Kona Coffee FAQs-Roasting, Sourcing, and Shipping
Find answers to common questions about our 100% Kona coffees, roasting schedule, shipping times, and sourcing practices.
Kona Pink Bourbon - Hala Tree Auction Lot
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Roast: Light
Country: United States
Region: Captain Cook, North Kona
Producer: Hala Tree Farm
Processing: Washed
Altitude: 500masl (1650ft)
Taste Notes:
Orange and clove in the aroma. A very balanced cup with an excellent supporting acidity and notes of molasses and strawberry in the cup with wisps of white flowers in the after taste.
Pink Bourbon
Pink bourbon is a variation of the bourbon variety that produce pinkish/dark orange cherries when ripe rather than red. Most likely a cross of yellow bourbon and red bourbon. It is a poor producing plant compared to red or yellow bourbon and for that reason it is very uncommon to find. However it can produce a very nice cup. One that is more similar in cup profile to red-fruited bourbons than yellow-fruited ones. Usually produces a balanced and sweet cup as a washed coffee with notes of orange, caramel or toasted nuts.
This is true Pink Bourbon which came to Hawaii from El Salvador more than 60 years ago. It is genetically distinct from the variety bearing the same name from Colombia, which is not related to the bourbon variety at all, but is an Ethiopian Landrace that produces pink cherries. that variety is much more productive and also modertely disease resistent and for these reasons production of this variety has greatly increased the past decade, while True Pink or Orange Bourbons are increasing rare to find.
Hala Tree Farm
In 2012 Danielle and Jean came to Hawaii’s ‘Big Island’ for a week’s vacation.
After 30 years of corporate life Jean wanted a change of scenery. and needed something new and exciting, it was time for a new chapter in their lives. They returned to Kona to look for a coffee farm.
They settled on a small 6 acres coffee plantation in Captain Cook 20 miles south of Kona. The property had been neglected for a number of years and only about 2 acres of land had coffee trees. T
They spent their first year bringing the farm back to life, nurturing existing trees back to healthy productive ones, planting new coffee trees and learning, learning, learning. The Hala Tree farm now extends to more than 50 acres of prime coffee plantations, actively working with smaller coffee farmers in the Kona region.
In recent years they have planted new varieties on the farm such as SL34, Geisha/Gesha, Red Bourbon and Pink Bourbon. They currently have about 300 trees of Pink Bourbon growing at an elevation of 1300ft
In July 2025 They held an internet auction for some of their best and most distinctive coffees. We were able to secure their 45lb of Pink Bourbon.
Harvest Date January 30, 2025, yielding 520 lbs of cherries
Drying: completed on February 12 (sun dried),
Milling: March 6.
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.
