I visit the Big Island to explore the Kona coffee craze and breakdown some of the United States best known coffee farming. When our trip to the Hawaii finally came to fruition my number 2 thought was about the coffee. The number 1 was of course swimming in some of the most beautiful waters in the world. Coffee here is actually really old. In the early 1800’s folks started trying to plant these babies. With that being said Kona coffee in Hawaii is king. almost 95% of all coffee produced on the Hawaiian islands is Hermann Widemanns “Kona Typica”. Why ?
Drifting
The temperature, rain, altitude and soil drainage make these volcanic paradises ideal for the cash crop. With that being said is the Juice worth the squeeze? Since Hawaiian farmers are limited in the area coffee beans can be grown and labeled Kona Coffee “Supply” is the word. About 2.7 million pounds of coffee beans are produced each year. So getting a roasted lb. under 20$ is rare. That being said sometimes you have to pay to play. I was able to sample a variety of coffees. We tried every roast and sampled directly from several different farms. The average price per lb. was around 34$. With the cheapest being 26$ and the most expensive being 65$. Funny thing is… the most expensive was the best.
Southern Miranda Farms, red cherries almost ready for harvest.
Coffee has to be picked by hand in order for the farmers to get their perfectly ripe timings. This inherently drives the cost up as well. Coupled with Hawaii’s growing NO SPRAY (organic) policy its no mystery why these beans drive such a premium. Do I feel they merit such a cost? Yes and No. From the main stay brands like Greenwell and others the quality of the bean is superb. However the roasts seem timid and unremarkable. I must of tried 10 different brews and yet I hardly remember a single one. The natural sweetness that comes with tropical sun seems lost. Maybe this is due to trying to appeal to the everyday American Starbucks drinker. Or perhaps these organizations are caught up in traditionalism. Either way the coffee is disappointing. The Peaberry varieties stood out but marginally.
Greenwell farms, drying platforms.
However… if you search hard enough, and I mean hard. You can find places that bring the fire. Like Rooster Farms up the hill. They use a 1960’s sivetz coffee air roaster. They also roast in parchment, hand pick, polyculture farm and of course they use only organic practices. So from farm to table the coffee is outstanding. The flavors are bold and deep and the vibe is on point. Its not the best brew that has ever crossed my lips but it was really good. So good in fact that I have since ordered more.
Rooster Farms, Me helping with the drying process.
In the end I can conclude that the species of bean itself is not any better than the dozens of others that I have tried. While the weather and location might be paradise on earth it still takes people to craft it. People to tinker with each seasons batches. People to pick the perfect ingredients and people to foster the growth of the future. 97% of this drink is water. That 3% matters. Its those who dedicate themselves and pour their energy into making an outstanding product that make the difference. The dark roast was my favorite. Their Ethiopian was just okay. Fin.