What Is Black Bali Kratom?
Black Bali kratom is created by triple fermenting Red Bali kratom, a relaxing, balanced strain popular among beginners. The fermentation makes Black Bali a more potent pain-reliever and more sedating strain than its red counterpart.
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a popular Southeast Asian herb used in traditional Thai and Indonesian medicine. It is an evergreen related to the coffee tree with a high concentration of potent alkaloids that give it a variety of beneficial pharmacological effects.
There are three main strains of kratom, green-vein, white-vein, and red-vein, named for the color of the spidery veins its leaves have. Farmers create different colored strains by harvesting their kratom plants at different times. White strains are produced by harvesting young plants, green strains from older ones, and red from fully-grown specimens.
Astute readers will notice that the previous paragraph didn’t mention black strains, and that’s because black kratom is not a type of strain. Black strains — like Black Bali — are made by triple fermenting another color strain, usually red. The fermentation process causes the mitragynine in the leaves to oxidize, forming 7-hydroxymitragynine. This leads to a more sedating, analgesic strain.
Each successive fermentation makes the kratom darker. Most triple-fermented kratom has a deep brown, blackish color, almost like ground coffee, and this is where strains like Black Bali get their name. It also gives the leaves a distinct roasted aroma, making its similarity to ground coffee even stronger.
Also see: All You Need to Know About Fermented Kratom.
What Does Black Bali Kratom Do?
Black Bali is more relaxing and a better pain reliever than Red Bali, owing to its higher 7-hydroxymitragynine content. 7-hydroxymitragynine is one of the two main active alkaloids in kratom, along with mitragynine; it’s responsible for giving kratom most of its relaxing, opioid-like effects. Black Bali’s 7-hydroxymitragynine content is bolstered by the triple fermentation process, making the strain one of the most relaxing strains available.
Many users prefer Black Bali over other relaxing strains, saying it offers similar relaxation with less propensity for causing side effects (more on that later).
One downside of triple fermentation is that it reduces the mitragynine content substantially. As a result, black strains like Black Bali aren’t very stimulating, even at low doses. On the bright side, they’re perfect for treating insomnia and anxiety.
Black Bali Specs & Rating
- Energy: ⭐ —Black Bali is low on mitragynine, making it a poor choice for users looking for some extra energy.
- Mood: ⭐⭐⭐ — Black Bali is mildly euphoric, although other red strains generally perform better in this area.
- Pain Relief: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ —Black Bali is a capable analgesic, and users say it is good for easing mild to moderate pain. A more powerful red strain probably better suits people who suffer from more intense pain.
- Anxiety Relief: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ —Black Bali is the go-to choice for managing anxiety for many people. It’s a relaxing strain with a lower mitragynine content, making it perfect for anyone prone to anxiety or jitters.
- Sedation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ —Black Bali is a great choice for relaxation. Many people describe it as a smoother experience than most red strains, and it’s often explicitly recommended as a sleep aid.
1. Relaxation
Black Bali is similar to Red Bali but is more sedating and less stimulative at low doses. Triple fermentation reduces Black Bali’s mitragynine content in favor of 7-hydroxymitragynine, making it smoother and better for pure relaxation or sleep. Many people who switch from Red Bali to Black Bali prefer the latter.
2. Pain Relief
According to countless anecdotal reports, Black Bali is an excellent choice for chronic pain sufferers. Its higher 7-hydroxymitragynine levels give it more opioid-like action, helping dull pain and relieve muscle tension. Some people say that Black Bali is also better for extreme pain since it’s less likely to cause side effects than red strains, allowing people to take higher doses more easily.
3. Anxiety Management
While Black Bali resembles Red Bali in many ways, perhaps the most significant difference between the two strains is their usefulness for managing anxiety. Treating anxiety with kratom is finicky, and some users don’t respond well to even the most potent sedating strains. Black Bali is a great option for these people since it dials down the mitragynine, removing the one ingredient in kratom that can trigger anxiety.
