Is Low-Altitude Grown Coffee Not Considered Specialty Coffee? Hawaiian Kona Coffee Brewing Flavor Characteristics

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When mentioning Hawaii, many people think of sunshine, beaches, and waves, but the barista at FrontStreet Coffee thinks of Kona coffee, which is full of maltose sweetness. The gentle acidity and maltose sweetness of Kona coffee make many fans of FrontStreet Coffee long for it.

Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii is an archipelago affiliated with the United States, located in the central Pacific Ocean. Among the many islands, only the Big Island grows coffee. This is not only because the Big Island has the highest elevation compared to other islands, but also because its climate is most suitable, and there are no excessive hybrid varieties, ensuring the purity of the growing environment. Although the Big Island has the highest elevation among the Hawaiian Islands, the coffee growing areas only range from 300 to 1100 meters in altitude. This altitude range doesn't meet the typical elevation requirements in the specialty coffee field, yet no one would say that Kona coffee doesn't belong to specialty coffee. Isn't that somewhat contradictory? At FrontStreet Coffee, we often discuss with other coffee professionals that the concept of specialty coffee seems to have certain standards, but there are always some distinctive coffees that break these standards. This is precisely what FrontStreet Coffee finds fascinating about coffee.

Characteristics of Island-Grown Coffee

Hawaii belongs to island-type coffee growing regions, where coffee cultivation areas are located in the vast ocean without connection to mainland. The temperature variation here is minimal throughout the year, but there's a significant temperature difference between day and night, with sufficient cloud cover to block the sun. Although the average elevation of coffee regions isn't very high, Hawaii's special island climate and fertile volcanic soil make the coffee quality produced here quite exceptional. The regional taste of island-grown coffee is defined as gentle, fragrant, and elegant. The body is slightly thinner, not as full-bodied as Indonesian Mandheling, and lacks the varied acidity of Kenyan coffee.

Hawaiian Coffee Growing Regions

Hawaii's main coffee growing regions include MAUI ISLAND, WAIKAPU, MAUI ISLAND, KAU, BIG ISLAND (coffee processing mills), and KONA, BIG ISLAND. Among these, Kona coffee has made Hawaiian coffee famous.

MAUI ISLAND

Maui Island (MAUI) has a large coffee plantation called Ka'anapali, which is divided into many small plots, but the coffee is produced centrally. This plantation was a sugarcane plantation from 1860-1988 before being converted to a coffee plantation. Region altitude: 100-550 meters.

WAIKAPU MAUI ISLAND

This region can be considered a relatively young coffee growing region in Hawaii. The only coffee plantation in the area is owned by a company located on the neighboring island of MOLOKAI. Region altitude: 500-750 meters.

KAU, BIG ISLAND (Coffee Processing Mill)

Coffee cultivation began here in 1996 after the sugar processing mill closed. Before 2010, coffee cherries produced here had to be taken to neighboring regions like PUNA or KONA for processing. However, now that processing mills have been built locally, people no longer need to take coffee cherries elsewhere for post-processing.

HAMAKUA BIG ISLAND

Coffee cultivation began here in 1852, originally with 8 plantations. Like other regions in Hawaii, the coffee industry declined due to the rise of the sugar industry. However, starting from the mid-1990s, coffee cultivation began again here. Region altitude: 100-600 meters.

KONA, BIG ISLAND

The Kona region is located in the southwestern part of the Big Island, covering an area 20 miles long and 2 miles wide, encompassing the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa. The altitude ranges between 300-1100 meters, providing the most suitable growing environment for coffee trees. Therefore, the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa are covered with coffee trees. Only coffee beans grown in this region and meeting the strictest certification standards can be sold under the Kona trademark name.

Kona Coffee Cultivation Model

Kona coffee has always been cultivated using a family farming model. The Kona coffee harvest season runs from late August each year until January of the following year. Farmers harvest the ripe fruits in batches and process them to obtain coffee beans. Initially, only men were allowed to work in the coffee plantations, but later women also joined.

Impact of Pests and Weather on Kona Coffee

In 2010, the Hawaiian growing regions suffered from a berry borer infestation, with the island's specialty coffee regions of Kona and Ka'u being most severely affected. Coffee production on the island decreased dramatically by 50%. Later, through pesticide and biological beetle control, Kona coffee production had recovered by over 40% by 2015. Although the disasters were brought under control, reduced rainfall on the island in recent years has affected the Kona region. Due to the decreasing coffee bean production and high market demand, prices in recent years have approached those of Blue Mountain coffee.

