Introduction to Starbucks Hawaii KAU Coffee and How to Drink It

Coffee first reached Hawaii in 1817, brought by Don Francisco de Paula Marin, the first Spanish advisor during the reign of King Kamehameha. The early attempts did not take. It was not until 1825, when Chief Boki, governor of Oahu, brought coffee from Brazil and planted it successfully in Manoa Valley, that cultivation began to spread across the islands.

Around 1828, Bourbon varieties arrived on the Big Island. By 1836, large-scale planting had begun on Kauai. Then, in 1858, pests and disease wiped out the crop there entirely, leaving only the KONA region on the Big Island standing.

Hawaii is a beautiful island with abundant natural resources, growing everything from fruit to cocoa to hazelnuts to coffee. Coffee commands the highest prices of all of them and gives farmers the best returns. Commercial cultivation began as early as the 18th century, mostly on Kauai and the Big Island. The ideal island climate, fertile volcanic soil and careful processing produce beans that are exceptionally uniform and intact, with very few defects. But the limited planting area and high American labor costs keep prices up. Even so, the perfectly clean cup and the unique tropical-fruit scent of Hawaiian coffee are irreplaceable.

Set beside Jamaica Blue Mountain, both coffees offer mild, pleasant acidity and delicate fruit notes with a pinkish sweetness. Hawaiian beans, however, benefit from strict quality control and advanced low-temperature storage, which keeps quality consistently high and free of negative reviews — unlike Blue Mountain, which occasionally draws mixed evaluations.

The southernmost part of Hawaii's Big Island is the KAU coffee district, a newer growing area that emerged in the 1990s. The land there had been planted with sugarcane, but market shifts cut into its profitability. As plantations were abandoned and farmers were left struggling, coffee brought new hope. Despite ideal growing conditions, the region had to work hard at first to step out of the shadow of established Kona coffee.

In 2007, Hawaii KAU coffee emerged as a dark horse, placing 6th and 9th in the SCAA competition run by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. Then, in 2011, it won the Annual World Selected Coffee Award.

The region had previously drawn little attention. Through the efforts of local coffee advocate Chris Manfredi, agricultural experts and consultants were brought in to help smallholder farmers succeed. After consecutive years of wins in American specialty coffee competitions, beans from Hawaii's KAU region are now counted among the finest in the world.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing at 89-91°C for about one minute and fifty seconds. The cup delivers creamy, milk chocolate and almond sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Hawaii KAU and Jamaica Blue Mountain belong to the same tradition of mild, beautifully balanced island coffee, and if that style appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is the classic reference point. Only coffee grown in the designated Blue Mountain range and certified by the Jamaican authorities may carry the name; the range's highest peak reaches 2256 meters, and the cloud cover that gives the mountain its name also slows cherry ripening and builds sweetness and complexity.

Our Blue Mountain No.1 is the highest grade, drawn from the historic Clifton Mount estate, where coffee has been grown and processed since around 1750. The farm's growing and processing site sits at an average of 4300 feet (1310.64 meters), where altitude, gentle afternoon cloud, shade, steady sunlight and mineral-rich soil all come together to extend cherry maturation. It is roasted medium-dark so the classic balance comes forward: hazelnut, cream, chocolate and caramel unfolding in layers, with a soft, rounded body and a clean, long finish.

Blue Mountain is famously versatile. For pour-over, use a 1:15 to 1:16 ratio, 85-88°C water and a medium-coarse grind, and the cream, caramel and nutty notes come through with a clean, transparent texture — try a Kono dripper with 15g, 87-88°C water, a 1:15 ratio and a three-stage pour (30g bloom for 30 seconds, then to 120g, then to 225g). A moka pot works just as well, mellowing the same chocolate, caramel and nut flavors into a denser, richer cup, and it holds up beautifully with milk in a latte or flat white.