Black Bali Kratom Dose
Black Bali follows the conventional kratom dosing wisdom; low doses provide more stimulation and high doses more sedation. However, Black Bali is significantly less sedating at low doses than Red Bali due to being triple-fermented.
Dose for Mild Stimulation
Black Bali is ever so slightly stimulating at very low doses in the 2-4 gram range. Most people hardly notice the stimulating effects and instead describe the feeling as buoying and comparable to the tired, content feeling you get from intense exercise.
Dose for Relaxation & Managing Anxiety
According to most users, moderate doses around 3-6 grams are best for general relaxation and anxiety management. Many people find that medium doses offer the best balance between feeling relaxed without feeling tired.
Dose for Pain Relief & Sleep
At 6-8 grams, Black Bali becomes a potent pain-reliever and powerful sleep aid. Most users won’t be able to do much besides lay on the couch at this dose level. Despite the strong sedation, fewer people report unpleasant side effects when taking Black Bali compared to Red Bali.
Side Effects of Black Bali
One of the main benefits that Black Bali has over Red Bali is that it is less likely to create the common unpleasant side effects from kratom. One theory is that the lower mitragynine content counterbalances the high 7-hydroxymitragynine concentration.
Even so, some people report experiencing side effects from using Black Bali. The most common complaints are dizziness, nausea, confusion, lethargy, constipation, and diarrhea. Side effects are significantly more common when taking higher doses, so limit your intake if you’re worried about them.
More concerning is that kratom is addictive. Even though it’s not an opioid, it has a similar pharmacological activity that easily leads to dependence without responsible use. Experts recommend taking kratom fewer than five days per week and stopping if you feel overly tired or tired for several days in a row.
Systemic lethargy is a sign that your body needs a break. Experienced kratom users recommend taking at least one week every two months to give your body the time to recover.
Similar Kratom Strains
Black Bali is more difficult to obtain than ordinary strains, leading some people to search for alternatives. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to mimic the smooth, even characteristics of a fermented strain’s effects profile, but these strains offer similar experiences.
1. Red Bali
The easiest way to get an experience similar to Black Bali is to purchase Red Bali instead. Red Bali’s effects are rougher around the edges, with more stimulation and less pain relief. Still, Red Bali is tremendously popular, making it easy to get and usually quite affordable.
2. Red Bentuangie
Red Bentuangie is more difficult to find than Red Bali but not as hard to find as Black Bali. Red Bentuangie is often a singly fermented strained instead of Black Bali’s triple fermentation, giving it slightly higher 7-hydroxymitragynine content than a regular red but still significantly less than Black Bali.
3. Red Maeng Da
Red Maeng Da is one of the most potent red strains available, matching or exceeding Black Bali’s capacity for sedation in large doses. However, Red Maeng Da is not like Black Bali in low doses since it can be surprisingly stimulating for a red strain.
Final Thoughts: Black Bali Kratom
Black Bali kratom is triple fermented, giving it a smoother, cleaner effects profile than Red Bali and more sedation at all dose levels. Users enjoy Black Bali’s high 7-hydroxymitragynine, making it easy to relax and sleep, even if they suffer from chronic pain.
According to user reports, Black Bali has a lower likelihood of causing unwanted side effects and is especially popular for anxiety management. Since Black Bali has a substantially lower mitragynine concentration than Red Bali, it’s the perfect strain for managing anxiety with a relatively low chance of causing the jitters.
Black Bali can be hard to find and quite pricey. Red Bali is probably the most accessible alternative strain to obtain, although it doesn’t mimic Black Bali perfectly. Some people find Red Bentuangie to be more similar since it’s a fermented strain, although it still can’t reach Black Bali’s level of sedation. Red Maeng Da is less similar to Black Bali overall but still provides a viable alternative for users primarily interested in pain relief.
