Sunday, November 21, 2010

Kava by Rex - Vanuatu 3 Special Edition

For me, this Kava is something of a return to Vanuatu. In J. Marteen Troost's "Getting Stoned With Savages" he discusses the intense competition between Melanesian islands in trying to boast the "strongest, best Kava." I feel like I've been, at least mentally, running around the south Pacific looking my own favorite Kava. My own strongest, best Kava. Papau New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Hawaii, the Solomon Islands, and Samoa. There are so many island nations with so many different kinds of Kava. Creamy, delicious and fresh Fijian Kavas. Hypnotic, deep, and sensual Solomon Island brews. Naughty, rough, and primal Guinean shells. But Kava drinkers must remember that it all started in Vanuatu. Or maybe Papau New Guinea.... well, it's up in the air. But one thing is certain - Vanuatu is the beating heart of Kava Kava.

So I was delighted to try not only a new Vanuatu Kava, but a new Kava vendor. I had heard great things about "Kava by Rex." One of these great things included being able to brew 16 oz. of grog with only a tablespoon. Wait, really? Yes. Indeed.



I know I say this a lot, but this Kava tastes really great. Owing to its totally different consistency from other Kavas available on the market - once again, 16 ounces of water to 1 tablespoon of Kava - it is slightly lighter, milkier, and creamier. No really spiciness to it, nor grittiness. But it also has a complete taste, and doesn't taste like "watered-down" Kava. It has a very "soft" taste which temps the drinker into making the somewhat presumptuous decision to drink a lot of it. I drank about six shells, pushing myself to make the not-too-difficult decision to brew a second bowl.

But the best thing about this Kava is that it didn't really get me krunked. It just got me.. well... happy. After all, it had been a long day, and I deserved it, right? I... think.. I'll.... have.... another....

Well, nevermind that. Maybe I was krunked after all. My legs felt quite heavy, nay, like two heavy logs attached to my thighs. My eyes felt deep, strong, and acute. My muscles felt warm, un-coiled and massaged. My mind grew steadily more relaxed. I was able to really enjoy the book I was reading on the post-colonial Congo (don't ask) with a nice rumbling jazz soundtrack to guide the narrative along. Shell after shell, I grew more and more content. About three hours later I was able to crawl into bed, put on some music, and become enveloped in great warmth.

This is really good Kava.


Really, at $25.00 a pound and 1 tablespoon to 16 ounces of water, how could you refuse?

Kava by Rex - Vanuatu 3 Special Edition

Taste 9/10
Effect (Mind) - 9.5/10
Effect (Body) - 10/10
Strength - Medium-Strong

Vanuatu 3 Special Edition - 9.5 shells out of 10

40 comments:

  1. Indeed, Vanuatu3 is amazing. This review is spot on. I have been drinking it for the past few nights and it's got a wonderful effect, milky consistency, and mild taste. Before i've even finished a bowl i'm full of happiness, joy, and relaxation—it's truly great kava.

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  2. Hello Douglas,
    At the rate you were making this kava (1tbsp to 16oz), Was one 16oz batch enough to get you well krunked? Or did you have to brew up a 2nd batch? I just ordered some from this vendor after seeing your review, as 1tbsp to 16oz is a great way to enjoy kava on a low budget. I would love for this stuff to get me off like nakamal at home varieties do, and by the looks of your review, it will :). By the way, I ALWAYS come to your site and check your reviews before ordering kava. Call me a follower, but your reviews are really good and give me a overall understanding of what to expect. Thanks again

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  3. Use two tablespoons to get krunked. Or, if you want to spread it out and enjoy it more, make four cups with two tablespoons. You will definitely get krunked on two tablespoons either way. It is, indeed, a truly great value.

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  4. That's so cool! I cant wait to try it! And I cant wait to see your review for the Tudei kava haha. I want to see if it actually lasts 2 days, as it says.

