Notes: This liqueur is one of the few coffee liqueurs that does not have a lot of extra flavorings added to it such as vanilla or chocolate (Kahlúa) or orange (Tia Maria)- just straight up coffee – and Kona coffee at that – which any coffee connoisseur knows is very flavorful but damned expensive stuff.

Developed by Dr. Rod R. Dovornik of Germany with Aloha Distillers, this coffee liqueur seeks to capture the elusive taste of real coffee something which is not an easy task. The only coffee liqueur made from United States-grown coffee and made in the U.S. The Kona coffee origins are certified by Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative as to the fact it is made from 100% Kona Coffee and not some Kona “blend” (which legally could have one bean per pound like some blends you see).

First Impression: At first whiff, sweet coffee, alcohol and caramel .Very tobacco or cigar like. Alcohol is in a somewhat understated way and much less raw than some.

Appearance: Pleasing coffee color, dark but not opaque, on swirling leaves a even, somewhat thick coat on the glass with some legs developing.

Taste: Sweet, creamy/oily mouth feel intense coffee and tobacco flavors. Only mild alcohol aftertaste, smooth and sweet.

Drinks: We found all of the usual recipes calling for coffee liqueurs benefited from this liqueur. We especially liked using it in a variation for a Toasted Almond one night. Kona Gold makes for a very nice (and better frankly) substitute for Kahlúa or many other subsequent coffee liqueurs and has a much more pure coffee profile to it. We also liked it in a variation of our Cafe Su Da’s.

Bottle: Dark frosted black glass bottle with simple retro looking labels of black and gold.

Final Thoughts: One of the few coffee liqueurs I actually like and use. Many are flavored with something else. This one is mostly a straight up excellent quality coffee without a lot of additional, unwanted, spicing.

Website: http://konagold.net

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