In my quest to sample as many different Kona Coffees as possible, I’ve come across dozens of peaberry versions of kona coffee (usually they go for about $5 more per pound than the regular coffees of the same brand.)

After all, ordering Peaberry Kona Coffee is a big investment: you have to order it (usually in bulk to save on shipping), and you want to ensure that you’ve made the right choice. I’ve collected as much information as I can about the shipping information for each coffee in order to help you make the right choice. Although, ‘bad kona coffee’ is almost an oxymoron…

Without further adieu, the Five Best Peaberry Kona Coffees :

Koa Coffee’s Background:

Koa Coffee has grown from its humble roots to become one of the biggest names in gourmet coffee. Koa started as a small backyard business by Marin Artukovich, who saw his little company grow exponentially every year. Koa has won numerous coffee-tasting awards, including the 2002 Gevalia Competition ‘s first prize. It also named by Forbes Magazine as America’s best coffee in 2001.

The plantation also uses state of the art coffee processing equipment. It has an eco-friendly wet-mill processing unit imported from Colombia, and a dry mill unit from Brazil.

Koa Coffee’s Flavor:

Koa Coffees are uniquely smooth and full-bodied, and doesn’t have any bitter aftertaste at all. When I tried the coffee I thought nothing of pouring a second cup after the first one went down so smoothly. It’s this smoothness that makes Koa Coffee the ideal after-dinner coffee for your guests.

Shipping Methods:

• Fedex by default (although you choose a different method).
• Koa Coffee needs 1 day to roast the coffee before shipping it to you. If you order Monday before noon (Hawaii time), they will roast it and will ship it Tuesday morning.
• International Shipping? Yes.

Click here for the full Koa Coffee Review

Blue Horse’s Background:

Blue Horse is the most outstanding of the small, farm-direct Peaberry Coffees that I’ve tried. I’ve found that small farms tend to have more intimate coffee processing methods that bring out more flavor in your cup: all of Blue Horse’s coffee is hand-picked, wet-processed and sun-dried. The smaller Kona farms, as long as they use the high quality Kona Typica tree to grow their coffee (be careful: some don’t) tend to produce outstanding coffee.

Flavor:

The first thing you’ll notice is the sweet smelling aroma. It reminded me of Belgian milk chocolate. The first sip will give you a pleasing acidity as the milk-chocolatey taste gives way to citrusy notes. A very crisp coffee that pairs well with fruits (especially blueberries).

Shipping Options:

Blue Horse Kona Coffee sells through Amazon .com, which means you can take advantage of all of Amazon’s shipping options (free on orders over $75).
International Shipping? Yes, through Amazon.

Hualalai Coffee Background:

Joel Cooperson was a school teacher who grew coffee and sold it at the local Walmart in Kona. After demand grew, he turned his 2 acre plot into a massive 150 acre coffee farm with his coffee sold all over North America. Joel’s exponential growth didn’t affect his coffee’s taste (thankfully), and is one of my favourites when it comes to the large kona coffee farms.

Flavor:

Whereas the other peaberry coffees tend to have pronounced acidity, the Hualai Estate Peaberry’s defining characteristic is its slight spiciness. Combined with a silky smooth finish, this coffee makes for a robust early afternoon drink. It also makes for great pairings with pumpkin and/or gingersnap cookies.

Shipping:

All Hualalai coffees ship with Amazon.com, so you can take advantage of their advanced shipping options.

International Shipping? Amazon won’t ship internationally.

International orders available at their website: Kona Grown

Click here to for the Full Hualalai Estate Peaberry Coffee Review

‘Kona Brothers’ Background:

Most people outside of the Big Island have never heard of Kona Brothers, and that’s a shame. Kona Brothers started out as a small cafe and roaster in the Kona Public Market. Now they have locations all over the Big Island. With big, crisp packaging that seals in freshness, Kona Brothers deliver some great quality coffee.

Flavor:

I noticed that their coffees tend to be roasted a bit darker than the typical Kona Coffee. Not even close to Starbucks dark, mind you, just a little darker than average. The result is more of a caramelly sweetness to their coffee. Usually I enjoy medium roast coffees, but for the Kona Brothers I found their dark roast to be smooth, flavorful, and all around lovely.

Shipping Options:

• Standard shipping charges apply.
• For one pound of coffee to ship to California, it was $13.95 (as of June 2012).
• Orders ship to U.S. And Canada only. For one pound of Coffee shipped to Vancouver, Canada, it was $17.95. This is where ordering in bulk can save you some cash…

‘Kona Joe’s’ Background:

Kona Joe uses an unusual technique to grow their coffee: a trellis. Inspired by the techniques used on wine vineyards, the coffee trees are made to grow horizontally, which gives the trees more balanced sunlight exposure. The sun-dried coffee has been recognized with an SCAA Blue Ribbon award. The trellising technology is also patented by Kona Joe, so no other coffee farm has coffee just like it.

Flavor:

I first noticed a chocolatey sweet aroma, followed by nutty notes that are followed by a subtle lemony after-taste.

Shipping Options:

• Standard Amazon shipping rates
• International Shipping? Amazon won’t ship internationally. You can order direct through Kona Joe’s website .