redbird kona coffee review

Redbird Kona Coffee Review: A Citrusy Smooth Coffee

I Happened upon Redbird Kona Coffee by Chance:

I bought some of the Redbird coffee in a Foodland as an impulse buy. I tend to grab coffees the way other people will grab a People Magazine when they’re in a grocery store. I noticed that there was a seal on the coffee package that said “Redbird Kona Coffee” had won first place at the Four Seasons Cream of the Crop competition. and I thought: “well, it couldn’t hurt to try it” and threw the coffee in my cart.

About Redbird Kona Coffee

After doing some research I found that Redbird is actually part of the larger Ohana Harbor Coffee Company. It sounds like it’s a large corporation but it’s actually run by one family. They moved from Puget Sound years ago and grew their business over the years from one small farm into five. You can read more about the family’s background here. They also have several coffees that have won prestigious awards. Their Kona Peaberry, which I unfortunately haven’t tried yet, won the “Cream of the Crop” competition every year from 2004-2009….as it turns out this random coffee I picked up at a grocery store turned out to be quite a find…

Redbird Kona Coffee: Fancy Dark Roast Review

The Flavor:

I seem to always begin my Kona Coffee reviews by mentioning the coffee’s smoothness, but it’s true. I haven’t yet encountered a Kona Coffee that failed to be smooth-tasting. I always brew my coffee in a french press, which probably helps.

Redbird’s stand-out feature is its citrusy aftertaste. I detected notes of grapefruit as the flavor lingered on my tongue. The coffee is definitely light and airy, meaning you won’t notice the coffee itself on your tongue, but you will notice the citrusy aftertaste.

The coffee makes the perfect pairing with a fruity breakfast as it will bring out the flavors in citrusy fruits like mango, oranges, papayas and grapefruit. The aftertaste itself stands out as noticeable but doesn’t overwhelm you. I found it to be a pleasant surprise and it’s now one of my regular Konas.

The Takeaway:

If you’re looking for the signature Kona smoothness you won’t be disappointed. Redbird is also the most citrusy Kona Coffee I’ve sampled and definitely adds quite a bit of brightness to my morning coffee.

Redbird Kona Coffee Buying Options:

The Redbird brand of coffee is sold through their website. It will ship via Fedex Ground within 72 hours after the order is received. This means you should plan at least a week in advance if you’re ordering this coffee.

Ohana Harbor Store

Other Ohana Harbor Kona Coffees:

If you can’t wait to order straight from their website, there are other coffees from the same farm available on Amazon, which of course ships quicker and allows you to choose your shipping method.

Haleakala Sunrise Kona Coffee – Dark Roast

haleakala sunrise - kona coffee reviews
Haleakala Sunrise Kona Coffee

Named after the majestic volcano on Maui (I highly recommend driving up there if you visit Maui), Haleakala Sunrise Coffee is a balanced and smooth tasting coffee. It doesn’t have the bright citrusy notes of the Redbird, but it has very low acidity and is a little darker tasting. Listed at #9 on our Kona Coffee Bestsellers List, you can choose whether you want whole bean or ground. (I prefer to buy whole bean and grind it myself).

Price: $25.99

Ali’i Premium 100% Kona Coffee – Medium Roast

redbird kona coffee review
Ali’i Premium Kona Coffee

For most coffees I tend to prefer the lighter tasting medium roasts, but with most Kona Coffees the darker roast tends to make for a smoother cup. Nevertheless for those that love their lighter coffees here is Ali’i Premium 100% Kona Coffee. It’s a more full-bodied nutty coffee (yum!) with floral undertones. This medium roast is officially described as ‘ultra-smooth’…while I wouldn’t go that far, I found it to be smoother than many of the Kona dark roasts.

Price: $25.99

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