Kona Coffee Varieties

Typica is the oldest native variety from Ethiopia, and almost all current Arabica coffee bean varieties are derived from Typica. Typica has an elegant flavor but is physically weak, with low disease resistance and susceptibility to leaf rust. Coffee bean production is low, making it economically unviable.

Kona's Typica was introduced from Guatemala in 1892. The Typica beans grown in Kona are large, and the growing altitude ranges from 600-1100m. Compared to other coffee-producing countries, Kona's growing altitude is considered low, but on the Hawaiian Islands, Kona is considered high altitude. Someone once tried to transplant Kona's Typica to other islands, but because the other islands had too high temperatures and too low altitudes, the Typica didn't grow well, failing to produce the unique gentle acidity of the Kona region.

Flavor Characteristics of Kona Coffee Beans

Kona coffee beans are exceptionally full-bodied and carry cinnamon spice flavors with balanced, moderate acidity. They have a bright, glossy appearance, and Kona beans are uniformly shaped and sized. The specialty of Kona coffee lies in its fresh, sweet aroma reminiscent of grass or trees, along with citrus-like acidity and richness, combining various characteristics without any cloudy texture. When FrontStreet Coffee cupped Kona coffee, we found the coffee flavor to be rich and aromatic, not bitter, not astringent, without any burnt taste, featuring gentle acidity and maltose sweetness, with a rich, smooth, and mellow mouthfeel.

Kona Coffee Processing Method

The Kona region primarily uses the washed processing method. The biggest difference from the natural method is the use of fermentation to remove the mucilage layer. After completing fermentation and removing the mucilage, because fermentation bacteria and impurities remain on the coffee beans, they are washed again. To clean thoroughly, this step consumes large amounts of fresh water, after which the fruits are dried and hulled.

Hawaii's clean, sweet mountain spring water provides the ideal conditions for the washed processing of Kona coffee beans. This method creates the bright, clear appearance and pure, fresh taste of Kona coffee beans.

Kona Coffee Grading System

Kona coffee beans are primarily graded by size and can be divided into four levels: the highest grade Extra Fancy, Fancy, Prime, and Gr. No.1. They are also classified as Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 consists of standard coffee beans, including the largest size Kona Extra Fancy, followed by descending size grades: Kona Fancy, Kona Select, and Kona Prime.

Type 2 is exclusively for peaberry beans, including two grades: Kona Number 1 Peaberry and the smaller Kona Peaberry Prime.

Origin Information

Region: Kona region

Plantation: Queen's Farm

Altitude: 1100m

Variety: Typica

Processing method: Washed processing

FrontStreet Coffee's Kona comes from Queen Farm. In 2009 and 2011, it won second place in the Gevalia (Hawaii KONA Cupping Competition) cupping competition. 70% of the harvest there is considered the highest grade premium specialty beans, and it's a farm known for its high quality. Even the slightly lower grade specialty beans have an aroma comparable to premium specialty beans, amazing and praised by people in the roasting industry.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Like Blue Mountain coffee, Kona beans have low density, so the charging temperature cannot be too high. When sweetness develops and the color turns light yellow, the moisture content is high, requiring sufficient time for steaming. The coffee beans should be clean, firm, and have a substantial feel. Kona should not be roasted too dark. FrontStreet Coffee recommends medium-light roasting.

Machine: Yangjia 800N, 550g green beans input. Heat the roaster to 200°C, open the damper to 3, after 1 minute adjust the heat to 150°C, damper unchanged. Roast until 5'35", temperature reaches 150°C, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, dehydration is complete. Adjust heat to 140°C, damper to 4;

At 9'30 minutes, ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms into coffee aroma, this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'30" first crack begins, reduce heat to 70°C, damper fully open (adjust heat very carefully, don't reduce it so much that there's no cracking sound). Turn off heat at 182°C, drop at 193.4°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameter Recommendations

Dripper: Kono

Water temperature: 89-90°C

Grind size: Fine sugar size / 20# sieve 80% pass-through

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Coffee amount: 15 grams

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, namely three-stage pouring. 30g water for 30-second bloom, second pour with small water flow in circular motion to 125g, wait for water level to drop, then slowly pour again with even speed, water level should not be too high, pour to 225g and stop. Extraction time: 2 minutes - 2 minutes 10 seconds (including bloom time).

Brewing flavor: Balanced and smooth osmanthus honey sweetness with elegant, substantial but not heavy mouthfeel. The brewed coffee releases mulberry aroma that brings sweet happiness. The aftertaste has a smooth malt flavor, and when cooled, it's like a cup of mulberry tea.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473