Kona Coffee FAQs-Roasting, Sourcing, and Shipping
Find answers to common questions about our 100% Kona coffees, roasting schedule, shipping times, and sourcing practices.
Ka‘ū Lempira Anaerobic Washed
Item is in stockHurry! Low inventoryItem is out of stock
Item is unavailable
Kaʻū Lempira — Anaerobic Washed
Limited Roast
A structured, fruit-driven expression of Kaʻū coffee from A Coffee Farm in the Pear Tree area, fermented anaerobically with wine yeast for depth and clarity.
Origin: Kaʻū District, Hawaiʻi Island
Farm: A Coffee Farm (Moaʻula, Pear Tree Area)
Elevation: 1,300–1,500 ft
Roast: Light
Variety: Lempira
Process: Anaerobic Washed (with Wine Yeast)
Flavor: Raspberry, walnut, dark chocolate, cabernet franc
Body: Structured, medium-light
Acidity: Green apple-like, focused
Overview
Kaʻū Lempira Anaerobic Washed is a limited release highlighting the progressive side of Hawaiian coffee.
Grown at A Coffee Farm on the eastern slopes of Mauna Loa, this lot was pulped and fermented anaerobically with selected wine yeast before washing and drying. The process enhances fruit structure and aromatic depth while maintaining clarity.
The result is a composed, layered cup: bright red fruit supported by cocoa and subtle wine-like character.
Origin — A Coffee Farm, Pear Tree Area
This coffee comes from A Coffee Farm, located in the remote Moaʻula neighborhood of Kaʻū on the slopes of Mauna Loa.
Farm lots range from 1,300–1,750 feet in elevation, with this lot grown between 1,300–1,500 feet. Deep volcanic soils, roughly 60 inches of annual rainfall, and consistent cloudy afternoons create ideal conditions for slow maturation and balanced sweetness.
The 90-acre farm is the collaborative vision of James McCully and Ruslan & Alla Kuznetsov. James has farmed on the Big Island since 1976, while Rus and Alla bring backgrounds in music and wine—an influence reflected in their interest in yeast-inoculated fermentation.
Multiple varieties are cultivated here, including Red Catuai, Lempira, Parainema, Tabi, and Castillo, processed through washed, natural, honey, and experimental yeast methods.
Variety — Lempira
Lempira is a disease-resistant variety developed in Central America, known for resilience and high productivity. In recent years this variety has become popular to plant by growers in Kaʻū.
In Kaʻū’s volcanic soils, it produces balanced sweetness and stable acidity, but with less aromatic complexity than other varieties—making it well suited to controlled fermentation techniques.
Process — Anaerobic Washed (Wine Yeast)
After harvest, cherries were pulped and sealed for anaerobic fermentation with selected wine yeast for several days at cool temperatures.
This controlled fermentation enhances fruit precision and aromatic complexity without pushing into heavy or overripe character. The coffee was then washed and dried to preserve structure.
Roast Style & Intent
Roasted light to preserve acidity and structure while allowing fermentation-derived notes to integrate cleanly.
Development is extended slightly to support sweetness and dark chocolate undertones without muting fruit or wine-like nuances.
Cup Profile
Expect a structured and expressive cup featuring:
-
Raspberry
-
Green apple-like acidity
-
Cabernet franc undertones
-
Walnut
-
Dark chocolate
Acidity is crisp and focused, similar to green apple, while the finish carries subtle red-wine character and cocoa depth.
Compared to Kaʻū Classic Light, this coffee is more structured, more fruit-driven, and more fermentation-forward.
Brewing Recommendations
Best results with:
Pour-over — highlights green apple acidity and clarity
Aeropress — enhances chocolate and body
Brew at 92–94°C. 16:1 brew ratio with filtered water (80-110ppm)
Who This Coffee Is For
Drinkers who enjoy:
-
Structured light roasts
-
Wine-like acidity
-
Controlled anaerobic processing
-
Experimental Hawaiian lots
If you prefer a cleaner, traditional washed profile, Kaʻū Classic Light may be a better fit.
Why Kaʻū Matters
Long overshadowed by Kona, Kaʻū has become one of Hawaiʻi’s most dynamic coffee regions. High elevations, deep volcanic soils, and thoughtful processing are pushing the region forward.
Limited lots like this reflect that evolution.
Why Our Hawaiʻi Coffees
Hawaiʻi-Grown Coffees
Sourced directly from Kona and Kaʻū farms on the Big Island.
High-Elevation Growing
Selected from farms between approximately 1,300 and 2,500 feet.
Freshly Roasted in Small Batches
Roasted to order on Hawaiʻi Island.
Carefully Sorted for Quality
Machine and hand sorting remove defects prior to roasting.
Roasted for Expression
Profiles designed to highlight origin character, not generic roast flavors.
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
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
-
We roast and fulfill all of our coffee orders in Hilo, Hawai'i.
-
We roast in small batches using a Diedrich IR12 roasting machine.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
-
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.
-
We roast and ship on Monday/Wednesday/Friday.
Coffees
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
