Social Media

Upcoming events

Menu
Log in



For news and updates relating to Coffee Leaf Rust, please click here.

Join Our Mailing List

<< First  < Prev   ...   10   11   12   13   14   Next >  Last >> 
  • 24 Jul 2013 7:25 PM | Jonathan Sechrist (Administrator)

    From: Fern Gavelek Communications, 808-329-0833

    Contact:  Chris Manfredi, Hawaii Coffee Association, cmanfredi@kaufarmandranch.com

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    HCA CROWNS CHAMPIONS OF HAWAIIAN COFFEE

    99 COFFEE ENTRIES VIE IN CUPPING

    LIHUE, HAWAI’I - Two Champions of Hawaiian Coffee were crowned in Commercial and Creative divisions during the annual Hawaii Coffee Association’s (HCA) 18th Conference and 5th Cupping Competition at the Kauai Beach Resort on Saturday, July 20.

    Big Island Coffee Roasters of the Big Isle’s Hawai’i District was awarded the top spot in the Creative category with a score of 86.939. ‘Creative’ entries are those that had less than 300 pounds of the winning coffee available for purchase. The Creative category encourages farmers to experiment with new varietals and cultivation or processing methods without having to produce a commercial-level quantity of coffee.

     

    Mountain Thunder Coffee from Hawai‘I Island’s Kona District received top honors in the Commercial category scoring 85.51 These entries had at least 300 pounds of the winning coffee available for purchase as of the time of entry. A full listing of all entries that received a score of 80.0 or greater is being provided on the HCA website at  hawaiicoffeeassociation.com.

     

    The coffees were ‘cupped’ and scored from a pool of 99 premium Hawaiian coffees from eight statewide districts: Hamakua, Hawai‘i, Ka’u, Kaua‘i, Kona coffee, Maui, Moloka‘i and O’ahu. Coffee cupping is a combination of art and science where coffees are evaluated and scored based on subtle characteristics including flavor, aroma, ”mouth-feel,” acidity, sweetness and aftertaste.

     

    Entries were critiqued by a judging panel of esteemed coffee industry professionals using standardized blind procedures, as defined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Judges assigned a single numerical score to each coffee (scores provided with release).

     

    The SCAA defines “Specialty Coffee” as a coffee that has a cupping score of 80.0 or greater. Awards were given for up to the top three eligible entries from each district, and the top 10 eligible coffees in each of the Commercial and Creative categories received awards.

     

    Judges for this year’s cupping panel were SCAA President Paul Thornton of Coffee Bean International, SCAA Vice President Shawn Hamilton of Java City Roasters and Warren Muller of Inter-American Coffee.

     

    The scores of entries are going up, according to David Gridley, HCA cupping competition chair. “Nearly 80 percent of the 99 entries achieved a cupping score of 80.0 or greater,” said Gridley. “At our first cupping five years ago, we had 55 to 60 percent of entries scoring 80.0 or more.”


    "Constant improvement and moving forward were reoccurring themes of our 5th Annual Cupping Competition,” noted HCA President Greg Stille. “Growers are continually improving farming and processing practices that contribute to the production of high-quality coffee."

    The conference also featured an industry trade show, numerous informational speakers, growers’ reports, a hands-on cupping workshop, a silent auction and a tour of Kauai Coffee Company’s farms and facilities.

     

    The Hawaii Coffee Association’s mission is to represent all sectors of the Hawai‘i coffee industry, including growers, millers, wholesalers, roasters and retailers. HCA’s primary objective is to increase awareness and consumption of Hawaiian coffees.  A major component of HCA’s work is the continuing education of members and consumers. This annual conference continues to grow each year and is gaining increased international attention.

     

    For more info, visit Hawaii Coffee Association’s website at www.hawaiicoffeeassociation.com.

