Coffee here comes largely from one big irrigated, machine-harvested estate on former sugar land at low elevation, mostly Yellow Catuai.
Kauai's coffee comes largely from Kauai Coffee Company, on the island's south side on former McBryde sugar land. About 3,100 acres are irrigated at relatively low elevation and harvested by machine from roughly mid-October to early December. About 85% of the plants are Yellow Catuai, with Typica, Red Catuai, Mundo Novo and Blue Mountain also planted. The Hawaii Coffee Association booklet counts three commercial farms on the island and says the largest produces more than a third of the coffee grown in the USA. It lists chocolate, earthy, spicy, mango and mellow notes.
Field notes
- i
The estate grew out of the McBryde Sugar Company's lands and became Kauai Coffee Company in 1987.
- ii
Twelve harvesters originally designed for blueberries run around the clock in three shifts during harvest.
In the cup, according to guides
- ChocolateOften notedThe Hawaii Coffee Association booklet lists chocolate, earthy, spicy and mango notes for Kauai, and CoffeeSock names chocolate and caramel.
Varietals
Processing
Sources · 3 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.
- Kauai Coffee Beans - Espresso & Coffee Guide · Espresso & Coffee Guide
- Kona, Maui & Kauai - There's more to Hawaiian coffee · CoffeeSock
- Grown with Aloha: A Guide to Hawai'i's Coffee Industry · Hawaii Coffee Association (with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture), 2018