Blind Assessment: Evaluated as espresso. Richly chocolaty, sweetly nutty, subtly fruity. Nutella, dried red currant, magnolia, pink grapefruit zest, rosewood in aroma and small cup. Crisp, syrupy mouthfeel; the dessert-like finish centers around notes of Nutella and magnolia. In three parts milk, plush, flavor-saturated and lingering.

Notes: Produced by Karen and Lee Patterson, of Hula Daddy Farm, entirely of the Kona Typica variety of Arabica, and processed by the natural anaerobic method (whole fruit is fermented in hermetically sealed vessels before drying) with the addition of wine yeasts during fermentation. Hula Daddy is a boutique coffee producer with farms at the 1,400- and 2,500-foot levels of the Mount Hualalai volcano near the northern end of the Kona growing district, five minutes above the town of Kailua-Kona. Visit www.huladaddy.com or call 888-553-2339 for more information. This new coffee is available by email: [email protected]. 

The Bottom Line: A Kona on steroids: Hula Daddy is just beginning to roast for espresso applications, and this natural Kona, grown on the company’s higher-altitude farm, impressively captures the classic potential of Kona Typica in espresso format.

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