And marketing efforts are severely undermined by a two decade long legal struggle between small Kona coffee farmers and large processors who throw fake Kona coffee on the market called ‘Kona Blends’. Doesn’t help that many of the Kona coffee farmers are ‘fake’ by themselves, meaning many are well-heeled retirees from the mainland, have few trees but the will to argue for arguments sake. Always look out for single-origin, single-estate coffees, regardless if in Kona or other coffee producing areas. And you’ll be in for a surprise how different one farms coffee will taste from the next one! Most coffee you drank in your life was mixed/blended of various coffees to achieve a certain masspleasing flavor profile.

I was local in Hawaii for years and am a bit of a coffee freak. What Kona coffee mostly has going for it is an excellent marketing campaign. Most Kona coffee is simply fine. Definitely not worth the $18-25 per pound. Most of the Kona stock is just the simple Central American bean. There are, however, a few unique growers… like the Buddhist Monastary in the South West corner. Also a few growers have trees that are over a hundred years old in natural shade. Otherwise, Kona coffee is like real good Gramma Coffee.

For a real treat, try some of the coffee from the Honoka’a/Kamuala/Hamakua area. Hard to find outside the area, but very well worth it. Cloud Forest, I believe, is one from there. Really outstanding. You may have to go to the cafe in Honoka’a to get it though.

Eddie Garmon