Kona Coffee FAQs-Roasting, Sourcing, and Shipping
Find answers to common questions about our 100% Kona coffees, roasting schedule, shipping times, and sourcing practices.
Laos Bolavan Geisha
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Roast: Light
Country: Laos
Region: Bolavan Plateau
Producer: small holder farmers
Processing: Washed
Altitude: 900-1300 masl
Tasting Notes
Lime and Coriander in the aroma. A delicate and sweet cup with a citrusy acidity and hints of graham cracker and tangerine in the cup.
Laos Coffee Background
Coffee was introduced to Laos in 1915 by French Colonists. Around 1920 it was introduced to the Bolaven Plateau near the southern tip of Laos. This region, composed of rich volcanic soils, is now where 95% of Laotian coffee is grown. altitudes here range from 800 to 1,350 masl.
War disrupted coffee production here for much of the mid 20th century, but the industry has slowly and steadily been revitalized.
Coffee Leaf Rust disease also began to ravage the the industry from the 1970's onward, the original Arabica cultivars being mostly typica and bourbon varieties which are highly susceptible to Diseases. Liberica and Robusta species had also been introduced to the region. Liberica didn't have a strong commercial market, but the hardy robusta species did, and this gradually came to dominate, reaching 88% of all coffee production by 2001. The Lao Government has pushed for a shift towards the more valuable arabica species. and introductions of disease resistant arabica varieties has helped to achieve this goal. Catimor varieties were introduced and also in the 1990's the Java variety: an Ethiopian landrace variety selected first in indonesia, and then further in Cameroon before release in the 1980's. From these Java plants brought to Laos the variety has been introduced to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam. In more recent years additional cultivars have been introduced promising better production and cup quality. including Gesha/Geisha T.2722 line from Panama.
Gesha/Geisha T.2722 Variety
perhaps the most famous coffee variety in the world now, this variety is an Ethiopian land race collected from Southwest Ethiopia in 1931. After selection and breeding work in East Africa for two decades (Read more about its early history in Africa Here) the variety made its way to CATIE in Costa Rica in 1955. entered as Accession T.2722 Geisha.
The Geisha/Gesha variety was brought to Panama in the 1960's by Don Pachi Serracin and he planted this at his farm in Jaramillo. This variety he also shared with his neighbor farms in the region. One of these being Hacienda La Esmeralda whom first brought it to international fame in 2004, whose award winning coffee has continually broken price records. Their 1st Place Best of Panama winning Geisha Washed coffee recently sold at auction for an astounding $30,204/Kg of green coffee!
The Gesha/Geisha T.2722 variety often displays aromas and flavors that are uncommon in other cultivars. distinct citrus notes like Bergamot and floral nots reminescant of Jasmine or coffee blossoms. Coriander is another aroma that can be found in some examples. This variety tends to produce cups with a delicate tea-like mouthfeel and high sweetness compared to other varieties.
The plant unfortunately is as delicate as the cup. Maturing slowly and dying easily when the plants are transplanted to the field. Its cup quality is also highly variable dependent on environment. It can be the absolute best cupping variety in some locations, and merely average performing at others. The most distinctive cups tend to come from coffees grown at the highest altitudes. with many of the most award winning coffees coming from altitudes of 2000m+ (at latitudes within 10º from the Equator)
What Is 100% Kona Coffee?
100% Kona coffee refers to coffee grown exclusively in the Kona district of Hawai‘i Island — a small, volcanic region
along the western slopes of Hualālai and Mauna Loa. The combination of mineral-rich soil, afternoon cloud cover, and gentle trade winds produces one of the world’s most distinctive coffee terroirs.
To be labeled “100% Kona Coffee,” every bean must be grown within the Kona district and meet strict Hawai‘i grading quality standards. Kona coffee can be made from different arabica varieties, but Kona Typica — a heirloom lineage — remains the region’s most common and traditional cultivar.
