Not part of Angel’s Cup, I recently obtained a bit of some Hawaiian coffee from the island of Kauai.  The Kauai Coffee Company grows beans that is separate from the popular Kona region in Hawaii.

The aroma of strong ash, blueberry and nuts permeate the kitchen when I first open the bag.  Ash?  Ya… These coffee beans are grown on lava fields.  I think the “ashiness” is imparted into the beans to give these Hawaiian beans (including Kona) a more unique taste and aroma.  It seems like each island will have it’s own unique flavor.

When I’m making the espresso syrup, I’ve noticed that my normal two scoops of beans usually gives only 20 grams of ground coffee when normal beans tend to give me about 25 grams.  I guess the Hawaiian beans are smaller than what I normally get.

The latte exudes a strong earthy/ashy flavor as well as bits of blueberry, nutmeg and peanut flavor.  As I enjoyed the latte, I started noticing the ashy flavor evolving into a very chocolaty flavor.  The aftertaste leaves a pleasant peanut butter.  I fully enjoy this particular beans for it’s changing profile.