  • 21 Jul 2012 4:00 PM | Deleted user
    Hawaii Coffee Association Crowns 4th Year Grand Champions Of Hawaiian Coffee

    At 17th Annual Conference on Maui

    By Jonathan Sechrist, HCA, 07/21/2012

    - Waikapu, Maui, Hawaii

    The Hawaii Coffee Association has crowned its Grand Champions of Hawaiian Coffee at its 17th Annual Conference and 4th annual Cupping Competition at the Maui Tropical Plantation in beautiful Waikapu, Maui on Saturday, July 21st.

    Wood Valley Coffee Co. from the Ka'u district received Grand Champion honors in the Commercial Category for those entries that had at least 300 pounds of the winning coffee available for purchase as of the time of entry.

    Heavenly Hawaiian Farms from the Kona district received Grand Champion honors in the Creative Category for those entries that had less than 300 pounds of the winning coffee available for purchase. The Creative Category encourages farmers to try new cultivation or processing methods without having to produce a commercial-level quantity of coffee.

    The coffees were 'cupped' and scored from a pool of 117 premium Hawaiian coffees, a 100% increase ....  

    Read the entire article

  • 11 Jul 2011 3:57 PM | Deleted user
    Hawaii Coffee Association Crowns 3rd Hawaiian Coffee Grand Champion

    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....

    Read the entire article

  • 18 Jul 2010 3:54 PM | Deleted user
    Hawaii Coffee Association Crowns Grand Champion of Hawaiian Coffee

    At 15th Annual Conference on Big Island

    By Chris Manfredi, HCA, 07/18/2010

    - Keauhou Bay, Hawaii

    The Hawaii Coffee Association crowned its second statewide Grand Champion of Hawaiian Coffee last evening at its 15th Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa located on Kona's Gold Coast.

    Rusty's Hawaiian 100% Ka'u Coffee received top honors along with coffees entered from each growing origin. Awards were given to the top scoring entry from each district. The top ten overall rankings were recognized at the annual banquet.

    Lorie Obra of Rusty's Hawaiian accepted the coveted HCA award presented by Sandra Lee Kunimoto, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture. Earning a 91.1 score, Obra said,....  

    Read the entire article

  • 26 Jul 2009 3:51 PM | Deleted user
    Onouli Farm wins statewide coffee cupping

    Kealakekua orchard was founded more than 100 years ago

    By Virginia Easton Smith, Hawaii Tribune Herald, 07/26/2009

    All Kona coffee farmers should be celebrating! Kona coffee came out on top in the first statewide Coffee Cupping Competition, held July 10-11 on Maui by the Hawaii Coffee Association as part of its 14th Annual Conference and Trade Show.

    Onouli Farm, a 100-plus-year-old farm in Kealakekua, was awarded the coveted first place in the state. Kowali Farm took second and Brazen Hazen Farm came in third, so all top three coffees were from Kona! Ka'u did well too; fourth and fifth place went to R&G Farm and Pavaraga Coffee, respectively.

    Of the top 15 coffees, nine were from Kona, three from Ka'u, two from Maui and one from Kauai. Coffee is now grown commercially on Maui, Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai, as well as....  Read the entire article
  • 16 Jul 2009 3:45 PM | Deleted user
    Maui emerges as a red-hot coffee growing destination at first statewide cupping competition

    By Carla Tracy, Dining Editor, Maui News, 07/16/2009

    Maui got a big jolt of caffeine adrenaline Saturday evening at Hawaii Coffee Association's first-ever statewide Cupping Competition at the Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu.

    In fact, two Upcountry coffee farms rose like cream to the top 10 of the 69 entrants. The other winners were from Kona and Ka'u, producers of some of the most sought- after and expensive coffees in the world. A Kauai farm ranked high at 15.

    So this is quite the coup for the Valley Isle. Those who are thinking about changing careers may want to ponder life as a lucrative Maui coffee farmer.

    The Maui winners include Kupa'a Farms of Kula and Keokea Farms below popular Grandma's Coffee House. Kupa'a took first place in the Maui Division and seventh place overall. Keokea placed eighth overall. Both farms are....  Read the entire article
<< First  < Prev   ...   10   11   12   13   14   Next >  Last >> 
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software