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Kava Recommendation
AxezHigh	Hi guys. I started on Kava couple months back. Did the pills first and they sucked..made me drowsy. Then I got the real deal..the roots with the strainer and all. Have had around 3-4 light sessions and they are getting better. Do you guys have any recommendations for particluar type of kava that is reliable yet potent and if available online?
muskie	quote: Originally posted by AxezHigh Hi guys. I started on Kava couple months back. Did the pills first and they sucked..made me drowsy. Then I got the real deal..the roots with the strainer and all. Have had around 3-4 light sessions and they are getting better. Do you guys have any recommendations for particluar type of kava that is reliable yet potent and if available online? Kava preferences seem to be as individual as fingerprints. I have a preference for Nene. A recent houseguest had a preference for Moi. I know persons who insist that Vanuatu kava is the only kind worth drinking, and others who insist just as militantly that Vanuatu kava tastes like soap and makes you sick. As far as I can tell every variety of kava has its fans and its detractors. The only way I can think of to find your preferred variety is to try a lot of different varieties. As far as online sources go, I personally will vouch for the quality of kava from our discussion host, the Hawaiian Kava Center. I lost my previous source late last year, and so recently sampled the kava from a lot of suppliers-- the Hawaiian Kava Center, in my opinion, had the best quality kava (though there are a couple of "close seconds" out there whose products you might also enjoy).
yee	quote: Originally posted by muskie Kava preferences seem to be as individual as fingerprints. I have a preference for Nene. A recent houseguest had a preference for Moi. I know persons who insist that Vanuatu kava is the only kind worth drinking, and others who insist just as militantly that Vanuatu kava tastes like soap and makes you sick. As far as I can tell every variety of kava has its fans and its detractors. The only way I can think of to find your preferred variety is to try a lot of different varieties. As far as online sources go, I personally will vouch for the quality of kava from our discussion host, the Hawaiian Kava Center. I lost my previous source late last year, and so recently sampled the kava from a lot of suppliers-- the Hawaiian Kava Center, in my opinion, had the best quality kava (though there are a couple of "close seconds" out there whose products you might also enjoy). Mahalo Muskie for your kind comments. We really do try to bring the best Hawaiian kava, 'awa, to the marketplace. Hawaiian Kava Center would never sell anything that our staff would not personally drink. And live plants from our certified nursery and farm are scrutinized for quality before being sold to farmers and home gardeners. As far as varieties, I feel all our 'awa are perfect. [:)] Sometimes blending the varieties makes for an interesting complement. One of my fellow nursery friends swears by the blend of 60% mo'i to 40% nene powders. Much experimenting and personal tastes are involved. I believe we've yet to determine an adequate language to describe all the kava. Perhaps by the time the kava comparison event at the Hawai'i Pacific Islands Kava Festival is running, we'll know better. [:)] Mahalo, Jonathan
muskie	quote: Sometimes blending the varieties makes for an interesting complement. One of my fellow nursery friends swears by the blend of 60% mo'i to 40% nene powders. Much experimenting and personal tastes are involved.] I agree that blending varieties sometimes makes for a very good kava. I have a preference for kava that's a little higher in DHM than most people prefer (perhaps a legacy of my original use for kava- pain management- or perhaps a legacy of being first introduced to Vanuatu kava). I keep around the house a variety that, by itself, I consider too high in DHM even for my tastes. But if I add some of my high-DHM variety to a variety where DHM is too low for my tastes, I can produce a blend much more to my liking. (Which brings me to an observation I've made: by keeping track of the chemotypes of varieties I've liked and disliked, I've gotten to where I can predict, with a fair degree of accuracy, whether I'll like an unfamiliar variety from that variety's chemotype. Axez might also find that keeping track of chemotypes can be a shortcut to figuring out which varieties he prefers. I also want to add that, while not every seller announces the chemotypes of their varieties on their website/in their catalogue/on their packaging, most of them do know the usual chemotype of their products, and will share this information if asked).
gizmo	quote: Originally posted by muskie Kava preferences seem to be as individual as fingerprints. I have a preference for Nene. A recent houseguest had a preference for Moi. I know persons who insist that Vanuatu kava is the only kind worth drinking, and others who insist just as militantly that Vanuatu kava tastes like soap and makes you sick. As far as I can tell every variety of kava has its fans and its detractors. The only way I can think of to find your preferred variety is to try a lot of different varieties. While I agree with the point you're making, I will respectfully point out that your houseguest did not have the chance to drink Nene at a point when the Nene was still good, so did not have the chance to develop a preference. Having just ordered Nene from this source, however, she will probably be able to figure out a preference soon enough. [:)]
muskie	quote: While I agree with the point you're making, I will respectfully point out that your houseguest did not have the chance to drink Nene at a point when the Nene was still good, so did not have the chance to develop a preference. Having just ordered Nene from this source, however, she will probably be able to figure out a preference soon enough. [:)] May I assume I'm speaking with said houseguest? [:)] The Nene in the jug in the refrigerator was just fine the first day you were here... but I guess I'll agree that, given the length of your flight, your mind arrived several days after your body arrived on the plane [:)] I'd describe Nene as smoother and mellower in effect, and somewhat longer acting, than Moi. You may or may not like it better than Moi. But you can't go too far wrong with anything that Hawaiian Kava Center sells-- it seems to be of consistently high quality.
gizmo	quote: Originally posted by muskie May I assume I'm speaking with said houseguest? [:)] The Nene in the jug in the refrigerator was just fine the first day you were here... but I guess I'll agree that, given the length of your flight, your mind arrived several days after your body arrived on the plane [:)] You are speaking with said houseguest, said houseguest appears to definitely prefer Nene [;)], and I think the Hawaiian Kava Center has just acquired a new regular customer.