Paradise Kava - Southern Fiji Premium Kava

Nothing is more exciting in the Kava world than the debut of a new Kava seller online. I learned about Paradise Kava some months back - through casual internet browsing - and arranged to have a sample of their up-and-coming line of Kavas delivered to me prior to November 1, the launch of their website. I just received two of their Kavas - 100% Hawaiian Awa and southern Fiji Premium Kava - a few days ago and finally got around to brewing one up tonight.

As you can see from the picture, this Kava literally came as a small sample in a sandwich bag. There was about a full cup of Fijian dried root, and I wanted to save some for a second brewing. Upon opening the bag, I encountered one of the freshest smelling Kavas I have ever encountered. I don't know why, but everytime I open a bag of Fijian Kava I think to myself "now this is why I continue to drink Kava." This reminds me a lot of Pacific Kava's Waka Kava, which I reviewed some months back. It just smells great. I mixed 1/2 cup of Kava with 2 cups of water and let it sit for about 15 minutes before squeezing it through twice. The final product was a clean, milky Kava with a smooth texture and wonderful scent.

I don't pretend to be impartial about this - I love Fijian Kavas. Although I typically rate Vanuatu, Solomon, and PNG Kavas higher on rankings, I actually prefer to drink Fijian or Tongan Kavas. It is like the difference between a relaxing, tasty wine and a shot of whiskey. On most nights, you're going to want to reach for the wine. That is how I feel about Fijian Kava. It's a Thursday night and I'm a bit wound up after a hard day of work - time for some Fijian Kava.

Paradise Kava has sourced out a fine dried root powder that is fresh, tasty, and potent. It has that clean, smooth quality to it that permits you to put back several shells rather casually. As someone who has tried more than 20 strains of Kava, I want to emphasize that this Kava tastes absolutely wonderful. It has a low, soft, and creamy texture with a refreshing high bite to it. If you have had a good Hawaiian Kava - like Hawaiian Kava Center's "Hiwa" - you will know exactly what I'm talking about. The finish is smooth and the aftertaste has a pleasant chalkiness to it. Yes, I said "pleasant chalkiness."

The effects are most pronounced on the de-stressing and muscle relaxing fronts. Yet as with most Fijian Kavas, you are not going to be bowled over by an overwhelmingly strong punch. These Kavas are celebrated for their casual nature, for their sociable qualities, and for their medicinally mild stress-soothing properties.

A winner indeed.

Taste - 10/10
Effect (Mind) - 8/10
Effect (Body) 8.5/10

Paradise Kava - Southern Fiji Premium Kava - 8.8/10

Strength - Mild-Medium