Which kava do you prefer?
- Thread starter Alark
- Start date
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Cultivars, root types, vendors?
This would be my thought for each of these situations:
Work: Kava Vinaka Chief's Choice, Kava Mama Kavasseur Select
Stress: PSL Bir Kar, Squanch Waka, Nakamal at Home Stone or Black Sand, GHK Mo'i or Hiwa
Anxiety: Squanch Lawena, Kava Mama Kavasseur Select
As a general rule, for anxiety you're going to want to stick to Lawenas and gentle Kavas like Kava Mama Kavasseur Select (which is perfectly balanced)
This would be my thought for each of these situations:
Work: Kava Vinaka Chief's Choice, Kava Mama Kavasseur Select
Stress: PSL Bir Kar, Squanch Waka, Nakamal at Home Stone or Black Sand, GHK Mo'i or Hiwa
Anxiety: Squanch Lawena, Kava Mama Kavasseur Select
As a general rule, for anxiety you're going to want to stick to Lawenas and gentle Kavas like Kava Mama Kavasseur Select (which is perfectly balanced)
Heavy every time for me as it's the closest feeling to replace alcohol. I like the muscle melting and sedative qualities of a nice heavy kava. Fijian heavies particularly are my favourites with that almost cocoa like smell and taste. Hawaiian and Tongan heavies are awesome too, particularly Hiwa. Unfortunately outright heavy Tongans are quite hard to find. I do also find that outright heady kavas will make me jittery and give me almost a comedown effect. Not good. Balanced kavas are fine too though if I feel a bit lethargic from multiple days of heavy kava.
Aceofwands9
Kava Enthusiast
^I agree, heavy all - the - time. Balanced is fine if I happen to have some, but now that i've tried a range of different kavas i generally only buy heavy kavas.
AlexisReal
Kava Enthusiast
yes, to my mind springs Koro as a prime candidate for this. And so easy to drink too, one of the best I’ve ever tried in that regard.
It’s mentally warmer than Kadavu, more mood uplifting and very warm feeling too. Keeps me in a positive mood also overnight into the next day.
It’s mentally warmer than Kadavu, more mood uplifting and very warm feeling too. Keeps me in a positive mood also overnight into the next day.
Wow I expected heady to win
Interesting
I never drank alcohol so I don't know how it feels
Similar to heavy kava!
AlexisReal
Kava Enthusiast
I find the Koro provides a level of headyness which is mentally distracting and engaging enough and the more sedative effects creep on, last long, but never overwhelm.
It’s an attribute of the Koro I like a lot. I like a mental buzz from my kava.
The Koro is a heavy kava drinker’s ideal, but not at all flat or empty mentally.
The Kadavu is very nice too. The Koro distracts my mind, the Kadavu nicely calms it down.
It’s an attribute of the Koro I like a lot. I like a mental buzz from my kava.
The Koro is a heavy kava drinker’s ideal, but not at all flat or empty mentally.
The Kadavu is very nice too. The Koro distracts my mind, the Kadavu nicely calms it down.
When does the body relaxtion set on heavy kavas
JohnMichael
Kava Synchronized
New Zealand Kava Society's Kelai cultivar is amazing. And I really enjoy Kava Kauai's Five Star. But, per others above, I have a good selection of heavy kavas to use including Squanch.
My experience with entirely heavy kavas is limited to, but I have had some from Vanuatu. I haven't had entirely heady kavas. But based on my incomplete experience, I definitely prefer balanced to heavy. I like a nice bit of kavain euphoria. I am willing to predict I will prefer balanced to heady though, as it's nice to have the ongoing harm once the euphoria wears off, but I can't say for sure at this point.
yiki
Kava Enthusiast
But worse with many unwanted sideeffects on mind and body.Similar to heavy kava!
I lean towards heady but i sometimes do miss the anxiolytic effects of more heavy kavas.
Mixnpickngrinnin
Kava Curious
I mostly gravitate towards heavy for the simple reason about 90% of my kava sessions are after 8 PM. When I first started and didn't know what I was doing I drank some pretty heady ones at night and couldn't sleep, which lead to increased hangover next day. I was wondering where all the relaxation and insomnia relief I had heard about was!
Then I did more research and experimenting and have now found my favorites (Fiji Vanua's 'Santa Cruz' has to be #1 right now for heavies, and I keep coming back to best fiji kavas AAA waka for balanced) I really feel like I have a Kava for every occasion!
Then I did more research and experimenting and have now found my favorites (Fiji Vanua's 'Santa Cruz' has to be #1 right now for heavies, and I keep coming back to best fiji kavas AAA waka for balanced) I really feel like I have a Kava for every occasion!
AlexisReal
Kava Enthusiast
I concur and I know others do also. The Fijian Kavas are infinitely more palatable to me than virtually anything out of Vanuatu.
Tongans are pretty smooth flavour wise too. I have a real struggle with the pepperiness of Vanuatans.
The Koro islands, Im on a new batch now, the first was the 13.79% kavalactone one, and Koro is as easy to tip back as any kava in house.
The Dokabana I also got to try recently. At over 6% KL, on paper, it’s half the strength.
It doesn’t feel like that though, it seems equipotent just with a different character.
AlexisReal
Kava Enthusiast
Dokabana is a lovely kava though I want to say. It is particularly mood uplifting, very sociable happy effects. And not too short lived either.
Edward lured me it’s way, he has never fared best with headies and he described the Dokabana to be purposeful as a more balanced kava to avoid the lethargy of heavies only, namely Koro and Kavadepot Solomon’s headhunter (which first time, I took as a heady, because it’s very mentally stimulating but not like a strong Savusavu), masking it’s heaviness.
The batch then in site, showed 11.8% KL’s, so no wonder my mum thought it was too strong lol.
My mum, a daily drinker now 8 weeks, wine GONE!! No looking back. (Party popers!), her favourite is WoW.
@Artofkava hey Zac,,hope you are well mate. Great job on the Dokabana really like it. I’ve been telling evone how much I love your Kavas still.
Edward lured me it’s way, he has never fared best with headies and he described the Dokabana to be purposeful as a more balanced kava to avoid the lethargy of heavies only, namely Koro and Kavadepot Solomon’s headhunter (which first time, I took as a heady, because it’s very mentally stimulating but not like a strong Savusavu), masking it’s heaviness.
The batch then in site, showed 11.8% KL’s, so no wonder my mum thought it was too strong lol.
My mum, a daily drinker now 8 weeks, wine GONE!! No looking back. (Party popers!), her favourite is WoW.
@Artofkava hey Zac,,hope you are well mate. Great job on the Dokabana really like it. I’ve been telling evone how much I love your Kavas still.
Something to keep in mind is that this 6% number is more likely to be accurate than the higher numbers we've seen. AOK has swapped to a different lab which tends to bring back more reliable numbers when it comes to KL%.
Zaphod
Kava Lover
This question reminds me of the Friends episode where they ask Joey if he would give up sex or food....
Luckily there is no reason to choose one. If one kava is not working for you anymore or not hitting right, move on to a different one for a while and come back to it later.
Jacob Bula
Nobody
I like when George Kastanza starts eating cold cut sandwiches and watching TV during sex for optimal stimulation lol