HCA hosts annual conference and cupping competition
Coffee industry professionals from across Hawaii and further afield assembled for the Hawaii Coffee Association’s (HCA) 24th Annual Conference, 11th Annual Statewide Cupping Competition and 2nd Hawaii CoffeeChamps Competition in July.
The program featured presentations and workshops addressing growing, processing, roasting, cupping, brewing, and marketing Hawaiian coffee, and an examination of new technologies to prevent counterfeiting of Hawaiian coffee. The keynote speaker was Specialty Coffee Association’s former executive director and industry leader, Ric Rhinehart.
In the cupping competition, 93 entries from growing districts located across the state competed for top honors. The top-scoring coffee was produced by Greenwell Farms in Kona with a washed Geisha variety receiving a score of 85.28.
The highest scoring entries from participating origins include the Ka’u District’s Miranda Farms natural process yellow Caturra, Olinda Organic’s washed Red Catuai from Maui, Kauai Coffee Co. pulped natural yellow Catuai and Waialua Estate’s Natural Typica from Oahu. Top honors in the Hawaii District were earned by Kapakauaokeola Farm’s pulped natural, and hails from Puna.
Cupping Committee chair Brian Webb said: “It was a great pleasure to work with our panel of judges and the many farms who submitted coffees to this year’s competition. After months of cataloging, roasting, and evaluating these coffees we were excited to see such diversity of variety, processing methods, and growing regions in the top 10. The ability of Hawaii farmers to produce truly great coffee was well represented by the range of flavors and the overall excellent quality of this year’s field of entries.”
HCA membership gathered to elect their new board and officers. The HCA’s returning president is Chris Manfredi with Tom Greenwell as vice president; Donna Wooley, treasurer; and Brittany Horn, secretary.
HCA President Chris Manfredi said, “It’s great to see diversity on our board and a new generation of coffee enthusiasts entering the industry. The combination of experienced leaders and enthusiastic young professionals bodes well for the future and strength of our industry.”
The HCA was the host of the Hawaii CoffeeChampionships Prelim Competitions, the second year Hawaii has been chosen as a host for the preliminary competitions, which kicks off the national 2019-2020 competition season of the US CoffeeChamps (USCC) (locations TBC).
Over the course of two days, competitors brewed various coffee beverages for a panel of judges who evaluated their presentation, customer service, technical skills, the accuracy of their given tasting notes with the added requirement to stay within a given competition time limit.
2019 Hawaii CoffeeChamps
Brewers Cup Preliminary Competition Rankings
- Marina Chann – Honolulu Coffee Co, Honolulu
- Thomas Keisling – Honolulu Coffee Co, Honolulu
- Ben Fitt – Holey Grail Donuts, Kapa’a
- Gillian Perdido – Independent, Honolulu
Barista Preliminary Competition Rankings
- Kyla Villamor – Honolulu Coffee Co, Honolulu
- Jonny Kimbro – The Curb Kaimuki, Honolulu
- Philip-Andrew Yuen – Honolulu Coffee Co, Honolulu
- Gillian Perdido – Independent, Honolulu
- Jeremy Pyrc – YWAM Ships Kona, Kailua-Kona
- Elijah Wright – Hawaiian Village Coffee, Kahana
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The Hawaii Coffee Association’s mission is to represent all sectors of the Hawaii coffee industry, including growers, millers, wholesalers, roasters and retailers. The 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. Learn more about the HCA at www.hawaiicoffeeassoc.org
