Whenever I have a friend traveling to Hawaii I insist they bring me back a bag of the famous Kona Peaberry Coffee. Kona coffee is known for its smooth and mellow yet full-bodied flavor, a very deep and rich bean producing a very aromatic cup of coffee. Kona's elevated location is perfect for growing the best beans. Its climate of sunny mornings, cloudy or rainy afternoons combine to make a superior coffee bean.
Kona coffee can only be called that if it is grown within the district of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is grown in a small area only one mile wide by 30 miles long. Coffee grown in any other area of the islands can only be called "Hawaiian." Even coffee grown in Kona is called "Hawaiian" if it falls below the "Prime" grade.
Kona Peaberry coffee is classified as "Extra Fancy" and costs more not only because you are getting a bigger and denser bean, but because you are also getting a rarer bean and only accounts for approximately 5% of the coffee bean crop. Peaberry is a "freak of nature" so to speak, and occurs when the coffee cherry yields only one bean instead of two. The Peaberry bean is shaped like a football; it is not flat on one side and round on the other, like a regular coffee bean. It also has a lower acid content than regular beans. Some believe that the cylindrical shape causes this bean to roast differently than a regular bean giving it a much different taste.
It has been said that coffee prepared in a French Press coffee pot is the best way to taste the actual flavor of the coffee bean. If you have Kona Peaberry coffee beans what better way to thoroughly enjoy their bold yet smooth flavor. When coffee is prepared in a French Press coffee pot it produces a concentrated yet very smooth and rich tasting coffee. You can imagine how the combination of Kona Peaberry coffee, which is already great tasting, and brewing it in the French Press coffee pot would kick it up a notch and make a more intense flavored cup of coffee. One sip of this rare coffee will spoil you for any other.
When purchasing a package of Kona Peaberry Coffee inspect the ingredient label carefully. It can only be called that if it is 100% Kona Peaberry Coffee. It may say that it is a "Kona" blend. That could mean that it is part Hawaiian coffee, possibly grown in other areas, and a small part Kona Peaberry Coffee. If you are comparing prices you may think you are getting a high grade coffee by purchasing one called "Estate." "Estate" is not a grade of Kona coffee. The Kona coffee council defines "Estate" as "the product of one farm, unmixed with crops from other farms and processed through to roast under the control of that farm." Processing companies buy coffee in cherry form (right off the tree) from many farms in Hawaii. They combine these all the way through to roasting and market it under their own label.
It is well worth the extra cost to buy pure Kona Peaberry Coffee. You will not be disappointed.
