The Awful Taste of Plain Kava?

[Pacifico]

Am I the only one that enjoys it? I rather enjoy the change up from the flavors in life that we are often programmed to enjoy. Does the lack of toleration for such tastes start with things like grape flavored cough medicine? Added sweeteners (sugar and marshmallows) to a sweet potato? Kettle corn? Chocolate-covered cherries? Sure, I like flavors too but I think I will take my kava natural most of the time. I must admit though, I saw someone at the kava bar mixing in ginger beer and I was curious. I do add a little carbonated water to mine too. That I am guilty of. Are there any long time kava drinkers here that still can't take the taste?

 

[Vekta]

Nope, you're not the only one that enjoys it.
I personally get a lot of flavor out of plain kava, some more than others. Smell is apart of taste as well. I find that I enjoy kava more if I smell it first. You'll see this in my reviews. It's not all dirt and pine cones.

 

[kavadude]

I've been at it for a few years now and still dislike the taste and texture. I enjoy the taste of fresh kava -- it's not unlike as Kapmcrunk described it "anesthetic green tea." The powdered stuff I just never enjoy. I suppose I could make it real weak, or use instant/micronized and dress it up a lot, but I'd rather get it over with.

 

[Pacifico]

@Vekta I am drinking out ot carob wood right now. I love the smell. Great combo.

 

[Poivrier]

The first times I loved kava's taste...now that I am a more "seasoned" drinker I really dislikes it !
Reflecting back, I think that when I discovered kava I wanted to like the taste, I wanted it to have a good taste...didn't worked lol

But I still love to open the kava bag: the smell of the powder is mysterious and unique, I love it.
I wish I could taste fresh kava one day !

 

[Pacifico]

So funny, this topic! I have witnessed my share of foreign visitors in the United States spit out root beer but Americans drink it like crazy! Then I have seen Americans try vegemite and spit that out! All of the flavors at kava bars are a little crazy to me but I suppose James Bond thinks that the martini list at the martini bar are a little crazy too.

 

[Steve Mariotti]

It tastes bad, but it's good tasting bad tasting stuff. My brain has been reprogrammed to enjoy the flavor now, because I know what it portends.

@Poivrier, I've gone the opposite direction. At first I was pretty sure there was no way I could drink this stuff. The musty dirty organic smell with the dead-animal after taste was too much to bear. My first tries of the PG extract Kava-9 was met with actual full-on revulsion and I figured I'd drop it because of the bad taste.

Then when i started going with the ground root and kneading, I started to get an appeciation for the smell and flavor.

Now I "appreciate" the flavor, but I still don't like it. Kind of like "appreciating" free-form Jazz instead of genuinely liking it.

 

[Casper]

My first few times, I was gagging. I blame it mostly on me trying to make a drink out of it rather than chugging. My brain grew to associate the smell with my bad experience, and started gagging even before the glass hit my mouth.
I've tried several kavas so far, there are a few Hawaiian ones that make me gag on smell, but by association only. Have a sweet smell.
I found diet coke to match the taste receptors with Kava. If I chug a 8oz glass followed by a shot of diet coke, I get almost no aftertaste (except if I burp, nose can smell it)
My newest experience is with Silk original. I replace 1/2 the water with silk. After I fire back the diet coke, its like I just had a coke float. Going to try the same with root beet.

 

[Poivrier]

Lol do the kava erase the awful diet coke's aftertaste ?

 

[Pacifico]

And does it take the hair off of your teeth?

 

[blindy107]

The aversion you get doesn't seem to last forever. I had it for the first few months as well. Just the smell would give me the shiver.

 

[muzzled dogg]

Lately I've been using vanilla bean powder to mask the worst of the taste

 

[Kimmer]

oOoO. I have some good vanilla bean powder.

 

[Steve Mariotti]

My initial revulsion with the smell and taste of it slowly went away over two months of consumption. Now my palate is prepared and I can really plumb the depths of flavor in whatever variety I'm drinking. I like to roll it around in my mouth afterwards, get some air in through the nose and mouth and let the flavors pop. It's still not "good" tasting. Not at all, but now that I'm prepared for what's coming, I'm able to appreciate the many different tastes that a shell brings. I'm well past the "choke it down" phase. This may not happen for everyone, but as someone who has an experimental palate, I was happy that kava was no different than any other oddball flavor I've squared off against.

 

[Pacifico]

My initial revulsion with the smell and taste of it slowly went away over two months of consumption. Now my palate is prepared and I can really plumb the depths of flavor in whatever variety I'm drinking. I like to roll it around in my mouth afterwards, get some air in through the nose and mouth and let the flavors pop. It's still not "good" tasting. Not at all, but now that I'm prepared for what's coming, I'm able to appreciate the many different tastes that a shell brings. I'm well past the "choke it down" phase. This may not happen for everyone, but as someone who has an experimental palate, I was happy that kava was no different than any other oddball flavor I've squared off against.

Good call. I like to mix Tang and Crystal Light with it but I have never had any issues with the normal taste(s). It is a break from Sonic flavors.

 

[tomkrat]

i like the tastes of kava: nutty, peppery, piney, grassy, earthy deliciousness. every variety is a little bit different and i've liked all the kinds i've tried. i don't chug it down and i do roll it around in my mouth a little as someone else mentioned. i liked it right off the bat too, i guess that's weird but so am i.