How to Drink Hawaiian Kona Coffee: Origin, Grades, Growing Environment, and Flavor Characteristics

Hawaiian Kona coffee beans have a near-perfect appearance: exceptionally plump and glossy, with a rich, aromatic cup, notes of cinnamon spice, and a well-balanced, moderate acidity.

The finest Kona is divided into four grades: Extra Fancy, Fancy, Prime and Number One. These grades come from both estates and natural growing conditions. Today, most coffees sold as "Kona" contain less than 5% genuine Hawaiian Kona. In the United States you can also find another good Hawaiian coffee, Hawaiian Kai Farms coffee. Real Kona is genuinely a rare treasure, not easily found.

Flavor Profile

Smooth and richly aromatic, with an enticing nutty fragrance.

Recommended Roasting Method

Light to medium roast.

Kona Coffee Beans

Origin Introduction

Kona coffee beans are produced in the Kona region of Hawaii. They can only be grown on volcanic slopes, which makes them a rare variety. Hawaii, a beautiful tropical island in the Pacific, is known for its scenery, but it also produces the famous Kona coffee. Kona takes its name from its main production area, in the northern and southern Kona districts of the Big Island and on the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, and only coffee grown in the Kona region may carry the title "Kona Coffee."

More precisely, only beans grown on the southwest coast of Hawaii's Big Island - a strip 20 miles long and 2 miles wide, at elevations from 150 to 750 meters, covering the volcanic slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa, and passing strict certification - may be sold under the Kona trademark. As production declines, its price rivals that of Blue Mountain coffee. The narrow Kona coastal strip produces some of the best-tasting coffee in the world, and its yields rank among the highest anywhere. Kona still produces 2 million pounds of coffee beans a year on less than 2,600 acres of coffee land.

(United States)

Grading

Genuine Kona is a rare treasure, not easily found. Under the evaluation standards of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, beans are classified into four grades by size, weight and quality ratios: Extra Fancy, Fancy, Prime and Grade No. 1 (100% KONA). Every bag must carry complete agricultural committee certification, with the grade printed on the burlap. Because production is small, costs are high, and specialty-market demand keeps rising, Kona's price rivals that of Jamaican Blue Mountain, and top-quality Kona beans are increasingly hard to buy.

Growing Environment

The world-famous Kona coffee is nurtured by Hawaii's unique climate. The Kona region sits at an elevation of about 600 meters, yet its marine climate makes conditions similar to regions of Central America at 1,200 meters. The mountain areas are rainy and much cooler than the plains. Although Hawaii is sometimes affected by tornadoes, its climate is in fact very well suited to coffee. There is also ample rainfall and sunshine, with no risk of frost. Conditions are close to ideal: mornings bring soft sunlight through humid air, afternoons turn misty in the hills, drifting clouds act as natural parasols for the trees, and nights are clear and cool. These favorable natural conditions give Kona a very high average yield of 2,240 kilograms per hectare, and together with fertile land and meticulous farm management, they create an environment that makes Kona a premium product on the market.

Bean Characteristics

Hawaiian Kona beans are among the most perfect in the world: exceptionally plump and glossy, with notes of cinnamon spice and a well-balanced, moderate acidity. The beans are uniform and consistent in shape, and once brewed they offer a rich, aromatic cup that is not bitter, not astringent and free of any burnt taste. Acidity and sweetness are both strong, with a rich, smooth and mellow mouthfeel. Genuine Kona is a rare treasure, not easily found, and represents the highest quality of coffee. Because it grows on volcanic soil, Hawaii's distinctive volcanic climate gives Kona its aroma, and highly developed farming techniques make each bean a delicately nurtured treasure - standard in shape, plump, with a fine, baby-soft surface.

Aroma Characteristics

Kona coffee has a sweet, rich aroma with a particularly clear, clean texture. It tastes fresh and refreshing, rich and aromatic, with a quite smooth mouthfeel, excellent body and acidity, and intense fragrance. The aftertaste lingers long after tasting. Most rare of all, Kona carries a mixed aroma of fruit, wine and spice. A premium product, Kona has been well known in Japan for many years. Its signature lies in a fresh, sweet aroma reminiscent of grass or trees, along with citrus-like fruit acidity and richness - many qualities combined in one, with absolutely no cloudy or muddy character. Particularly outstanding and exceptional.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Kona's plump beans, nutty fragrance and balanced, moderate acidity are what you are after, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate is an excellent everyday counterpart. Grown in Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, this distinctive Yellow Bourbon is clean and gently sweet; a medium roast draws out aromas of cream peanut, chocolate, toast and sugarcane. Because the roast is balanced rather than dark, it delivers exactly the kind of rounded, moderate-acidity cup that Kona is prized for, and it works just as well as a pour-over as it does in a moka pot or espresso machine.