Cool, wet, red-soil strip of the Big Island's northeast coast, a legal label name with tiny farms and cups described as citrus, cocoa and nutty.
Hamakua runs from the jungle and waterfalls near Hilo to Waipio Valley and on to Upcountry Waimea. The Hawaii Coffee Association booklet calls it a cool, high-rainfall, red-soil area with 15-20 farms on about 45 acres, averaging 5-7 acres, at 350-2,500 ft (about 107-762 m). It lists citrus, sweet cocoa and nutty notes with good body, and elsewhere describes flavors often compared to dessert, with vanilla, caramel and rich cocoa.
Field notes
- i
Hamakua is one of the origin names allowed on a Hawaii coffee label, alongside Kona, Kau, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu and Hawaii Island.
- ii
The booklet notes that Puna is not a recognized region for labeling under Hawaii law, and Puna coffee is labeled Hawaii Island.
In the cup, according to guides
- CitrusOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists citrus, sweet cocoa and nutty notes for Hamakua.
- CocoaOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists citrus, sweet cocoa and nutty notes for Hamakua.
- NuttyOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists citrus, sweet cocoa and nutty notes for Hamakua.
Sources · 2 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-11. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Grown with Aloha: A Guide to Hawai'i's Coffee Industry · Hawaii Coffee Association (with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture), 2018
- 2026 Update on State and Federal Coffee Labeling Laws · Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Quality Assurance Division (presented to the Kona Coffee Farmers Association, 24 Feb 2026)