Back to the Islands of Colorful Dreams
In 2010, Nakamal at Home released the first iteration of “Solomons Kava.” It was a dreamy, hypnotic, blockbuster of a Kava that took me by surprise. Complementing its gentle flavor was a chapstick-like numbing effect on the lips, and a full mouth tingle. It’s wobbling, heady buzz was complemented nicely by an added zing to music, a creative thrust, and even an aphrodisiac effect (for those who are into that kind of thing). It ranked very high on the initial cohort of powders that fell on the market during what I call the “Early American Kava Renaissance.” It also rounded out Nakamal at Home’s offerings very nicely, a selection that includes a lot of Borongoru and “Wow”ing Vanuatuan strains.
“Solomons” fell into a bit of a slump for a few years, sometimes disappearing altogether from Nakamal at Home’s offerings. In the meantime, other vendors started selling Solomon Islands-sourced Kava, some of it very good but none of it reaching that level of euphoria that the original Nakamal at Home variety produced.
In the light of the rise of Noble-only pushes in the market, there were whispers of “Solomons” possible being a Tudei or Wichimanii strain. Well, I can assure you that this has not “Tudei” effects. It burns clean, rests you nicely, and allows you to wake up refreshed even after a night when you get “Shella krunked.”
This new iteration of “Solomons” is a return to the glory of the earliest release. Nakamal at Home have sourced out some beautiful powder here. It tastes great, hits quickly and nicely, and burns clean. It’s one of those Kavas where a little bit goes a long way. It doesn’t squeeze out shell after shell the way some of the new Fijian Kavas do (that is, you can’t squeeze and shake second and third washes as easily), but the effects certainly make up for that deficiency. It has a nice, long effect that tapers off quietly overnight. But all of that euphoria, that dreaminess, that added garnish to music and film – it’s all still there and as fresh as it was seven years ago.
Bula!
Nakamal at Home Solomons (2016-2017) – 9/10
Kavasseur 