When I tried the Ono I said it was a bit on the weak side. Well this is a little weaker than average too but I did get some nice effects this evening. I'd forgotten about the Ono experience so mixed this up 5 tablespoons which is an average dose for me considering I'm working in the morning and all. After the first 2 shells I was wondering what was going on, wasn't getting much. I did another prep in the aluball with a bit more root and started feeling very nice. The bottom line is that these kavas are not very strong if you mix them at your usual dose so use a bit more, simple. The question is... are these kavas worth buying if they're not that strong? Well I would say YES! Let's go back to the beginning...
The grind is really quite fine in my experience, it looks almost like a micronized or instant with some random bits of root in it. The aroma is not that pronounced, it smells like kava but not a strong smell. When straining I used a knee high first to get rid of most of the root but then strained through a CK strainer which got out quite a bit of fine powder too.
Chugging the first shell you start thinking "Vanuatu" because of the strong peppery taste. I like a peppery Vanuatu so it didn't worry me at all. Some people may not like such a strongly flavoured kava.
I would say I felt very mild effects after the first shell but after 30 mins or so I reloaded with the second. Again didn't get much so after another 30 mins went in with the aluball prep with another 3 tablespoons. That was the one that pushed me into lift off. I got a very nice balance between heady effects, even up to some ear ringing combined with very pleasant body sensations. I was relaxed and happy and suddenly the couch was extremely inviting. Even after nearly an hour since my last shell I'm still floating quite nicely. I've actually got the shakes a little bit but I don't feel ill or incapacitated by it. Any slight nausea has been easily managed with ginger.
My overall verdict on this is that it is a very nice balanced kava once you find your level. It's just a fact that the CK kavas aren't that strong so you need to use more. Big deal, get over it. Next time I will just use 8 tablespoons right away and get there quicker but for tonight I've had a very relaxing evening courtesy of this kava and I would recommend anyone to at least try it out to see if it's for them.
The grind is really quite fine in my experience, it looks almost like a micronized or instant with some random bits of root in it. The aroma is not that pronounced, it smells like kava but not a strong smell. When straining I used a knee high first to get rid of most of the root but then strained through a CK strainer which got out quite a bit of fine powder too.
Chugging the first shell you start thinking "Vanuatu" because of the strong peppery taste. I like a peppery Vanuatu so it didn't worry me at all. Some people may not like such a strongly flavoured kava.
I would say I felt very mild effects after the first shell but after 30 mins or so I reloaded with the second. Again didn't get much so after another 30 mins went in with the aluball prep with another 3 tablespoons. That was the one that pushed me into lift off. I got a very nice balance between heady effects, even up to some ear ringing combined with very pleasant body sensations. I was relaxed and happy and suddenly the couch was extremely inviting. Even after nearly an hour since my last shell I'm still floating quite nicely. I've actually got the shakes a little bit but I don't feel ill or incapacitated by it. Any slight nausea has been easily managed with ginger.
My overall verdict on this is that it is a very nice balanced kava once you find your level. It's just a fact that the CK kavas aren't that strong so you need to use more. Big deal, get over it. Next time I will just use 8 tablespoons right away and get there quicker but for tonight I've had a very relaxing evening courtesy of this kava and I would recommend anyone to at least try it out to see if it's for them.