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  5. Four cups with two tablespoons is how I normally brew Tongan kava. Well, two to five tablespoons, depending on my krunkness level.

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  6. As I said in another review, Im testing to see if Rex's kava will work the nakamal way. Im doing 3/4 cup of stone with 1 tbs of Vanatu3 with 4 - 4 1/2 cups of water. I will let you know how it goes, as im still krunked off solomans, its been a good 3 hours :D:D:D

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  7. Okay, note to the kava test, 3/4 stone + 1 tbs Vanautu3 = good stuff. I really enjoy it! Recommend this combo to anyway who has some stone laying around, it really sets it off nice!

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  8. Hi Patrick, I plan on mixing solomon and van3 in the future. So far I haven't found a good combo with stone, don't get me wrong, I love stone. I tried the stone + wow and stone + solomon, neither was the super combo I was hoping for. On the other had I tried solomon + moi and solomon + hiwa which were just ok.

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  9. you should get kickbacks... i just bought 2 pounds.

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  10. so i came across another site saying there is a different batch of this out as of a week ago or so i was wondering if u happen to know anything about this still probably order it seeing as everyone seems to love it and the value is insane thanks much love ur reviews

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  11. It is not a different batch, it is from the same small batch that all Vanuatu 3 comes from. I have talked to the folks at Kava by Rex and they told me they have three plots of Vanuatu 3 and they are all five year plants. While the quality of the product is consistent, sometimes the 60/40 lateral root/heart root breakdown is a little different. There should be no noticeable differences. I am not affiliated with Kava by Rex, by the way. I was sent an email clarifying the situation. As per my experience, all of the products I have received from them I have purchased independently and always received a very high quality product. Everyone else I know who orders from them has had a similar experience. As I said, they seem to be the new game and town and I can assure you that in my kava drinking experience, Kava by Rex has provided me with some of the best DRIED Kava root available online.

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  12. thanks much man, i ordered today no doubt in my mind ill be satisfied

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  13. Well tonight i made a batch 2 cups of water to 2 tbsps and I must say it is excellent. I just think I watered it down too much with the 4 cups. I just checked kava by rex and they is sold out! probably 90% of the cause is you, Douglas :D

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  14. How does Vanuatu 3 by Rex compare to Nakamal's Black Sand?

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  15. Vanuatu3 has alot of kavain in it, and I think so does black sand, but vanuatu3 is much stronger. Stone has the DKM/DHM in it which gets you krunked in a different way. Kavain is by far my favorite kavalactone.

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  16. is this as potent as nakamal at home's stone kava? i want a kava that is potent and will actually make me feel dizzy and stuff. i tried kona kava witch didnt do to much of anything.

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  17. Thanks for your review, and this great blog! The only downside to this blog, is I just spent about $140 on 4 varieties, and 3 pounds of Kava! (A good deal, but way morek Kava than I was planning to get)

    I ordered the Vanuatu 3 from Kava by Rex; Hiwa from Hawaiian Kava Center; and Wow and Stone from Nakamal at Home.

    Kavasseur, may I request that you please review the Kava from realkava.com. This is the only other Kava I've tried, and I liked it, but I would like to see your review for comparison. They seem like a good company, the guy I spoke with was friendly, and they only have 2 varieties of whole Kava(Vanuatu and Fiji, 'awa' grade), so it seems worth reviewing.

    Thanks!

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  18. I just received my order of vanautu3 and I plan on trying it tonight. I simply can't wait. I also ordered the Raw Hawaiian Honey & Lemon and Hawaiian Chocolate & Orange from Paradise, due to another review on this website. I can't wait to try my first dose of kava.

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  19. I noticed that the volume of the 500g package looked like 250g. But the weight is ok. If I use exactly 10 gramms (which is normally a full tablespoon), it fills nly a half tablespoon. Si I am wondering if this Kava might have a residual damp.

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  20. ok, I mean the 1 pound package looked small like 1/2 a pound.

