Far-southern Big Island district that turned to coffee after its sugar plantation closed in 1996. Cups are described as chocolate, cherry, floral and citrus.
Ka'u spans the south side of Hawai'i Island. Its sugar plantation closed in 1996, and displaced workers turned to coffee. Farms sit at roughly 1,100-2,700 ft (about 335-825 m), where sunny mornings and misty afternoons on fertile volcanic soil give what the Hawaii Coffee Association calls characteristic deep flavors. Its booklet counts 80-90 farms on about 830 acres, averaging 5-10 acres. Caturra is the second most common variety here, and Catuai and Maragogype are also grown. Tasting notes listed are chocolate, cherry, floral and citrus.
Field notes
- i
A Ka'u coffee entered the 2007 SCAA competition and brought the district wider recognition, and in 2010 one placed ninth at the SCAA Coffees of the Year with 87.563 points, the highest of any Hawaiian coffee that year.
- ii
The Ka'u Coffee Growers Cooperative and the Ka'u Coffee Festival both date from 2009, and the festival is followed by a free Coffee College.
- iii
J.C. Searle grew coffee in Ka'u in 1894, but sugar plantations competing for land and labor kept it from thriving.
In the cup, according to guides
- ChocolateOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists chocolate, cherry, floral and citrus tasting notes for Ka'u.
- CherryOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists chocolate, cherry, floral and citrus tasting notes for Ka'u.
- FloralOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists chocolate, cherry, floral and citrus tasting notes for Ka'u.
- CitrusOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists chocolate, cherry, floral and citrus tasting notes for Ka'u.
Varietals
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
- Ka'u Coffee · Ka'u Coffee Festival