When I saw there was a new noble cultivar available, that had two double-bonded kavalactones in the front of the chemotype, I was immediately intrigued. Especially since one of them was the rare "Desmethoxyyangonin", which occasionally finds it's way into my all-around favorite, Mahakea. I ordered without delay.
Upon arrival, I quickly tore the bag open to smell it. The smell is clean and fresh. Earthy, with a sharp and distinct astringent spike, that I personally associate more with certain strong Hawaiian varieties than Vanuatu. The scent alone put a smile on my face.
The grind is pretty chunky, a solid medium grind. It reminds of stuff I used to buy 10 years ago. When kneading, you quickly notice a lot of oiliness, letting you know the kavalactones are flowing out nicely.
The taste is nearly identical to the scent, just with an added bitterness. Somewhat enjoyable, but I've had both better and worse tasting kavas. The mental effects are quite prominent and enjoyable. It doesn't take a whole night of chugging to start feeling them either. A little smile creeps onto your face, you feel more pleased with the world & whatever you happen to be doing. Everything has a little extra sparkle to it. With a little extra pushing, I can kick it off into full blown kava-lala-land meditation. This level of buzz evades me with most kavas and I often find myself burning through entire bags in search of it, without success. Borongoru, like Mahakea, was capable of doing it every single time. That is a huge indicator of a good kava, to me.
The sedative effect is noticeable, but not overpowering. It begins as just being a happy relaxation and eventually turns into a deeper sedation, only after the mental effects begin to diminish.The Muscular effect is not the most prominent, there is some amount physical relaxation...but a tingly-skinned, loose, muscle-melter this is not. In some situations, this is a good thing. As a night time drinker, I typically prefer a bit more body action. The anxiolytic effectis great for not only removing anxiety but also boosting mood.
All-in-all, this is one of the best kavas I've ever tried and I currently place it among my small list of favorites. I'd say it's most similar to a proper dose of a good Borogu or to GHK's Mahakea. It falls somewhere in the middle of those two, but a bit closer on the side of Borogu, because it's slightly less 'deep' and slightly less potent.
Top notch kava and we're lucky to have it.
Upon arrival, I quickly tore the bag open to smell it. The smell is clean and fresh. Earthy, with a sharp and distinct astringent spike, that I personally associate more with certain strong Hawaiian varieties than Vanuatu. The scent alone put a smile on my face.
The grind is pretty chunky, a solid medium grind. It reminds of stuff I used to buy 10 years ago. When kneading, you quickly notice a lot of oiliness, letting you know the kavalactones are flowing out nicely.
The taste is nearly identical to the scent, just with an added bitterness. Somewhat enjoyable, but I've had both better and worse tasting kavas. The mental effects are quite prominent and enjoyable. It doesn't take a whole night of chugging to start feeling them either. A little smile creeps onto your face, you feel more pleased with the world & whatever you happen to be doing. Everything has a little extra sparkle to it. With a little extra pushing, I can kick it off into full blown kava-lala-land meditation. This level of buzz evades me with most kavas and I often find myself burning through entire bags in search of it, without success. Borongoru, like Mahakea, was capable of doing it every single time. That is a huge indicator of a good kava, to me.
The sedative effect is noticeable, but not overpowering. It begins as just being a happy relaxation and eventually turns into a deeper sedation, only after the mental effects begin to diminish.The Muscular effect is not the most prominent, there is some amount physical relaxation...but a tingly-skinned, loose, muscle-melter this is not. In some situations, this is a good thing. As a night time drinker, I typically prefer a bit more body action. The anxiolytic effectis great for not only removing anxiety but also boosting mood.
All-in-all, this is one of the best kavas I've ever tried and I currently place it among my small list of favorites. I'd say it's most similar to a proper dose of a good Borogu or to GHK's Mahakea. It falls somewhere in the middle of those two, but a bit closer on the side of Borogu, because it's slightly less 'deep' and slightly less potent.
Top notch kava and we're lucky to have it.
I give the name 5 stars. I also give the vendor 5 stars for making an effort to get pure noble kava and succeeding. Let that be a lesson to the rest of ya'all that aren't trying hard enough. 
Yeah, what he said ...
Overall this sounds like a kava I would enjoy for any occasion (especially during the daytime). 
