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Maui coffee grower takes home top honors

Judge Marc Marquez evaluates coffee fragrance during the semifinals round of the 12th Statewide Hawaii Coffee Association Cupping Competition. — Photo courtesy of Savor Brands

Olinda Organic Coffee of Maui was announced as the state’s top-scoring coffee producer at the Hawaii Coffee Association’s virtual conference on June 24 and 25.

The association’s annual statewide cupping competition was held remotely this year and the winners were announced at last month’s conference. A total of 70 entries were judged in the remote cupping event. Olinda Organic Coffee of Maui’s washed red Catuai variety received the top score of 86.63.

To process cupping remotely, entries were cupped in three elimination rounds. Coffees advancing into the second and third rounds were organized into five “tables” or groups and shipped to cuppers for analysis in their own cupping labs. Judging at each location was performed simultaneously with deliberations among cuppers conducted via Zoom. Final scores for winning coffees were determined by the average scores from the semifinal and final rounds.

Awards were presented to the top coffees produced in Hawaii Department of Agriculture-recognized growing regions and to the top 10 highest scoring coffees.

“This year’s competition showcased a wide selection of varieties and processing methods with the highest scores we have seen in this competition yet,” said Hawaii Coffee Association Cupping Committee Chair Brittany Horn. “Complex and unique entries from across the state are represented in the top-scoring coffees and we also saw the tightest scores, making 2021 a very competitive competition for growers.”

To view the complete results of the cupping competition, visit hawaiicoffeeassoc .org/Cupping-Competition.

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