The Land Wakes Up

Holualoa sits in the northern reach of the Kona Coffee Belt, a narrow ribbon of farms running along the western slope of the volcano. The soil here is young and rocky — broken-down lava, dark and mineral-rich, the kind of ground that drains fast and feeds deep. Our trees grow in dappled light beneath a canopy of mango and avocado, their broad leaves softening the midday sun.

The weather keeps its own appointments. Sunny mornings. Clouds that gather in the afternoon and bring a gentle, reliable rain. Coffee people call this the mauka rhythm — mauka meaning toward the mountain. It is the single greatest reason Kona coffee tastes the way it does, and it cannot be bought, copied, or rushed. It can only be stewarded.

That word matters to us. Aloha 'Āina — love of the land — is not a slogan here. It's the inheritance Cassandra Hazen accepted when she bought this property in 2005, and the kuleana, the responsibility, that her son David Duron carries forward today. Leave a place better than you found it. The harvest is where that promise meets the soil.

Color Is the Only Calendar

Most crops are gathered all at once. Coffee refuses to cooperate. On a single branch you'll find white blossoms, hard green cherries, blushing yellow ones, and a few that have gone fully, perfectly red — all at the same time. The fruit ripens on its own schedule, and the tree never finishes the job in one go.

So we don't pick a field. We pick a color.

Only the deep-red, fully ripe cherry comes off the branch. The green ones are left to keep ripening; the overripe ones are left behind. This is selective hand-picking, and it's the reason Kona coffee carries the reputation it does. There is no machine that can make this judgment. There is only a practiced eye and a careful hand, moving tree to tree.

Here is the honest truth up front, so you can pick before you brew:

• Flash brew (Japanese iced) is the brightest and most aromatic — and the fastest, at about five minutes.
• Cold brew is the smoothest and sweetest, with the lowest acidity — but it asks for patience.
• The iced Kona latte is the boldest and creamiest — built to travel and survive the ice.

No single one is "best." They are three different moods. Let's make all three.

Method One: Flash Brew (Japanese Iced Coffee)

If you want the brightest cup, this is it. Japanese iced coffee — also called flash chilled coffee or flash brew — is a hot pour-over brewed directly onto ice. You replace part of your brew water with ice in the carafe, so the hot coffee hits the cold the instant it drips. That sudden chill traps the aromatic, volatile compounds that would otherwise escape as steam, locking Kona's floral and citrus notes right into the glass.

It is the same technique whether someone calls it "Japanese iced" or "V60 over ice." Don't let anyone sell you two recipes here — it's one method with two names.

What You'll Need

• Brazen Hazen 100% Kona, ground for pour-over (medium-fine, like table salt)
• A pour-over dripper and filter
• Hot, just-off-boil water (~205°F)
• Ice
• A scale, if you have one

The Process

We brew at a total 1:15 ratio, with the water split between hot and ice.

1. Set your ice. Add about 135g of ice to your carafe or directly into your mug below the dripper. The ice counts as part of your water.
2. Measure your coffee. Use 30g of coffee to 400g total water — but only 265g of that as hot water, since the 135g of ice will melt to make up the rest.
3. Bloom. Pour just enough hot water to saturate the grounds and wait 30 seconds. Fresh Kona will rise and breathe.
4. Pour in stages. Add the remaining hot water in slow, steady circles. Total brew time runs about 2:45 to 3:00.
5. Swirl and serve. The coffee chills as it lands. Swirl, top with fresh ice if you like, and drink it right away — this one is at its peak the moment it's made.

We believe great coffee doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to be done right. Pour over is the most honest brewing method there is—it strips everything away and leaves the bean alone with the water, which means it rewards good coffee and exposes the rest. Our beans are Hand Picked, Carefully Selected, and Roasted to Order, and pour over is where all of that work finally lands on your palate.

Why We Love Pour Over with 100% Kona

Most brewing methods blur a coffee. Pour over does the opposite. As water passes slowly and evenly through a single bed of grounds, it draws out the subtle flavor compounds that faster methods leave behind—the aromatics, the gentle acidity, the sweetness that defines a true single origin.

That clarity is exactly what 100% Kona was made for. Grown on the rocky volcanic slopes of Hualalai, our beans carry the signature of their terroir: a silky, medium body, a bright-but-balanced acidity, and notes that run from honeyed sweetness to milk chocolate, marzipan, and soft stone fruit. Pour over lets every one of those notes speak.

A clean, transparent brew makes a great bean transcendent—and a mediocre one taste flat and muddy. A $15 grocery blend has nowhere to hide in a pour over. A bean that was grown under avocado and mango canopies and roasted in small batches finally gets to show what it's been holding back.

At Brazen Hazen, we believe great coffee doesn't need to be complicated—it just needs to be done right. When you start with true 100% Kona coffee, you're already ahead of the game. The result? Exceptionally smooth, naturally sweet coffee that lets Kona's character speak for itself.

Why We Love Cold Brew with 100% Kona

Kona coffee is prized for its balance—soft acidity, layered sweetness, and a clean finish. Cold brewing amplifies those qualities:

Less bitterness, more clarity

Chocolate and nut notes come forward

A smooth, almost velvety body

It's not just iced coffee—it's a different experience altogether.

Imported Coffee Prices are on the Rise

In 2025, the U.S. implemented a 10% blanket tariff on imported goods, including coffee, as part of broader trade measures. While some tariffs were temporarily paused, the baseline 10 percent tariff remains, affecting coffee prices nationwide. This has led to increased costs for coffee roasters, who are likely to pass these expenses onto consumers. Additionally, adverse weather conditions in major coffee-producing countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador have further strained global coffee supplies, contributing to higher prices.​

With global tariffs, climate-related supply issues, and rising international shipping costs driving up the price of imported coffee, switching to American-grown coffee—especially from Hawaii—makes more sense than ever for consumers who value quality, traceability, and ethical production.