Big Island slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa, where the Kona name is legally restricted and farms average 2-5 acres, nearly all Typica.
Kona coffee is grown on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona districts, and only coffee from those districts can be called Kona. Sources disagree on the belt: one Wikipedia article gives 500-3,200 ft, another about 700-2,000 ft, and the Hawaii Coffee Association booklet says 500-3,000 ft, so the altitude range here is the widest. Mornings are sunny, afternoons cloudy or rainy, and the soil is porous and mineral-rich. Farm counts vary by source from about 600 to 1,000, averaging 2-5 acres. More than 90% of the trees are called Kona Typica. Cherry is hand-picked several times from about August to January, pulped within 24 hours, fermented about 12 to 24 hours and dried for 7 to 14 days.
Field notes
- i
More than 90% of Kona coffee is sold as Kona Typica, yet the Hawaii Coffee Association says it all descends from an 1892 introduction from Guatemala.
- ii
Henry Nicholas Greenwell won an award at the 1873 Vienna world's fair, which helped build the Kona name.
- iii
Kona's slopes were unsuitable for sugarcane, and by 1932 the district had over 1,000 coffee farms, more than 90% run by Japanese Hawaiians.
- iv
Kona beans are graded by law into Type I and Type II peaberry classes, and lower-grade Number 3 coffee cannot legally be labeled Kona.
- v
In 2000 the Hawaii Department of Agriculture registered a '100% Kona Coffee' certification mark.
In the cup, according to guides
- FloralOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists floral, citrus, berry and nutty notes with a smooth finish for Kona.
- CitrusOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists floral, citrus, berry and nutty notes with a smooth finish for Kona.
- BerryOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists floral, citrus, berry and nutty notes with a smooth finish for Kona.
- NuttyOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists floral, citrus, berry and nutty notes with a smooth finish for Kona.
Within Kona
Varietals
Processing
Sources · 3 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-11. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Kona coffee · Wikipedia
- Coffee production in Hawaii · Wikipedia
- Grown with Aloha: A Guide to Hawai'i's Coffee Industry · Hawaii Coffee Association (with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture), 2018