Kona Coffee Review
Hawaii received its first coffee trees in 1828. They were brought to the islands on HMS Blond, which was a British warship. Soon after, coffee was planted in the Kona district of the Big Island. Kona’s rich volcanic soil and unique climate work together to produce a coffee like no other. Kona coffee is by far one of the best tasting Hawaiian Drinks.
Recently I tried 100% Kona coffee from a company called Royal Kona. I sampled their Private Reserve, Medium Roast, Whole Bean. It’s not cheap. In fact, it costs roughly $2 per ounce, but it was definitely worth it.
My Bag of Royal Kona Coffee
It has a very fragrant, intoxicating coffee aroma. I really can’t describe it. I can only imagine what it must smell like when it was being roasted.
And it has a rich, complex flavor. It has a smooth, almost buttery mouth feel, with just a hint of acidity. And I really like the earthy notes that I got from it, which are much more complex than other coffees.
As long as you are a one or two cup a day coffee drinker like me, I think that you’ll love this coffee. But if you drink more than that, you will probably love this coffee, but hate what it does to your wallet.
Ka’u Coffee
You might not be able to tell this from its name, but Ka’u coffee is grown in the district of Ka’u. Ka’u is located on the Big Island of Hawaii just a few miles outside of the Volcano National Park.
Now Kona Coffee is thought by many to be one of the finest coffees in the world and if you are interested in kona coffee you might want to view my Kona Coffee Review, but I think coffee from this obscure area, called Ka’u, that few have heard of is one of Hawaii’s best kept secrets. Now I’ve tried both Kona Coffee and Ka’u Coffee and if Kau Coffee isn’t comparable to Kona Coffee, I’d have to say that it is very close in quality and flavor and it is one of my favorite Hawaiian Drinks.
A bag of my Ka'u Coffee from Big Island Coffee.
And you know what the best thing about this little known coffee is? It’s the price; it is significantly less pricey than Kona Coffee, because so few non-locals know about it. But how long will this incredible coffee from Ka’u remain Hawaii’s best kept secret? My wallet hopes that the answer is forever.
P.S.: You didn’t hear this from me…You may have already had Ka’u coffee and not even realized it. I’ve heard a few rumors that some “kona coffee” was really grown in Ka’u and secretly smuggled into Kona for roasting and packaging under the Kona coffee label. But these are just rumors after all.