Trader Joe's 100% Kauai

Trader Joe's 100% Kauai

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Up for review this week is some coffee from Trader Joe’s; 100% Kauai.  Coffee from Hawaii’s Kona district is one of the world’s highest valued beans, yet I’ve never heard much about coffee from Kauai.  It’s obviously not in high demand as is Kona.  100% Kauai sells at Trader Joe’s for $7.99 per 13 oz.  Their Kona sits on the shelf right next to it and sells for $19.99.  I’m very interested to see how the profile of this coffee compares to that of Kona, because they are located in the same geographical region.

Trader Joe’s sells all of their coffee in nitrogen sealed cans, so as always it smelled very fresh upon opening.  It smelled just as fresh when I ground and brewed it.  The roast ranges somewhere within the medium category, with a bit of oils showing on the beans.  Trader Joe’s says that 100% Kauai has a “sweet earthy aroma and a delicate taste”.  They also recommend is for breakfast and morning coffee breaks.  Now, let’s see if this coffee actually tastes good.

Nose: Sweet and oak-y.  It’s like dark brown sugar next to a roaring fire.  Beneath, there is a more subdued “grassy” smell  that reminds me of a humid jungle.  (Never smelled this in a coffee before)  Smells the opposite of smooth; earthy, or gritty.

Mouth: Fleeting, almost elusive acidity akin to a tart blueberry.  This is then washed away by an herbal earthiness that comes in like a mudslide.  It finishes in a wet, grassy character with that gritty earthiness incorporated.  Medium bodied, not smooth, not delicate.  The coffee seems “all over the place”, lacking focus.  Not enjoyable.

Pairing: Trader Joe’s Petits Palmiers Alone, these palmiers taste deliciously sweet and buttery.  If you haven’t had a pastry like this before, its almost like a sweetened, toasted croissant.  It pairs great with this coffee.  It smooths it out and hides the earthiness.

The Big Picture: I did not like this coffee.  It’s not only because it wasn’t smooth or because I love tart and wild coffees (Like a Kenya AA).  The earthiness that I talk about is very close to a “dirt” taste, which is normally found in some coffees but here it seems to go unchecked, destroying any other nuances that may exist.  Compared to Kona, this Kauai seems to be of low quality, dirty tasting, and underwhelming.  It’s quite easy to understand why it sells for so much less than Kona.  It’s a shame because I like Trader Joe’s coffee, and I really wanted to enjoy this one.  It’s starting to feel like a long time since I’ve reviewed a coffee that put a smile on my face.

Unless you are really a monger of dirty, earthy tasting coffees I wouldn’t recommend this.