And the Winner Is............

'2007 Una Greenaway (Kona Old Style)
1st Place, 2008 2nd Place, 2009 Finalist

Island-Wide Cupping 2010 - Una Greenaway
(Kona Old Style) Awarded 1st Kona District

2006 Pat Pearlman receives 1st Place out of 71, 3rd 2004, Finalist '02, '07, '09'

'1998 Gus and Cynthia's BrocksenGate Estate wins 1st, Finalist '99, '02, '04, '08, '09'

2008 Gevalia Finalists include Eric Mader
(Honu Kula), Carol Carroll (Mauka Fire) & Gus Brocksen (BrocksenGate)

2009 Gevalia Finalists include Pat Pearlman (Pearl Est. Org.), Gus Brocksen (BrocksenGate), Kollette and Jason Stith (Kona Rose), & Una Greenaway (Kona Old Style)

Each estate is numbered and divided into 3 ziplocks - Parchment, Green, Roasted

Gevalia cuppers John King and Sherri Johns teach Miss Kona Coffee 2008 and 2009 how to cup coffee


Gevalia Cupper John King pushes the crust aside to evaluate aroma

2009 Gevalia Cuppers (L R) Willy Pettersson, Sherri John,
John King, Shota Takemoto (UCC), & Dave Holfe


John King and Willy Pettersson evaluate the Coffee Festival Events Schedule


Gevalia Cuppers Worksheets are scored for each estate (from 1 - 10) for Aroma, Taste, Acidity, & Body. The totals elevate top estates from the others.

In Kona, there are several cuppings each year, but only two reflect the best coffee estates in Kona - the Gevalia Kona Coffee Cupping Contest and the Hawaii Coffee Association (HCA) Cupping. They do this by not allowing submission of roasted or brewed coffee.

Gevalia Kona Coffee Cupping Contest - November, annually

We submit 50 pounds of parchment, from each of our estates that has picked and delivered 200 pounds of cherry to us by early October. We need this time to pulp it, sun-dry it, and rest it before submitting it. Each year we enter 3 - 5 of our estates which compete against 55 to 65 additional estates for the top honors. More often that not, several of our estates make the FINALIST circle..... and typically one will score in the top three. Is it just luck behind this recognition? No. Instead we feel that it is a combination of excellent, ripe coffee cherries and excellent processing.

This is a true blind cupping. When the parchment is received it is assigned a number, which changes between the preliminary and final rounds, to keep the judges palates alert. Samples of parchment, green and roasted from each estate are placed in paper bowls for visual evaluation. Then a portion of the roasted coffee is ground and two tbs. are steeped in three separate cups of hot water to reveal good flavors and defects to their fullest. The floating crust of grounds are broken with a spoon, so the aroma can be evaluated. Then spoon-fulls of coffee are atomized across the palate.

Each year the coffees are scored by four judges, who fill out a score sheet marking six categories, from 1 - 10, for fragrance, aroma, taste, nose, aftertaste and body. At the end of the first day 15 FINALISTS are announced to advance to the final tasting. On the second day, the competition heats up. The 15 Finalists are re-cupped to determine who is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Hawaii Coffee Association State-Wide Cupping. - July, annually

HCA hosted its 2nd Hawaii Cupping Contest in 2010. Held during HCA's Annual meeting in July, entries are blind judged by an independent panel of expert coffee cuppers with honors awarded for the Best of Origin and the Best of Hawaii. Two pounds of State of Hawaii Certified green coffee must be submitted. In 2010 a total of 67 coffee growers from Hawaii's eight trademarked coffee growing regions entered- Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Kona, Kau, Hamakua & Hawaii. We are delighted to report that the 2010 Best of Origin - Kona was awarded to our most decorated estate - Kona Old Style Estate, grown by Una Greenaway and Leon Rosner.

We are so proud of our estate growers that share their precious crops with us and we are proud of Guy Mamac our Pulping Mill and Dry Deck Operator. Through their combined efforts we hold this most enviable list of top honor.

Current Pele Plantations Estates:

• BrocksenGate Organic - Gevalia 1st Place 1998, Finalist '99, '02, '04, '08, '09
• Pearl Estate Organic - Gevalia 1st Place 2006, 3rd Place 2004, Finalist '02, '07, '09
• Kona Old Style Organic - Gevalia 1st Place 2007, 2nd Place 2008, Finalist '09, HCA 1st in origin Kona 2010
• Kona Rose Organic - Gevalia Finalist '07, '09
• Mauka Fire Traditional - Gevalia Finalist '05, '08
• KaHua O'Kona - Gevalia Finalist '94, '95, '97, '98

Alumni Pele Plantations Estate

• Day's Keauhou Traditional - Gevalia 3rd Place 1994
• Wood's (Pau Hana) Organic - Gevalia 1st Place 1001, 3rd Place 2002, Finalist '03
• Zuma Estate Traditional - Finalist '05