What is Royal Kona Vanilla Macadamia?
A Kona blend with a flavour on top: vanilla and macadamia, the taste of a Hawaii holiday.
Royal Kona is the Kona brand of Hawaii Coffee Company in Honolulu, and this is one of its flavoured Kona blends. Royal Kona calls it a perfect light roast, flavoured with a creamy macadamia flavour and the soft warmth of vanilla, and silky, aromatic and gently sweet in the cup. The label states that it contains 10% Kona coffee and 90% foreign-grown coffee.
It is sold ground only, in an 8 oz bag and a 40 oz bag, and as single-serve pods. It sits on the Hawaii Coffee Company roaster page.
What 100% Kona means, and what a Kona blend means
The number on the bag is the whole story, so read it before the word Kona.
Kona coffee is coffee grown in the Kona districts on the west side of Hawaii's Big Island, on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa. Coffee grown anywhere else in Hawaii is Hawaiian coffee, but it is not Kona. The supply is small, the farms are small, the picking is by hand and American labour costs apply, which is why a bag of pure Kona costs three to five times what a good mainland roaster charges for a single origin.
That price is also why Kona blends exist. Hawaii's labelling law lets a coffee be called a Kona blend if at least ten percent of it is Kona, and the label must say how much. A 10% Kona blend is nine parts other coffee to one part Kona. It can be a perfectly good cup, but it is not the same thing as 100% Kona, and the price difference tells you so. When you shop, look for the percentage first.
What the 10% gets you
Some Kona, honestly labelled, under a strong flavour.
Royal Kona says the Kona adds depth and sets it apart from ordinary flavoured coffees. In fairness, a light roast lets more of the coffee come through than a dark one would, but one part Kona in ten, under vanilla and macadamia, is not going to taste like a cup of pure Kona. What the 10% does is put this in the Kona blend category on the label, which is a fair thing to want as a gift from Hawaii, as long as you know what the number means. The other 90% is described only as foreign-grown.
Price, and what a cup costs
Cheap in the big bag, dearer per ounce in the small one.
| Bag | Sold as | Price | Per kilo | Per cup (15 g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 227 g (8 oz) | Ground | $13.95 | $61.51 | $0.92 |
| 1.13 kg (40 oz) | Ground | $52.95 | $46.69 | $0.70 |
The 40 oz bag cuts the price per kilo by a quarter, to about 70 cents a cup at 15 g. That is a lot of ground coffee to keep fresh, so split it into smaller airtight containers and freeze what you will not use within a few weeks. The 8 oz bag is the gift size.
Everything ships from Honolulu by UPS or USPS, with rates worked out from the weight of the box, and most orders leave within one or two business days. Free shipping turns up as an occasional promotion to the lower 48 states, not as a standing threshold, so the price at checkout is the price plus postage from Hawaii.
A subscription cuts the price. Hawaii Coffee Company's code SUB20 takes 20% off the first subscription order, then 15% off the second and 20% off every order after that, with delivery every two, four or eight weeks. On 100% Kona the discount is capped at 15%.
Royal Kona Vanilla Macadamia vs Lion Vanilla Macadamia Nut
The same flavour from the same company, with and without Kona.
Lion's Vanilla Macadamia Nut Coffee is the other version, also a light roast. It has no Kona, but it comes whole bean or ground, in 10 oz for $13.95 and 24 oz for $31.95. In the big bags the two cost almost the same per kilo. The Royal Kona is the one to buy if the Kona content matters; the Lion is the one to buy if you grind your own coffee, or want more coffee for the same $13.95.
If what you want is Kona itself, neither of these is it. The pure Kona from the same company is Royal Kona Private Reserve, at $34.95 for 7 oz.
How to brew it
It is ground for drip, and a drip machine suits it best.
Royal Kona sells it at one grind, which works in a drip machine, a pour over cone or a French press at a slightly longer steep. Start at about 1:16. Flavoured coffee takes cream and sugar better than a plain single origin does, and it also makes a good iced coffee, since the vanilla carries through when cold. For a stronger vanilla cup without more flavoured coffee, our guide to French vanilla coffee explains the difference between the flavours and how to make one.
Is it worth it?
Yes, if you want a flavoured coffee with some Kona and buy the big bag.
It is a fairly priced flavoured coffee with an honest label. The 10% Kona is a small part of what you taste, and the other 90% has no stated origin, so this is not a coffee for somebody who wants to know where their coffee comes from. As a sweet, easy, Hawaii flavoured coffee in a 40 oz bag, it is good value.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy it if
- You like vanilla flavoured coffee and want some Kona in it.
- You brew in a drip machine and buy ground coffee.
- You want a Hawaii coffee as a gift, in the 8 oz bag.
Skip it if
- You grind your own; it is sold ground only.
- You want the taste of Kona; buy a 100% Kona instead.
- You want to know where the rest of the coffee is grown.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much Kona is in Royal Kona Vanilla Macadamia?
10%. The label says it contains 10% Kona coffee and 90% foreign-grown coffee.
Is it sold whole bean?
No, it is sold ground only, in 8 oz and 40 oz bags, and as single-serve pods.
What roast is it?
A light roast, according to Royal Kona.
What is a Kona blend?
A coffee that is part Kona and part coffee from elsewhere. Hawaii's law requires at least 10% Kona and the percentage on the label.
How much does it cost?
$13.95 for 8 oz and $52.95 for 40 oz, about $62 and $47 a kilo.
