KONA CANELA
ROAST | MEDIUM-LIGHT
HONOMALINO, KONA REGION OF THE BIG ISLAND
NOTES: CINNAMON ROLL, CHAI SPICE, APPLE CRISP, TOASTED NUTS
The Kona Canela is produced by Karina & Armando Rodriguez of Aloha Star Farm down in Honomalino. Karina and Armando continue to push coffee processing innovation by introducing a third ingredient - cinnamon - which pays tribute to their Mexican heritage and various uses of cinnamon in Mexican cuisine. The Typica & SL34 cherries are picked at their peak ripeness and co-fermented with cinnamon bark for 24 hours in a sealed tank. The coffee is then rinsed throughly to remove the mucilage before they are transferred to a drying deck where they are sun dried. The result is a cup profile that is cozy and comforting like warm cinnamon rolls & apple crisp. Available while supplies last!
PRODUCERS: ARMANDO & KARINA RODRIGUEZ
FARM NAME: ALOHA STAR KONA COFFEE
HARVEST PERIOD: HAND PICKED IN Q4 2024
VARIETAL: TYPICA & SL34
PROCESS: 24HRS CINNAMON CO-FERMENTED, PULP-DRIED
ALITITUDE: 1900-2000FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL
ROASTING SCHEDULE
Note: We currently roast and ship out all orders on Tuesdays & Fridays.
About Karina & Armando Rodriguez
Situated along the Western slopes of Mauna Loa, Aloha Star 100% Kona Coffee Farm was originally a macadamia nut farm which the Rodriguez family purchased in 2004. Armando and Karina owned a construction company in Arizona and they would take time in between every year to come to the Big Island to tend to their macnut farm. However after years of traveling back and forth, the Rodriguez family decided to make Kona their permanent home in 2013. Along with settling into their new environment, they also took on the new challenge of coffee farming by planting the farm’s first “keiki” trees which neighboring coffee farmers gifted to them.
Fast forward nine years later, Armando and Karina are now experts in their craft and their farm produces some of the best tasting Kona Coffee out there. What started off as a few “keiki” trees has now grown to over 6000 coffee tree which comprised of various coffee varietals such as Typica, Pacamara, & Geisha. From the time coffee tree is planted into the farm’s rich volcanic soil to the time of harvesting, processing, & drying the cherries, every process, every season is done with meticulous care and attention to quality. Even with multiple awards under their belt and top placings in competitions, Armando and Karina are on a continuous learning path to improve on what they do and to continue to push the boundaries of Kona Coffee.
We are so honored to be working with Armando and Karina in this season to showcase their hard work. Being Latino immigrants, Armando and Karina didn’t let the many obstacle they faced stopped them from being successful at what they do. What struck us when we set foot on their farm was the strong sense of “Ohana.” It was apparent that Aloha Star was a huge family effort and that everyone - the grandparents, kids, and grandkids - were all involved in coffee farming. Conversing about life while enjoying some tamales at their lunch table, we really felt welcomed into this family and hope that this is a beginning to a strong farmer-roaster relationship. Keep your eyes peeled for amazing more coffee and collabs with Armando and Karina in the near future.