Take these reviews with a grain of salt as they are about a year old at this point and of course, my experiences are unique to me, my body, my mind and so on. Lastly, I have more recent reviews I am working on that I would be happy to share if this post is received well. Anyways, enjoy and please feel free to share any feedback you may have, thank you!*************************************************************************************************
I used a rating scale indicated by "+"
This scale ranges from (+) being the lowest, to (+++++) being the highest.
(Its a 1 to 5 scale using the plus sign)
All of these entries are powdered kratom, all were based on the toss & wash method on an empty stomach, and all reviews were written based off of my experience dosing 2 level teaspoons. (Back when I didn't have a scale
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Glazba Green Malay = ++++ : This was my first time trying Green Malay and I was very impressed. The reviews I had read said, "euphoric, energizing but not too much, relaxing, but not too relaxing, great for daytime..." I was not mislead! Green Malay was a perfect balance between both ends of the spectrum with a euphoric feel and a mood boost that was great for combatting my depression and anxiety. The only thing I could have used more of was a pain relieving effect. Overall, I would say the effects were most noticeable for about 3-4 hours.
Glazba Red Bali = ++ : Bali strains have been my usual go-to choices and I am usually very pleased with how they work with my body. However, for whatever reason, this batch of Red Bali did not do much for me on its own. I think that this particular strain worked much better in combination with other strains. I would say there was a slightly noticeable reduction in pain for about less than an hour.
Glazba White Bali = +++ : This strain review is very similar to the Red Bali review. I did not feel like this strain did much for me by itself but it did seem to add a boost when combined with another strain. I am not certain if there was anything I felt that I could definitely attribute to the kratom to provide a duration of effects.
Glazba Green Monster = ++++ : This strain was a random pick I chose because I had never heard of it before. I couldn't find much info about it either so I did not know what to expect from it. But, after trying it for the first time it quickly found a place in my favorites. I would liken it to Green Malay but with more energy, more pain relief and a longer duration of effects that were noticeable for 5-6 hours.
Glazba Red MD = +++ : This was one of the first Maeng Da strains I decided to try. With all the hype surrounding maeng da strains I'll admit had my hopes set high. Unfortunately, it was pretty lackluster. I could feel it providing some pain relief and a slight mood boost, but I had to focus on "finding the feeling" (think Star Wars! I had to search my feelings to know it to be true) to be sure it was actually there. If I didn't stop to focus on it then I'm sure I would have easily missed it. I *barely* felt the effects for maybe 2-3 hours. (If the whole bit about searching my feelings made no sense to you then you have much to learn in the ways of the Force)
Glazba Brown Bent = +++(+) : I decided to order this because I had been seeing a lot of positive feedback popping up about bentuangie strains and I had never heard of it before. There was a lot of talk about the smell and taste being awful which for some reason made me very curious. I think I spent like 5 minutes opening the bag, smelling inside, closing it, saying, "hmmm..." and then repeating. It did smell a little strange (not in a bad way, just different than other kratom) which I found interesting but not as off putting as everyone made it seem. I would say the same about the taste. The taste did linger a tad even after some mouthwash but I suppose I have tasted worse things so I wasn't too bothered. I was hoping for more than I felt though. It took a LONG time to come on. For reference, I usually feel other strains in 10-20 minutes but this took like an hour and a half before I was sure that what I was feeling was from the kratom. There was a good amount of pain reduction, slight mood boost and a sedation that continued to build until I finally gave in and went to bed. For the duration, I think it was about 5 hours from when I started to feel it until I went to bed. It seemed like the mood boost and pain relief were slowly winding down around 4 hours but the sedation stayed strong. I think if I had stayed awake the duration of effects may have been 2-3 hours more! This was a very unique strain that had the longest legs of anything I've tried. In regards to my rating, I chose a 3/5 because for me the sedation was way too much for this to be taken for any other reason than to sleep. But without my personal bias, I rated 4/5 because if sleep is what you're going for then you wont be disappointed.
Kraken Bali OGPC = +++++ : This is my go to, first love strain, the one that I first bought online and the one that kept me coming back. Has everything I am looking for: Pain relief, energy, mood boost, relaxation, sedation etc. in a well rounded balance. My daily burn for over a year. UPDATE SEP 2018: Unfortunately, the few times this year I had purchased this strain it was a total let down. I am open to try again but at this current time I can no longer say that this is my favorite.
Kraken Red Sumatra = +++ : Of course, take my reviews with a grain of salt, especially this one. The reason being that this strain is good, no doubt. Slow to come on but has Shaq legs. However, it is very sedating. I can handle sedation, but this is too much. Feels like a benzo. Overall a good strain, just not my cup of tea.
Kraken Red Thai = ++ : I've read many good things about Thai strains, red vein in particular. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I just cannot seem to get much out of this one. At some point I'll have to try this strain from another vendor but for now I'll find other strains to try. The most I got was a slight reduction of anxiety that was short lived, I was pretty disappointed. If not for that small feeling then I probably would have rated a 1. HOWEVER, the silver lining was that Kraken actually gave me this for free since they didn't include it when they initially sent my order. So I'll say this: their customer service filled the hole that this kratom left behind.
Kraken White Borneo = +++ : White Borneo was a strain I had high hopes for because it was said to be euphoric and similar to classic Bali strains. This was an interesting strain that didn't seem to do much to me on its own but was an absolute powerhouse when combined with other strains. See some of my combination experiences with this strain to see what I mean.