If you’d like to explore more Kona coffees, you can browse the full collection here: Browse the Kona Coffee Collection .
About Kona Coffee
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Kona coffee grows on the volcanic slopes of Hawai‘i Island, where mineral-rich soil, afternoon cloud cover, and slow cherry maturation create a naturally sweet and balanced cup. Our Kona Classic Medium is sourced from high-elevation farms and hand-harvested for clarity, smoothness, and elegant sweetness.
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Yes — this roast is Authentic Kona coffee made exclusively from North Kona district-grown coffees, never blended. Our Kona coffees comes from small farms at the highest altitudes in the region.
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Medium roasts highlight Kona’s signature profile: gentle sweetness, soft citrus, toasted almond, and milk chocolate. The result is a balanced, approachable cup ideal for everyday brewing.
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This coffee shines in pour-over, drip, and French press. Use filtered water just off the boil and a medium grind for maximum clarity and sweetness. If you are looking for a Hawaiian coffee for espresso use we recommend our Hawai‘i Island Blend
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Kona is the highest labor cost coffee region in the world. Wages for farm workers here are 15-20x higher than almost all other coffee producing countries. Limited and expensive land, hand-picking, and high production costs create a naturally small supply each year — especially from high-elevation farms like those we partner with.
Company & Facility
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We roast and fulfill all of our coffee orders in Hilo, Hawai'i.
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We roast in small batches using a Diedrich IR12 roasting machine.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
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We source an array of the top specialty coffees worldwide that appeal to an array of different palates.
If at any point you have difficulty brewing, or just appreciating one of our roasted coffees, no problem. Shoot us an email within 5 days of receiving your coffee and we'll help you find the correct brew settings for your coffee, or give you a credit (minus actual shipping costs) on your next purchase. Yep, we're a Satisfaction Guarantee coffee company!
Please note, our Satisfaction Guarantee only applies to U.S. orders of roasted coffees, and you must contact us within 5 days of receiving the coffees. Credits do not include actual shipping fees, which may be different from posted shipping fees.
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We roast and ship on Monday/Wednesday/Friday.
Coffees
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Our commitment to you is to serve exceptional, fresh-roasted coffees. And part of being exceptional means roasting before the flavors inherent in the green bean begin to fade, which happens over time.
Like apples and pumpkins, coffee is a seasonal agricultural product and each country has a different harvesting cycle in which coffees are at their peak. If we were to insist on serving a single origin all year long, the flavors in that coffee would be noticeably better one half of the year over the other. So the reason you no longer see that coffee you loved is because the optimal season has passed. For more on seasonality in coffees, see this blog post here.
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Hopefully so. If it was a popular product or we receive customer requests, we will make every attempt to bring it back. However, please note that coffees from a certain producer may not taste the same year after year.
If you loved a coffee and no longer see it listed, shoot us an email and ask us what is similar. We’d be happy to provide a personal recommendation.
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We aim for balance and completeness along with differentiation and distinction. You shouldn't need to be a professional coffee taster to tell the coffees a part, so, when we’re selecting coffees, we want them to be distinct from each other.
We avoid ”one-trick pony” type coffees, such as Ethiopians with great aroma but no body or acidity, or coffees with good aroma and acidity but lacking sweetness. These elements, which are often reflections of the growing conditions, are harmonized through good roasting.
And, obviously, defects — even subtle defects — influence our selection. Since we live and work at origin, we’re sensitive to coffee defects like “past crop”, pulpy, and naturals that border on over-ferment. With naturals, we’ll only carry these when great examples are available.
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Our perspective on roasting is similar: we seek balance and distinction. To expect that a coffee is “best” when roasted to some pre-determined degree (i.e. only light roasting or only dark roasting) is analogous to thinking that each person would look best in the same outfit, or each coffee should be grown in the same way. We believe it’s our job to discover the roast degree which best highlights outstanding qualities in each coffee.
