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Maui Mokka takes top honors at statewide cupping competition

By Staff | Aug 7, 2014

MauiGrown Coffee President Kimo Falconer inspects the fruits of his team’s labor during the drying process.

LAHAINA – On July 18, MauiGrown Coffee reaffirmed its place in the coffee world by capturing first place for its Maui Mokka-Natural at the Hawaii Coffee Association’s sixth Statewide Coffee Cupping Competition held on the Big Island.

The 2014 field included 77 total entries. The Commercial Division included 22 entries, 12 of which came from the Maui District.

In the Commercial Division, MauiGrown Coffee’s Maui Mokka-Natural and Aloha Hills Kona Coffee tied for first with a score of 87.3 out of 100. MauiGrown Coffee also took second place in the Maui District Division for the same brand.

According to the Maui Coffee Association’s 2014 Cupping Committee, the quality of coffees entered in this year’s competition was of the highest level. They commended the winners for being an accomplished group of farmers who raise great Hawaiian coffee.

“Great coffee doesn’t just happen,” said Kimo Falconer, president of MauiGrown Coffee. “It takes a dedicated team of farm workers to produce award-winning coffee, and I couldn’t be prouder of our Maui Mokka team.”

The Maui Mokka variety of coffee originated in Yemen and was planted on the Kaanapali Estate by Pioneer Mill 25 years ago. Today, it is one of four coffee varietals grown and harvested in West Maui.

According to Falconer, the soil and nutrition, the water cycle and sun are just part of the process of producing a sweet coffee cherry.

“We allow the coffee cherries to stay on the tree until they turn purple, which produces the maximum amount of sugars concentrated into the fruit,” said Falconer. “After harvesting, we let the coffee age for almost six months in the coffee pulp to bring out the various fruit flavors. The coffee bean is then milled, bagged and sent off to our customers worldwide.”

For information, visit www.MauiGrownGreenCoffee.com.