KONA SL34
ROAST | LIGHT
HOLUALOA, KONA REGION OF THE BIG ISLAND
NOTES: BLACK CURRANT, KUMQUAT, PINEAPPLE & JASMINE
Originally a varietal from Kenya, the SL34 has been known for it’s bright juicy taste profile. Pairing this varietal with Kona’s tropical climate & volcanic soil along with a fermentation boost via champagne yeast resulted in this beautiful coffee produced by Kraig Lee. This coffee is bright, sweet, complex, juicy & everything else you’re looking for on a modern take of Kona Coffee.
PRODUCER: KRAIG LEE
FARM NAME: KONA FARM DIRECT
HARVEST PERIOD: HAND PICKED IN Q1 2024
VARIETAL: SL34
PROCESS: PULPED & WET 72HRS CHAMPAGNE YEAST FERMENTATION FOLLOWED BY MECHANICAL DRYING
ALITITUDE: 1900-2000FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL
ROASTING SCHEDULE
Note: We currently roast and ship out all orders on Tuesdays & Fridays.
About Kraig Lee & the SL34 Varietal
For more than 26 years, Kraig and Leslie Lee have been growing, processing and roasting fine Kona coffee on the slope of Mt. Hualalai. Today, their 4.7-acre farm is home to an amazing lineup of rare coffee varietals, including Laurina Pointu, SL34, Geisha, and their famous Mokka which took 1st place at 2022 Kona Coffee Fest Classic Division.
Although he’s a licensed agricultural real estate agent, Kraig’s main passion is producing amazing Kona coffee. His knowledge in coffee is apparent and he currently mill and processes coffee for multiple farmers based here in Kona. During harvest seasons, we’ve heard that he pulped and processed thousands of pound of local farmers in a day…. which is absolutely mind-bobbling.
The SL34 Varietal was named in the 1930s after the Kenyan agricultural research center which conducted studies on the varietal, Scott Laboratories. Today, they are among the most-known and highly regarded varietals in Africa. The SL34 is best adapted to high elevated tropical climate with good rainfall making it a great candidate for Kraig’s Holualoa farm which receive about 20 inches of rain annually.
Kraig’s SL34 scored 83.80 and took 7th place at this past 2023 Kona Coffee Fest Classic Division. We are honored to be able to have crossed path with such a down-to-earth farmer such as Kraig. His passion for coffee and hunger to experiment with different varietal is so encouraging to see… and is exactly what “Kona Coffee” needs to progress further in the specialty coffee world. We honestly feel like a kid in a candy store every time we stop by Kona Farm Direct to look at all the amazing varietals currently being grown. We’re excited and know that this is beginning of a great roaster-farmer relationship.