Rocket Fuel Coffee

Recently I was sent a selection of coffees by www.Rocketfuelcoffee.com to taste. The first one I tried (I'm still on the first) was their Hawaiian Kona coffee. I've been to Kona a few times and I spent a week sampling, visiting roasters and plantations, going to coffee lectures and getting an immersion education about Kona coffee. Kona coffee is one of the most expensive coffees because the land and labor costs are so expensive.

When in Hawaii, I always buy Kona coffee, I usually buy direct from the grower or roaster at the plantation or at one of the many Farmers Markets on the Big Island. I haven't been to Kona in several years but back then, the price for Kona peaberry coffee ranged from $12-60 per pound. Undoubtedly the prices are higher today now. My favorites tended to be a dark roasted peaberry coffee, the most expensive as only 5% or so is peaberry (single, not double cherry). When tasting the many different coffees, I had trouble discerning the regular and peaberry coffees. The method of roasting and length of roasting (medium vs dark) to me is more important to me. It just seemed that all the peaberry coffees were usually dark roasted.

This is 100% Kona coffee with a seal of approval by the Kona Coffee Council. It is a regular dual bean, not peaberry Kona coffee and it is medium roasted, not dark roasted. However, it is delicious. smooth and full flavored. I'm not going to describe it in tasting notes like wine, but I can honestly say that it is an excellent tasting coffee. The aroma of the beans is intoxicating. I just put my nose in the package while writing this review and I already had a pot of coffee which is my usual max... but now, I'm Jonesing for another pot!

As others have mentioned, with a name like Rocket Fuel Coffee, I was expecting dark and very dark roasted coffees. You'd be surprised how many people like their coffee WAY dark... to the point that many expert coffee roasters consider the coffee burnt and needing to be trashed while the drinkers love it. But, with over roasted coffee, it's probably a waste of money and great beans such as these Kona beans.

Next up to taste is their Jamacian Blue Mountain coffee. I'll update this review after I try it out.

www.Rocketfuelcoffee.com also sells dark roasted Kona coffee and I would have loved to try that one as well. They (Lisa) also sells some of the most exotic and expensive coffees in the world including the fabled Kopi Luwak (no I didn't get a sample to try) but they do sell it on occasion.