Kona Coffee has a richer flavor than any other.

Kona coffee, only makes up 1% percent of the worlds coffee, and is one of the rarest beans. It is grown on the Big Island of Hawaii, in a very small area, known as the Kona coffee district. This district, only spans about 30 miles long and about 2-3 miles wide. It is in this small district, located on 2 volcanic slopes, that some of the worlds most exceptional and sought after coffee is grown. Its nutrient rich volcanic soil, gives it a very low acid content, and makes it one of the least bitter coffees.

Kona coffee, is known for having exceptional flavor. It is smooth and well-balanced, making it a very drinkable coffee any time of day. Obviously, different roast levels matter, and every farm is different, but common notes found in Kona coffee are: nutty, honey, caramel, milk chocolate, and fruit flavors. A medium roast, is suggested, and is best for pulling out all the light, delicate, and notable flavors of Kona coffee.

There are so many reasons, that make Kona coffee world renown, and some of the most expensive in the world. Would you spend $45+ on a 12 oz bag of coffee? Your answer may be, "No, absolutely not!" However, if you knew the care, love, dedication, tradition, and meticulous attention to detail, that went into every bag of Kona coffee, I think, you might change your "NO, 100%! " to a "Yes, 100%!"

First of all, Kona coffee is the only coffee, grown right here, in the USA. It is known for having a one-of-a-kind complex flavor, and is one of the rarest beans in the world. It is grown in a small area, known for having a microclimate for growing coffee, that is like no other place on earth. The volcanic slopes, in which the coffee is grown, has nutrient rich volcanic soil, a relatively lower elevation, and a consistent weather pattern. The sunny mornings, rainy afternoons, and mild nights, combined with their consistent temperatures, between 60-78 degrees, make it a coffee growing paradise. The elevation, milder temps, and ideal amount of annual rainfall, allow the coffee cherries to ripen more slowly and evenly. 

Picking coffee cherries is very labor intensive.  In Kona, where preserving nature, tradition, and the legacy, that is Kona coffee, is so important to the people, big machines for picking are not used. Only the ripest cherries, are handpicked and processed, which produce a more uniform crop and better tasting coffee. Now, I could go on and on, about being American grown, the beautiful land and perfect microclimate, the complexity and smoothness of the cup, the hardworking farmers and their preservation of history, but I think you understand, why it's Fancy 100%.  And, if you don't....you'll just have to order a bag of Barnwood's first 100% Kona coffee roast, and try it for yourself!

In 1825, an agriculturalist, from England, by the name of John Wilkinson, was brought over to grow sugar and coffee in the Manoa Valley on Oahu. Then, in 1828, the first coffee plant was brought over from Oahu, to the Big Island, by Reverend Samuel Ruggles. However, it isn't until 1873, at the World's Fair, in Vienna, Austria, that Kona coffee will be recognized on a global stage. A man, by the name of Henry Greenwell, who will become the first big exporter of Kona coffee, is awarded a "Recognition Diploma" there, at the World's Fair, and the rest, I guess, you could say... is history.

Obviously, just like any commodity, Kona coffee, has had its ups and downs, since first being introduced, to the Big Island, in 1828. However, through hard work, a love for tradition, and a strong dedication to the Kona coffee heritage, it has prevailed, and remained one of the world's most prized coffees generation after generation.

Today, there are about 650 farms and 3,500 acres used for growing Kona coffee. 3.8 million pounds are sold a year, bringing in about $14 million.

The Kona Coffee Festival, is a staple of the Big Island.  It is Hawaii's oldest food festival, and has been running since 1970. It is a 10 day cultural experience, that honors and celebrates Kona's rich coffee heritage, all while embodying the "aloha spirit". The 10 days, are full of cultural performances, handmade arts and crafts, educational opportunities, coffee competitions, traditional Hawaiian food, and of course, lots of award winning Kona coffee.

We drank, breathed, and slept COFFEE, all day, every day, during our time at the festival. We learned so much about the 200 year old history of Kona coffee, toured different coffee farms, and sampled some of the most delicious coffee. We started our Kona coffee adventure, actually picking coffee cherries, at the UCC Hawaii coffee farm.  We sampled their award-winning coffees, walked the farm, picked the cherries, practiced our hand at depulping, and ate mouthwatering coffee ice cream (much needed after being in the hot Hawaiian sun). 

We visited many different coffee shops on the island, and tried all the unique Hawaiian drinks. In between drinking all the coffee, and eating all the delicious, traditional Hawaiian food, we visited a number of other coffee farms. One of them being, one of the oldest coffee farms, in the Kona coffee belt, Greenwell Farms. We had an extensive tour, that was given by a man, who grew up at Greenwell Farms, and who has had family members work there for decades. We learned the who's, the what's, and the why's of everything that was Henry Nicholas Greenwell, and how he became the biggest exporter of Kona coffee. Wow! What a story! 

We also went back in time, at the award-winning Kona Historical Society farm. We experienced what life would have been like, for Japanese immigrants, in the early 20th century, at an operational coffee farm. As we walked the farm, history came alive all around us.  We saw artifacts, roasted coffee outside on a skillet, cracked macadamia nuts, made rice patties, and fed the famous "Kona nightingales" (donkeys used for transporting coffee). The story of the Uchida family, and the hardships they faced each day, while farming the land, is one I'll never forget.

The 10 days ended with the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. It was the perfect way to celebrate, and culminate everything we had experienced and learned, that is Kona coffee. We made hand sewn leis, listened and watched traditional Hawaiian music and dancing, drank even more coffee, and bought special handmade mementos, that will remind us each day, of the "aloha spirit'.

On our last day, in Kona, we visited a special farm, where we bought green coffee (for roasting), chocolate, and macadamia nuts, that we could bring home, to offer our amazing Barnwood ohana.