"Kona coffee has a richer flavor than any other, be it grown where it may and called by what name you please."
Mark Twain, 1866
Kona coffee: Rare and Premium
Successfully growing coffee beans requires a very specific combination of sun, soil, and water. It is grown in a limited number of locations around the world. The weather pattern of Kona district in Hawaii consists of bright sunny mornings, rainy afternoons, and mild nights. These create perfect coffee growing conditions. Because of the rarity and price of Kona coffee beans in the marketplace, pure Kona coffee is considered to be one of the premium specialty coffees of the world. That's the reason some retailers sell Kona Blends, which is a misleading commercial effort. These blends are not a combination of different Kona coffees but rather a blend of 10% Kona and 90% of cheaper Colombian or Brazilian coffees.
Kona Coffee: The Difference
Kona coffee beans come from the fertile, volcanic fields plantations in the north and south Kona Kona district in Hawaii. This area is roughly 1 mile wide by 30 miles long, situated on the western slopes of the volcanoes Hualalai and Mauna Loa. Elevating above the sea ranging from 500-3,000 feet, Kona Coffee has been grown on these dark volcanic slopes, on the west coast of the Big lsland since the 1800s. There Coffee grown anywhere else in Hawaii is Hawaiian Coffee, but is not Kona Coffee. 100% pure Kona Coffee Beans are distinguished from all other coffees by its unique island microclimate and extra care taken by generation after generation of coffee farmers. The result is medium bodied, fine acidity coffee with very distinctive aroma: a buttery characteristic with a hint of cinnamon and cloves.
Kona Coffee: Special Growing Conditions
Growing fine coffee requires the coexistence of several unique conditions. The cycle of bright sunny mornings, cloud-covered rainy afternoons and mild nights create an ideal growing condition for the Kona coffees trees to mature slowly and flourish. It flourishes on rich, porous volcanic soil in a mild tropical climate. Of course the location in not the only factor distinguishing Kona Coffee from other coffees and commercial blends.
