Kauai Coffee Company

Stopping at Kauai Coffee Company for coffee tastings and a self guided tour was a great stop to break up my drive to Waimea Canyon State Park

After years of meditation and mindfulness, I’ve trained myself to see annoyance as signs of opportunities to discover something new. Yes, I will get annoyed in the moment. But, if I stay patient and ground my own energy – there is a very high change that the seemingly annoying situation has a gift for me.

Such was the situation I found myself, as I stood in the car rental line at Budget rental car in Kauai. The first sign that what seemed like a delay was actually holding a gift was when my Fastbreak number wasn’t displayed – even though I’d attached it to my reservation when I made my reservation. So, I turned the inconvenience of standing in line turned into receiving a complimentary upgrade from the car I’d reserved into to a convertible.

The second situation was overhearing a conversation that I desperately did not want to hear. However, Certain People enjoy passive aggressively bragging – loudly – about how much they know of the area. It’s a very specific energy of people, in a situation outside of their main home area, trying to find a sense of  social stratification in a unique situation. Henceforth, passing time waiting for a turn at the rental check out counter, to get a vehicle to get on with your day.

Such is how I found myself listening to a random guy’s conversation, discussing the great time he’d had at Kauai Coffee Company to another guy.

Immediately, I heard it, searched it, saw where it was and filed it away in my mental cabinet.

Funny enough, when the concierge at 1Hotel Hanalei Bay suggested I drive to Waimea Canyon State Park, I knew that I wanted to stop by Kauai Coffee Company along the way.

Unlimited Coffee Tastings? Yes!

So, on a rainy day in Kauai, I found myself driving into the Kauai Coffee Company parking lot.

When I enter the main building, it felt cozy – and filled with stuff to buy. The museum and the tastings are in the outdoor area, past the gift shop. After a look around, that is exactly where I found myself.

Now, they stress in various signage that you can have unlimited coffee tastings. However, I just wanted three.

First, I tried the KAUAI COFFEE RUM BARREL AGED COFFEE. The coffee beans are aged in charred oak barrels used to create Koloa Rum, which is a rum distillery on Kauai. Loved it.

Next, I had a taste of the KAUAI COFFEE SALTED CARAMEL COFFEE. It felt cozy and delicious.

My final taste was of the KAUAI COFFEE VANILLA MACADAMIA NUT COFFEE, a decaffeinated coffee using the Swiss Water Process. Again, great flavor profile.

My three tastes of the Kauai Coffee Company’s coffees were really solid and provided a great opportunity to taste the island’s bounty – in coffee form. I enjoyed the distinct flavor profiles of the medium roasts.

Each sip of each tasting cup simply made me happy.

Plus, I loved walking around the self guided area of the coffee tour.

 

Turns out, overhearing a rambling guy pontificating about bullshit inadvertently benefited me. Love it when that happens.

My New Hat!

A special treat for myself is that the only thing I’d personally wanted from Hawaii was a hat.

That’s it. Just a hat.

At Kauaʻi Coffee Company, I saw a hat that I’d absolutely LOVED. However, I didn’t want to wear something that was more neutral in tone, vs advertising Kauaʻi Coffee Company on the patch.

When I returned back home, I found myself still wanting the hat. So, one thing led to another and I actually found the PERFECT version of the hat from using Google Image Search – at Whirled Planet.  I love the hat even better than I thought I would.

My trip to Kauai Coffee Company was a testimony to allowing life to lead you to unexpected places – with surprise happiness as a result.

- -