What is Hawaiian Kona Coffee and Why is it So Special?

While browsing our collection of J.L. Hufford Coffee, you might have noticed a black bag among a sea of brown bags. You read "100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee," and then you see the $115.49 price. Have you ever seen a bag of coffee for over a hundred dollars? Believe it or not, Hawaiian Kona Coffee isn't even the most expensive kind of coffee out there (see: gesha coffee). So what is Kona coffee?

Coffee trees thrive on the cool slopes of the Hualalai and Mauna Loa Mountains in rich volcanic soil. Growing in this unique environment, Kona coffee has a distinct advantage over coffees grown in other parts of the world. Coffee trees typically bloom after Kona's dry winters and are harvested in autumn. Coffee cultivated in the North and South districts of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii is the only coffee that can truly be called "Kona Coffee."

Before being graded, Kona coffee is hand picked, pulped, dried and hulled. Machinery at the coffee mill sorts the beans into different grades by size and shape. Peaberry is top of the line. A peaberry bean is formed when one side of the flower fuses with the other, leaving only one bean in the coffee cherry. This gives the peaberry a more concentrated flavor and makes up only about 5% to 10% of the total Kona Coffee harvest.

Kona Coffee is sun dried, then custom roasted depending on desired results and differences in moisture of the beans. A good roasting process (and processor) can make a world of difference. A distinct, full-bodied, and delicious flavor is created. Think of coffees as wine. Some wines are a high quality and have a higher price. The same can be said for different types of coffee. 

J.L. Hufford is proud to offer 100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee. A "Kona Blend" is usually only 10% coffee, but you can experience true and real Kona Coffee with our 12 ounce bag. Treat yourself, indulge yourself, imagine yourself on the beaches of Hawaii, with 100% Kona Coffee from J.L. Hufford.