Kava Consumers Review Their Favorites
The Kava
Library
Kava Review. Micronized Honkane Iki by Javaman on 4/12/2014.
The Micronized Awa from GHK is very potent. I have noticed that Micronized is more potent than the instant but yet it is still mellow tasting and easy to mix. I'm also not feeling any grittiness in this batch. I'm doing club soda instead of ginger ale to cut down on the sugar and so I can drink more... Heh, heh, heh.
Mix 1 big old spoon on Honokane Iki Micronized in a bit of water.
1 Tab Frozen Colada Mix, a squeeze of lime, fill with ice, top with cold clear club soda.
Very tasty, yet very light.
Can you hear the the ringing in my ears? That means this is a nice heady Kava. I went back to my chemotype chart and it shows that it has the same chemotype as Papa Ele Ele Puu Puu. This is a good daytime Kava for us guys that use it during the work day.
So heady Kava, not so much body, it does have decent anti-anxiety effects because I feel none right now.
Kava Review. Micronized Mapulehu by Javaman on 04/08/2014
It's Monday and I woke up in a bad mood, the customers were upgrading to Windows 8, and all hell is breaking loose. Checked the mail at 2:00 and my day got brighter, my PapaKea from GHK was waiting for me. I also got a sample of Micronized Mapulehu to try in a recipe. I looked it up on my spreadsheet, Kavalactones of 8 percent. Relatively low for a GHK Kava. Seems harmless enough, maybe I will have a small dose of Kava today to help me finish this crappy day.
1 Big Heaping Spoon Full of Micronized into 4 oz. of Pomegranate Juice
A tablespoon of Pomegranate Molasses (optional)
Fill with Ginger Ale and Ice.
So I'm sipping my Kava and working at my desk. My throat goes numb and this is a good sign. However, my eyelids are getting heavy and they are hovering right over my eyes. I don't feel like sleeping, I feel mildly sedated. This is the first time that I can remember having heavy eyes. There is a mild headiness and a mild body feel as well. So this is a well balanced mellow Kava. It was just what I needed today. I had a huge ugly list of things to do and I was hyperventilating. Now my attitude is "If I finish it fine, if not, then tomorrow. What me worry?". So it probably has anti-anxiety effects as well. FYI, I did finish my list. Just plodding thru it with my heavy sedated eyes.
Kava Reviews Part 1
Kava Review. Micronized Mahakea by Shakas on 05/09/2014
Amount of Kava Used : 5 Tablespoons
Preparation Type : "Toss & Wash" Or Unfiltered
Mixer or water?: Water
Amount: 2 Cups
Taste: 2 - Less mild / more astringent
Euphoric Rank: 4 - Strong Effects
Sedative Rank: 3 - Noticeably Sedating
Muscle Relaxing Rank: 2 - Very Weakly Muscle Relaxing
Anxiolytic (Anti-Anxiety) Rank: 4 - Moderate anxiolytic effect
Review:
Being one of my old favorites, just the taste and smell of it brought a smile to my face. Drinking it, kept the smile on my face all night. My 1st two TBSP were nice and gentle, a pleasant slow build on the mind and body. Still very capable to be up and about doing things at this point. 30-40 minutes in, I made another 2 TBSP and this really kicked it up to another level. I was completely chill, bobbin' my head to music, forgot about the major neck pain I've been dealing with, started getting 'loose eyes' and slight loss of coordination. I let this build and level out, took one more TBSP and ate a little bit. At this point I was dancing on the line of silly-krunkiness. It got me in the zone. Very peaceful and relaxed just laying in the dark listening to music and enjoying every minute of it.
The effects are nicely euphoric judging from the smirk that was plastered on my face. It has a fair amount of sedation at the higher end, but it's not pushy, heavy or groggy sedation. You can still get up and do stuff easily if you choose, it just encourages you not to. There's an urge to close your eyes, but not to sleep, just to drift. While it did loosen up my neck and relieve a good amount of pain and body tension, it wasn't a full body muscle-melt tingly body massage. I slept deeply and woke up in comfortable, cozy laziness.
There's something special about good Mahakea. It remains to be one of my absolute favorites. Thanks to @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava and @BULABUCK for hookin' it up!
Kava Review. Papa Kea Powder by Javaman on Mar 23 2014.
Preparation:
17.5 oz of Coconut Water (1 can).
6 oz. of Water
.75 cup of PapaKea
Heat Liquid to 130.
Now dump into the strainer.
At this point, I'm looking at the Grog and its almost the color of milk. Maybe Beige at best. It smells a little nutty and grassy at the time time.
Knead for 5 minutes.
It's still the color of beige milk. Whooppee, a Mixologist dream, I can finally make a Kava Kocktail out of powder that won't be the color of Muddy Water.
Pour into 16 oz bottle.
Make a second wash with leftover tea and a little bit more water. 6 oz of second wash.
I will review the second wash, that may not be fair to the first wash.
It's Sunday afternoon and I'm sore all over from working in the gardern. It's Kava time.
Sip of the Second Wash (about 6 oz) it's ok. It has a nutty taste but a tiny bitter after taste (duh, its Kava). I add a Tablespoon of frozen Colada Mix and 3 small Ice cubes. Tastes much better but still a little bitter at the finish. Light flashes in my mind. I add a good squeeze of Lemon into the mix. Bingo, now the bitter after taste is the Lemon, not the Kava. Now I'm sitting on the couch sipping my Kolada Kolored Kava out of a big Coffee Mug and watching the basketball game. My lips, tongue, mouth and my whole throat are numb. I'm finally feeling the melting of the muscles, sweet lord that feels good. I really, really needed that (no my wife doesn't do Kava or Alc). I'm having trouble focusing on the game but who cares away. I'm having trouble typing this review for that matter.
This is a Gourmet Kava and it's my new favorite .... hands down. I got on the GHK web Site and the PEEPP (OOWB) was rated at around 15 percent Kavalactones and this one was rated at around 22 percent. The word Analgesic comes to mind while drinking this. It's a very potent Kava and perfectt for those Weekend Warrior Aches and Pains.
