KELAI
The Kelai cultivar comes from the island of Epi, a bit north of Vanuatu's main island, Efate. Just as every other island has 2 or 3 favored cultivars for daily drinking, Epi has Kelai. It's very rare for this cultivar to be found online, in fact, I'm not sure if it ever has been...at least not as a single cultivar batch. It may become more visible in the coming years though, as there was recently a deal made to ship cuttings of Kelai to 500 farmers on Erromango island at 100 cuttings per farmer!
Dr Lebot has published the chemotype for Kelai as 426135, although that could surely have some variances over time and from batch to batch etc. He claims this is actually a prized chemotype for the region, for it's low DHM and high Kavain content. However, it is also noted that the most prominent chemotype throughout Vanuatu is actually 246531. Lately it's become more clear to me that chemotype alone is not always a perfect indicator of what a kava will be like, but there are definitely some of aspects of it that can be a good indicator, for a very generalized quick judgement. As far as my needs & preferences for kava go, I fall STRONGLY in favor of the 246531 varieties, over the 426135 varieties...just as rule of thumb. There have definitely been some exceptions.
The Scent: Light and creamy, with slight hint of overripe pineapple or banana. Possibly the most appealing kava aroma I've come across yet.
The Taste: Creamy but with a surprising and distinct heat to it. An effervescent heat like raw ginger or black pepper. It washes away quickly and isn't strongly bitter, so I still consider it a very mild flavor, despite the heat.
The Effect: Unmistakably heady. Solely heady, or quite near it. It's VERY light and easy on the body. The effects are felt primarily behind your eyes and nowhere else. I've come to find that there can be two kinds of "heady" kavas...some are distinctly heady but also have other elements layered upon it. Perhaps that's what I'd call "heady, leaning balanced". Then there are others that are heady, but with no other layers. In my experience, this Kelai is a strongly "un-layered" heady kava. Sometimes I refer to these kavas as "empty".
The transition from sobriety to feeling my first shell kick was very noticeable, and was my favorite part of drinking this one, with that pleasurable calm swirly feeling in my eyes/head being very apparent in the beginning. As the drinking continues, I retain a more subtle and light kava vibe. For me, these kinds of kava do not build upon each other or grow into anything more layered or significant...it's all about the initial "hit"...at least at the pace that I consume.
While I personally prefer a more layered kava, I definitely enjoyed the 'lighter' less bogged down feeling, reduced nausea , better post-kava appetite and minimal residual morning sluggishness...that's where these cultivars really shine for me. This is a pinnacle daytime kava, one that allows you to get some chill vibes in, while still being physically willing and capable of doing active things. I'd put it on par with heady classics like Hawai'i's 'Awa Mo'i or Tongan 'white kavas'. They aren't what I'm looking for most of the time, but I know there are a lot of people who are, and I'm glad they exist for the occasions that I find them useful in my life.
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