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  21. I have this Kava it's pretty good I mix it with the Mahakea Kona Kava lol. I think the Kona Kava tastes good and actually has a strong head buzz while the van 3 makes me calm and euphoric

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  22. Better than the black bag fiji kava or "heroin kava" and the kona kava makhea along with 2 other hawaiian kavas I have tried. For the price it's a steal. I live in texas and got it via standard shipping in 3 days. The calming is unlike other kavas, much more peaceful and positive? hard to describe the mental calming but its GREAT. and the physical euphoria is like that of an opiate. warm fuzzy legs that eventually creeps up to your head and neck, thus peaking the experience. 11/10 in my book. for those that read my comment and think im exagerating , i do use a very strong non-traditional method to brew most of my kava.

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  23. This is great stuff, like everything Rex sells. I haven't had bad kava from Rex yet, and he offers it at such a bargain price. Awesome guy, he has some of the best customer service I've ever encountered.

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  24. zetawize is what I just ordered as this was all new to me and the reviews sound like the one above.
    However a tbsp had no effect. Please commentl

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  25. hey nice bag and cup where can i pick that up

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  26. I've had both the earlier and the latest Vanuatu 3 from rex. I've just got to say there is a difference. The earlier kava was far more potent, but this newer harvest is far more "kavain" heavy and is fairly light and mellow. It's more of a mix between a beer buzz and a marijuana buzz (I'm legal in california). This is definitely a great intro kava because it has by far a less spicier taste compared other kavas, and at the price it kills competition (like Kona Kava bleh...). I've found that this kava is particularly potent when left overnight in the fridge. I prepare mine by blending 10% almond milk and soy milk with 90% water, then add a cup kava and blend lightly on and off ~10 minutes. Leave that in the fridge then filter it off the next day, and I guarantee you'll find adequete results :) I hope more people are willing to try Vanuatu 3 (especially if they had a previous bad kava experience) and will share their experience.
    PS:
    Tolerance to kava (and alcohol and some other drugs that affect the liver; however not marijuana) is lowered as you drink more of it. So you will appreciate kava as you drink more of it, but if you value you're health it is a choice between alcohol and kava. Give yourself a week break before you switch. Personally I don't drink alcohol. Lastly be responsible, and keep a good name for kava.
    Peace,
    Atom

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  27. Gotta comment. I've been enjoying some of this Vanuatu 3 lately. I can't compare to earlier harvests, since I am only a recent convert to Kava-ism and have only tried 4 other types - I've only recently broken my reverse tolerance. But compared to what I have had, this stuff is nice; smooth and easy to digest. Gotta pace myself or I could chug it so easily. It's physical and mental..but more mental (and comes on fast) I've been thinking it's something that could be sipped and enjoyed over the course of night to keep that feeling going. I could also see where some Kava heads might want to mix it up with other types to balance it out

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  28. I am new to kava and am shopping around before I make my first purchase. These reviews have been very helpful, and I'm probably going to try this as my first batch. I have been a kratom connoisseur for awhile now, but due to some packages being seized by U.S. customs I am reluctant to order anymore. I also feel like it's time for a new experience and kava sounds to me like its exactly what I've been looking for. I was wondering if anyone has any advice regarding best method of preparation (I am lactose intolerant so no milk) and what I should expect as a "first timer." I have done some research already but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information, so maybe the kavasseus could help me out. Also in regards to the taste, I just quit smoking and still don't have many of my taste buds. I couldn't care less about how bad it might taste, I'm just looking for an enjoyable new experience.

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  29. i tried this one after see good comment, but after drunk two, i felt pain in my head, like i was drunk. I don't know why, it's the first time kava act like that with me

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  30. I used this review to choose a brand/batch for my first Kava Kava experience. First shell was euphoric and relaxing right away, second shell I nodded off(though it was late). I can't wait to indulge in more tonight. So thankful for your review and finding about Kava by Rex!!!

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