THE KONA BEAN MAY BE THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER COFFEE BEAN IN THE WHOLE WORLD! WHY? AND WHY IS IT SO PRICEY?
A Little History: These beans are grown within a 20 mile-long belt in the Kona region of the Big Island of Hawai'i - and in fact are only produced in an area that is 20 miles wide. Think of that: every coffee-lover on the planet wants an experience that is only supplied by a few small farms within a mere 40 square miles on a remote island in the middle of the Great Pacific Ocean. That kind of demand will keep prices up! Plus there's been a bit of a drought and a little beetle thats been ruining some of the shrubs, which decreases the yields.
Flavor: The reason Kona beans taste so great - that unique quality of being both highly aromatic, yet smooth and mellow - is caused by a combination of altitude, an atmospheric mix of sea water and volcano fog, AND the rich, rocky volcanic soil from which these beans grow. The rocky terrain means that Kona cherries can only be hand-picked by humans at peak ripeness.