Introduction

This is a review of the Nespresso Hawaii Kona 2023 / 2020 / 2019 Special Reserve Gran Cru capsule for the Original Line Nespresso machine.

In 2023, Nespresso increased the price of Kona back to $2.00 USD a capsule in the US.

In 2020, Nespresso had reduced the price of the Hawaii Kona (Original Line) from $2.00 USD (2019 price) to $1.25 USD per capsule.

The sleeve is front opening and silver in color (2019), which stands out! It’s hard to tell on the bottom the cup size because of the lightness of the bolding of the fonts for “Espresso”, but I did confirm online that this Gran Cru should be brewed as an Espresso.

The sleeve has been redesigned for 2021, and additionally the capsule has a pattern redesign. Below is a picture of the new sleeve:

Aroma

EDIT (2023): I’m now getting nutty and cereal like notes to the 2023 Kona. No fruit notes at all. Crema is thick and bubbly, but does not last very long.

EDIT (2021): The aroma now has light sweet candy like hints to it, and is very very nice, and I’m not getting grapefruit notes this year.

EDIT (2019): The Nespresso Hawaii Kona has a very mild to light aroma. It definitely has a fruity aroma to it. The aroma is maybe like grapefruit and possibly some nut fragrance.

Taste

EDIT (2023): Wow, this one is nice! Kind of reminding me of the Master Crafted Single Origin Honduras coffee. The 2023 is intense yet not bitter. It has a very thick feel in the mouth with slight acidity notes. The aftertaste that it leaves is very nice and it persists for a long time. It’s rated at an intensity of 5, but I feel it’s more like a 9 intensity. This is a very nice release.

EDIT (2021): There is not as much nutty notes to the 2021 release. It’s a lot more fruitier and I’m getting slight acidic notes to it rather than bitterness.

EDIT (2019): This is one of the most unique tastes I’ve experienced in a Nespresso Gran Cru capsule, so it’s definitely special! It has a sweet fruity taste, plus also a nutty taste with a slight bitter aftertaste. The crema is thin to medium thickness.

Result

EDIT (2023): The 2023 release is really superb! I know the cost is now $20.00 a sleeve in the US, but this is a really nice coffee. Get some!

NOTE (2021): For the 2021 release I’m definitely not as impressed with the Hawaii Kona this year, so you might want to just try one sleeve first to see how you like it.

EDIT (2019): Get some! This is definitely worth the $1.25 per capsule price to at least try a few sleeves. All Nespresso coffee is great coffee, so why not give it a shot? The Hawaii Kona 2020 Special Reserve has uniqueness – character, something that you will remember.

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