The Coffee Cupping Competition (Festival Part 2)

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, Nov 4-13, 2011

Part 2, The Coffee Cupping Competition

The heart of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is the coffee cupping contest.  This year 50 farms entered 50 pounds each (about 350 pounds of cherry off the trees) of their coffee processed to parchment.  Most of these farms are 5 acres and are picked, pulped, sun-dried and sometimes even milled, personally on their farm.  We know the farmers from about 5 of the farms who entered, so we were interested in the two day event and the outcome which was held at the Keauhou Beach Resort.

Wednesday, there was  also a farmer’s market on the hotel lawn.  We are now regular custormers of several booths.  However, the nearby Keauhou Shopping Center farmer’s market called the authorities to say that they hadn’t gotten the correct permits and must disperse.  Some vendors left, some stayed.  It was big news in the West Hawaii Today.  Small town, yah?

Slurp

Spit

Data entry

Judging

Inside the hotel, for about 4 hours, four coffee cupping judges slurped, spit, and tasted all of the coffee entries.  These judges are highly trained to taste the 99 different flavors in a cup of coffee.  They are judging on wet aroma, dry aroma, body, flavor, and acidity.  They said they can taste immediately a coffee grown in Kona because it's brightness and .  They judge coffee all over the world.  I was right there asking questions, listening to the slurps and the spits, feeling the beans, and tasting the sample brewed entries they brought out periodically throughout the event.  I met the data entry ladies, the MountainThunder workers who processed all the coffee entries from parchment into lightly roasted coffee, and a couple judges.  Mountain Thunder also ground the coffee entries just before the judges tasted them in 6 or 7 entry batches, poured the water into the measured grounds, set up each and talked to spectators like me.

Each judge was on their feet back and forth between entries, busily marking their tasting notes, and sometimes discussing entries amongst themselves.  All the entries were numbered.  After the first round when the judges picked the top 15, the numbers were changed for the final round on Thursday.  The judges had four glasses of cupped coffee, a glass of the grounds, a glass to wash their spoon, and a display of the coffee as roasted, green, and parchment.

Numbered entries

Entry set up

Thursday at noon they announced the results of the contest.  None of the farms I knew made the top 15.  Third place went to KonaRising Coffee Co.  Second went to Kona DePele.  First went to Kainaliu-Kona Coffee Co.

Norman Sakata after the parade

At the results ceremony, the Miss Kona Coffee and Aloha Hawaii were introduced and appeared in all the photos.  Each group was introduced and photographed: the judges, the winner of the art show, the coffee finalists, the coffee winners, the website winners, the label winners, and the Festival committee.  The founder of the festival, Norman Sakata, made some remarks.  He began the festival 41 years ago.  A Japanese TV station interviewed the winners and spectators.   No one was left out except Kathy Woods, the lady who entered the computer results, and I, a most enthusiastic spectator.

Winners

The prizes awarded included your name on a koa bowl for 1st place, bragging rights, and a gift bag of coffee stuff.  This year the tasting notes will be returned to each entrant.  Many coffee growers did not enter this year because they did not get this feedback in the past after sending $1,000 worth of retail coffee to be entered.

Congratulations to all the entrants.  It was really fun for me to be a part of this.  I learned a lot, at least enough to know how much more there is to know about coffee.

Wednesday, November 9

Whole Cup and UCC Hawaii Kona Coffee Cupping Competition – Preliminary Round
8:00 a.m. – noon
Keauhou Beach Resort
78-6740 Alii Drive, Keauhou

Presented by Kamehameha Schools and Keauhou Resort

Cupping is a coffee tasting technique used evaluate a coffee’s characteristics. Kona coffee farmers submit their coffee for judging in this preliminary round of the prestigious Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Cupping Competition. Judges will conduct side-by-side tastings allowing them to appraise the differences of each entry.

Kona Coffee Art Exhibit
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Keauhou Beach Resort
78-6740 Alii Drive, Keauhou

Presented by Keauhou Resort

Local artists interpret the Kona coffee lifestyle in different art mediums. Art is judged and available for sale. Vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice award.

Keauhou Resort Kona Coffee Label & Website Display & Competition
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Keauhou Beach Resort
78-6740 Alii Drive, Keauhou

Standout coffee labels and website designs that best market gourmet Kona coffee compete for cash prizes.

Kamehameha Schools, aka the Bishop Estate, sponsored the festival.  70% of the Kona coffee is grown on Bishop estate leased lands.