At 16th Annual Conference on Big Island

By Chris Manfredi, HCA, 07/11/2011

- Waikoloa, Hawaii

The Hawaii Coffee Association has crowned its third Grand Champion of Hawaiian Coffee at its 16th Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Hilton Waikoloa located on Kona’s Gold Coast. The HCA joined with Coffee Fest, a national coffee industry trade show to co-host the three-day event.

Rusty's Hawaiian 100% Ka’u Coffee received top honors for the second consecutive year in the competition between coffees entered from each growing origin in Hawaii. The coffees were 'cupped' and scored from a pool of 58 premium Hawaiian coffees from eight districts by a panel of six notable coffee industry professionals using standardized blind procedures. Awards were given to the top three entries from each origin as well as the Grand Champion award.

Lorie Obra of Rusty's Hawaiian accepted the coveted HCA award presented by witty commentator and keynote speaker Howard Dicus. Lorie passionately expressed simultaneous joy and sorrow adding that she was emotionally torn between sadness and elation because her late husband and farm namesake, Rusty could not share the award while expressing joy over realizing his dream. "This is for my late husband, our....

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