Crave – food & drink
Kauai Coffee’s Koloa Estate is the largest coffee farm in the United States. The 3,100-acre coffee plantation is home to 4 million coffee trees—and it’s GMO-free. The coffee is grown in volcanic soil, where it’s touched by mountain rain, warm Pacific sunshine and gentle Hawaiian trade winds. And every coffee bean is roasted right there.
Coffee trees at Kauai Coffee
With anything in Hawaii (which can be pricey), free is good. And the Kauai Coffee Visitor Center offers free tastings of their entire line of 100% Hawaiian, estate-grown coffees. There’s also a free walking tour.
My favorite among the Kauai Estate Reserve Dark Roast coffee samples was Kauai Blue Mountain—smooth with a bright finish. My fave among the Medium Roast samples was the Peaberry Medium—dry and smoky. Runner-up Medium Roast coffees were Big Braddah, Poipu Estate Medium, and the Visitor Center Roast. And, finally, my pick among the Flavored Coffees was the Coconut Caramel Crunch, with the Chocolate Macadamia Nut a close second.
The Visitor Center is located at 870 Halewili Road in Kalaheo. You can sample coffees, stroll through the coffee orchard, browse in the gift shop, or order a coffee beverage or food.
Tip: If you’re staying in Poipu Beach, it’s a great place to stop on the way to Kauai Island Brewing Co., which will be featured in a future blog post. More tasting is needed there…
