Categorized | Agriculture, News

Kona coffee wins state’s first cupping competition

A Kona farm scooped up the top prize at the state’s first coffee-cupping competition last weekend at the Hawaii Coffee Association’s 14th annual conference at Maui Tropical Plantation.

Onouli Farm’s coffee was among 69 entries statewide tanked by cuppers Warren Muller of Inter American Coffee, Shawn Hamilton of Java City Roasters and Paul Thornton of Coffee Bean International.

Coffees, roasted on the mainland, were scored based on wet and dry aromas, acidity, body, balance, sweetness and aftertaste.

In cupping, coffees are measured and placed in porcelain bowls. Judges assess their dry aroma, then water is added. After a few minutes of brewing, judges break the “crust” of grounds to evaluate the wet aroma. Next, they scrape off the grounds, slurp the coffee and spit it out.

Coffees are replicated three to five times and assigned points.

Nine of the top coffees were from Kona; three from Ka‘u: two from Maui; and one from Kauai.

According to the judges, here are this year’s top 15 coffees in the state:

1. Onouli Farm, Kona
2. Kowali Farm, Kona
3. Brazen Hazen Farm, Kona
4. Ka’u Royal, R&G Farms
5. Pavaraga Coffee, Ka‘u
6. Waiono Farm, Kona
7. Kupaa Farms, Maui
8. Keokea Farms, Maui
9. Kealakekua Coffee Co., Kona
10. Malia Ohana, Kona
11. Greenwell Farms, Kona
12. Kona Cherry Hill, Kona
13. Aroma Trading Co., Ka‘u
14. Heavenly Hawaiian Farms, Kona
15. MoLoa’a Bay Coffee, Kauai
— Find out more:
Hawaii Coffee Association: hawaiicoffeeassoc.org

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