much clearer, more cerebral, and much more powerfully relaxing than anything I have sipped from Tonga. This one is absolutely as unique as I remember it. With this one, I experience great clarity, sharpness of concentration, and an excellent sense of well-being and pure calmness. I think that this one is quite perfect. It remains my #1 kava of all time. That being said, I am looking forward to comparing/contrasting it with koniak on Monday night.
I'm sorry that this is so brief, but I'm having trouble with comparing the two of them very well.