Kraken White Sumatra = ++++ : White Sumatra was the strain that I expected other white strains to feel like. This was the first strain that really opened my eyes to white veins. What I mean is: white vein strains I have always read are "stimulating, energizing , a replacement for coffee" etc. These descriptions are a bit off compared to the words I would choose which would be "mood lifting, focusing, and since I dont have a word for this: getting the mind moving, preparing you for your day or to get something done. Some may say, "Well thats what stimulating is." but I would have to disagree. Anyways, if anyone was hesitant to try white strains like I was then I would recommend something like this one to try. The Duration on its own wasn't too long, maybe 2 hours or so but when combined with another strain it seems to provide a longer lasting feeling.
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To start off all of my Gaia strain reviews I must say this: For all of the Gaia strains I took, I only felt something from Elephant the first time trying them. I had initially rated all of these much lower based on my first experiences but after trying these strains another time or two I was able to get something from them. I do not know why this was the case , I even tried taking more or less than my usual amount but still didnt feel anything until trying again another time. So keep in mind that these reviews are based on the 2nd or 3rd times taking these strains.
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Gaia Gold MD = ++++ : Gold Maeng da was the first gold strain that I have tried and it was a nice glimpse into the world of gold strains. Gold strains had always seemed interesting because of how theyre made and how that process changes chemicals in the plant. I had taken my morning dose and after about 20 minutes or so I was pretty slammed by the effects. It was like a heavy, delightful, happy feeling red strain. While sedating, or "eyelid drooping" it was not overpowering.
Gaia Super Green Malay = ++++ : I would say it was just about the same as Green Malay but with a little bit more of a mood boost but less of a duration.
Gaia Elephant = ++++ : First off I will say I really enjoyed this strain but secondly I will make a guess that Elephant and Monster strains are the same leaf but different names. This strain felt just like the Glazba Green Monster strain.
Gaia Red Dragon ++++ : This strain review will be short and sweet. I felt like this strain provided classic red vein effects but without much "sedation" or a "downer" like effect. It had a moderate duration of about 3-4 hours and was a pretty consistent strain in terms of feeling the effects.
Gaia White Horn = +++ : White horn was a nice strain that provided a slight mood boost by itself and provided a nice boost to other strains it was combined with. I was hoping for a bit more from it considering all of the recommendations I had read. By itself I would say the duration was 1-2 hours but it was good while it lasted.
Super Speciosa Premium Bali = ++++(+) : Not only did I find this strain to be a fantastic choice for what I need but I was able to get 250g for like $20. Needless to say, I am very pleased with this choice. I would say that it feels like the Kraken OG bali but more heavy. I feel like the Kraken OG Bali is a perfect balance of relief, mood lift and energy with only slight sedation, heavyness, lethargy while this bali felt more of the latter effects. This was sometimes distracting when I was at work but was very nice when I was able to sit down, relax and unwind. I rated a 4/5 and 5/5 because I thought it was better when I wasn't in a situation where I needed to be a bit more "active" mentally. But at the end of the day this would be everything I wanted in a strain and a little more.
Krk Naturals Red Hulu = ++++ : Red hulu I was a little bit afraid of because I had read that it was some strong red vein kratom and I don't usually like to be sedated when I take kratom. However, I was pleased to find that I was not very sedated and I was feeling a good level of classic red vein effects. This is one of the rare strains that I feel like it works better by itself rather than in a combination. Duration of effects 3-4 hours.
Krk Green Hulu = ++++ : Green hulu I had some high hopes for as my first strain in the hulu kapuas family. I would say it did a nice job meeting those hopes but not really exceeding them. I felt it represented the green veins well with some classic effects and a nice mood boosting aspect. Seemed to work well in combinations, too. My only gripe with it is the duration always seems to be on the short side, about 2-3 hours.
Krk Green Vietnam = +++ : This was the first Vietnam strain I tried and all I can really say about it is: its okay. Its got the classic green strain feel to it but it is very mellow with a duration of 2-3 hours. Its like half strength green malay. If someone asked what strain I would recommend for a beginner or for someone who wants to try kratom but is hesitant.
*Green Vietnam UPDATE*: I actually put my words to the test when I had a friend who wanted to try some of the kratom I had. He had used kratom before but had not in a while and was not aware of how many different strains there were (he didn't even know what strain he was taking when he used it previously). Initially he was looking to try the Super Speciosa Premium Bali but he didn't want to feel "tired" so I gave this strain to him instead. 2 Tsp tossed and washed on an empty stomach. In 30 minutes I asked how he was doing. He said he "definitely felt it and he felt pretty good," super descriptive, I know, haha. About 3-4 hours later I asked again and he said that he "felt it a little bit still but now he was feeling kind of tired." In his case, he had mentioned he was tired before taking the kratom earlier but there is also the possibility that the effects wearing off were the cause of this. Either way, he said he enjoyed it and was going to look into purchasing this strain and some other green strains.
Krk Premium Maeng Da = +++++ : Finally, a challenger to the top dog! To be quite honest, after trying more and more strains I really didn't think I was going to find anything else that I liked as much as Kraken Bali. Silly me, Maeng da is the pimp grade, the poster strain for kratom. I feel a tad foolish for not trying some Maeng Da strains earlier but I was always fearful of the "stimulating" effects that I had always read about them. I am pleased to say that this strain met all of the qualities I was looking for, like the Bali strains, but with less of a "downer" kind of effect. While I wouldn't call it "stimulating" I can only think of the words "energizing" and "uplifting" as substitutes so take those as you will. But if you are like me and are hesitant about Maeng Da strains I highly recommend giving a few a try!
Krk White Bali = ++(+) : By itself it wasnt very noticeable but seems to work well when combined with other strains.
