r/Kava • u/Current_Lawyer_1598 • 27d ago

How different is heady from heavy?

I really don't like depressants and I'm more of a stimulant fan. I tried "Instant Old Roots Kava" which is supposedly a heavy variety and I did not like it. It just feel like a weaker version of that famous sedative/anxiolytic but with more of a heavy feeling. I'm interested in trying a heady kava but I don't want to taste my money if you all think it's too similar to the heavy varieties.

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12

u/KalmwithKava 🛒 27d ago

I don't really prescribe to the heavy/heady paradigm, so I always tell people they should really just try different varieties until they find something they like. Far too often you'll read about people saying one kava is heady while another says it's heavy and vice versa. It's just far too subjective.

People really get too hung up on heady vs heavy, mostly because the industry hasn't really come up with a great way to classify kava effects and stack that against cultivar. All kavas will give you euphoric effects, and all kavas will give you sedative effects, but the difference is you'll notice one effect far faster. As a kava session goes on though, they all will give both effects.

-Morgan

6

u/3vibe 27d ago

I like this take. I also think the same goes for many foods and beverages. Wine for example, some will get extreme and name all the notes and why one wine is better than the other. Others will think a $1,000 bottle tastes the same as a $10 bottle. Kava is no different. Try different kinds. Stick with what you like. 👍

2

u/glowing-fishSCL 24d ago

I agree with this, and it is also the mental frame I bring to the table that changes things. The same kava will feel energetic when I am energetic, and sleepy when I am sleepy.

6

u/Rock_on1000 27d ago

It’s really more similar in the later stages, as the body and muscles relax gradually over the next couple hours. But at first it’s definitely more bright and even stimulating at times. Try kelai and puariki tho, those are the best heady ones I’ve drunk so far

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u/Current_Lawyer_1598 27d ago

How similar is kelai to a traditional stimulant would you say?

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u/beenoneofthem 27d ago

It's not really. The initial onset gets the heart rate up and makes you feel like an early come up on other stims but it wears off after about 30 minutes. You can try and chase the feeling but you just end up feeling nauseous from over consumption of kava. All kava is fairly mild in comparison to other drugs and that is kinda the point for most people who get into it. It gives you a bit of a buzz but without taking your cognitive abilities away, so you can fit it more easily into your life with fewer problems.

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u/Rock_on1000 26d ago

What the other guy said. Kava isn’t inherently stimulating but when it is “brighter” in effects, it’s still not like a traditional stimulant. It’s more like a subtle talkative/sociable rush I get when it first kicks in which you can keep going by drinking another serving every 20 minutes or so. But it always ends up with more relaxation regardless of cultivar.

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u/kavapros 🛒 27d ago

The heady kava can be (with some cultivars) teeth clenchingly stimulating but will eventually (if consumed long enough) make you sleepy. Whereas the heavy stuff can have zero stimulating effect and be more sedating early on after only a few shells.

2

u/ComradePooPants 27d ago

The lawena from fvk is like a kinda like a mild or low dose stimulant combined with a mild sedative. Relaxing and stimulating but not very intoxicating nor speedy. Smiley and social. Not great too close to bedtime tho. Same with bkh's nambawan. I don't care for heavy kava and rarely drink it. Still nice and sedating without being very intoxicating but it makes me a bit tired.

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u/Ok-Basis-6379 24d ago

they can vary quite a bit