| Hawaii |
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 GEOGRAPHY
& CLIMATE:
West and south of California, 2,100 miles away, lies Hawaii.
Among the 50 states it is the only one surrounded by the
ocean. It is the only state within the tropics.
The mountainous nature of Hawaii is indicated by the fact
that 50 percent of the State lies above an elevation of
2,000 feet and 10 percent lies above 7,000 feet. However,
the heights of the mountains vary greatly from island
to island. Kona is the only region in the islands where
summer rainfall exceeds winter rainfall. There is a marked
diurnal wind regime, with well-developed and reliable
land and sea breezes, especially in the summer. Summer
is also the season with a high frequency of late afternoon
or early evening showers. Conditions are somewhat warmer
and decidedly drier than in windward locations.
COFFEE BACKGROUND:
The first coffee plants were brought to the Islands in
1828 by the Reverend Samuel Ruggles, an American missionary.
The plants flourished in the favorable soil and climate
conditions of the Big Island. As the years passed, Japanese
immigrants brought in as contract laborers for the sugar
companies served out their contracts and started small,
family-run coffee farms.
The hard-working Japanese farmers eventually owned their
own land, and their children worked the fields with them.
Today, the term "Kona character" has come to
mean rugged individualism and a "can-do" attitude.
 SPECIES:
Arabica
ALTITUDE AT WHICH GROWN: 750 ft. - 2,500 ft.
For over a century, Kona Coffee has been known throughout
the world for its high quality. It is grown in a small
two mile wide area known as the "lower humid zone",
which is approximately 1000 feet above sea level. This
area of Kona has the ideal rain and temperatures summer
and winter for growing excellent coffee.
Kona coffee is rated as some of the best coffee in the
world. Smooth taste, full bodied, buttery mouth feel.
Kona Peaberry: These beans are the most highly prized.
Small, round, these beans constitute only a very small
percentage of the harvest and are sought out by the true
coffee connoisseur. The small and dense cherry is less
acidic and holds in the rich flavor until it is ground.
This is the reason the coffee is so smooth and exquisite.
PREPARATION METHOD: “Washed” |
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