Cupping Commerical Winners from left: Tom Greenwell of Konaʻs Kopiko Farms, Masaru Hanazawa of Konaʻs Mauka Meadows Coffee Farm, Louis Daniele of Ka’u Coffee Mill and not pictured Konaʻs Hula Daddy. (courtesy Hawaii Coffee Association)
(BIVN) – The winners of this year’s Hawaiʻi Coffee Association cupping contest have been announced.
The Hawaiʻi Coffee Association’s 15th Annual Statewide Coffee Cupping Competition took place during the 29th HCA conference, held from July 18 to 20 at the Ala Moana Hotel in Waikiki.
“We are thrilled with this year’s turnout and seeing such enthusiastic participation in our diverse range of presentations,” says conference chair Juli Burden of the Hawaii Agricultural Research Center. “This support is a testament to the dedication of the coffee community here in Hawaii.”
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From a Hawaii Coffee Association news release:
Statewide Cupping Competition Results
A total of 103 entries, up from 68 in 2023, vied in the 15th Statewide Hawaii Coffee Association Cupping Competition. Brittany Horn, HCA cupping committee chair and co-owner of Pacific Coffee Research (PCR), notes the competition’s 51 percent higher turnout is likely due to a positive bounce-back after the 2020 introduction of Coffee Leaf Rust and a high-yield year.
“Additionally, the competition committee brought back the commercial division this year,” adds Horn. “In a similar manner to an auction, the commercial division requires a two-pound sample be submitted representative of a 300-pound lot.”
Cupping Competition Winner of Hawaii (Hilo and Puna) District: Deaus Beacomo of Hilo Coffee Company with cupping chair Brittany Horn (courtesy Hawaii Coffee Association)
The annual competition received 20 commercial and 83 creative division entries. The top three scoring coffees of the 103 entries were in the creative division and all hailed from Kona. This division is reserved for smallholder farms with entries under the direct control of owners.
Taking first place overall was a fruit-dried (natural process), 36-hour anaerobic fermentation Geisha variety with yeast inoculation produced by Geisha Kona Coffee earning a record final score of 87.83 points. Monarch Coffee Farm entered a 36-hour ferment parchment-dried (washed) Geisha variety placing second with a score of 87.40. Uluwehi Coffee Farm received a score of 87.25 with a 100-hour ferment with K1 yeast and fruit-dried (natural process) SL34 variety.
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The top 10 highest scoring coffees were recognized and awards were also presented to the top coffees produced in Hawaii Department of Agriculture-recognized growing regions located throughout the islands. Top placing coffees by district were all from the creative division. They included Miranda’s Farms of Ka‘u with a parchment-dried Geisha scoring 85.63 and O’o Farms of Maui earning 84.20 with a pulp-dried (honey-process) Red Catuai variety. On O’ahu, Waialua Estate’s 72-hour ferment and fruit-dried Typica earned 83.42. Hilo Coffee Company of the Hawaii region (encompassing Hilo and Puna) scored an 80.63 with their 72-hour ferment Typica and Hog Heaven Coffee’s Typica of Hamakua earned 80.58.
Cupping Creative Winners of Ka’u from left: Jose & Berta Miranda of Miranda Farms, Joan Obra of Rusty’s Hawaiian Farm, Louis Daniele of Ka’u Coffee Mill (courtesy Hawaii Coffee Association)
Coffees in the commercial division were bested by Hula Daddy’s of Kona’s parchment-dried and yeast-innoculated Typica with 84.29 points. Kona’s Mauka Meadows’ parchment-dried and 24-hour ferment Typica and Kona’s Kopika Farm’s parchment-dried Red Bourbon tied for second place with a score of 82.63. Ka’u Coffee Mill followed in scoring 81.63 with a pulp-dried Typica. Commercial entrants can be growers or processors with corporate brands and multi-estate coffees being eligible.
“I was so impressed with the top scores from this year’s competition,” noted Horn. “The Top Ten’s average score was an 86.6—up from 85.48 last year—and all coffees in the Top Ten scored over 85 points.”
Cupping Creative Winners of Kona from left: Douglas McKanna of Geisha Kona Coffee, Abigail and Sal Munoz of Monarch Coffee Farm, Franck Carisey of Uluwehi Coffee Farm. (courtesy Hawaii Coffee Association)
Kona-based PCR (Pacific Coffee Research [PCR]) organized the competition utilizing a cupping panel composed of local and global coffee professionals led by Madeleine Longoria Garcia, PCR co-owner. “Judges from around the world applied to participate in this yearʻs competition and were invited based on their experience, training and opportunity for engaging with Hawaiiʻs coffee producers,” notes Longoria Garcia.
The panel of sensory judges included:
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• Lora Botanova – Production Roaster of Big Island Coffee Roasters, Q Arabica Grader • Alex Brooks -Independent Consultant, Q Arabica Grader • Krude Che – Hao Lin-Founder of Taiwan Coffee Laboratory, Q Arabica Instructor, SCA AST, Director with the Taiwan Coffee Association • Madeleine Longoria Garcia – Co-Owner of Pacific Coffee Research, Q Arabica Assistant Instructor, Vice President of Synergistic Hawai’i Agriculture Council • Marc Marquez – Director of Coffee, Q Arabica Grader • Oliver Stormshak – Co-owner, President, and Green Coffee Buyer of Olympia Coffee, Oliver’s Custom Coffee and Moonrise Bakery; Q Arabica Grader
Horn served as head competition facilitator and was assisted by PCR’s Meg Duka and Head Roaster Eric Musil.
The panel employed the standard Specialty Coffee Association’s cupping methodology and scoring format. It is a form of scientific sensory analysis where coffees are evaluated and scored based on a variety of subtle characteristics: flavor, aroma, acidity, aftertaste, body, balance, overall cup experience, presence of sweetness, lack of defect and uniformity.
Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Kona
Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 69 near the shore to 45 to 52 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Monday: Cloudy. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. Light winds becoming west up to 10 mph in the afternoon.
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Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 69 near the shore to 44 to 51 near 5000 feet. Northwest winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.
Waimea
Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Kohala
Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
South Big Island
Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 64 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph.
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Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Lows around 70 near the shore to around 50 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph.
Puna
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Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Waikoloa
Tonight: Cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 48 to 54 above 4000 feet. Light winds.
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Monday: Cloudy. Highs around 83 near the shore to 65 to 71 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming northwest up to 15 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 47 to 54 above 4000 feet. North winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the east after midnight.
Synopsis
The cold front has dissipated into a trough and remains northwest of the Hawaiian Islands this evening. High pressure will build in from the north and allow the trade winds to strengthen from Monday through Wednesday. Brief passing showers will favor windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours through Wednesday and then over southeastern slopes and island interior sections from Thursday onward. Winds will weaken and veer slightly from a more east-southeast direction from Thursday on into the weekend. Shower activity will remain limited during this time period.
Short term update
The large band of high level cirrus clouds and mid level alto stratus clouds currently over the islands will continue to slowly diminish through Monday. The cold front approaching the islands has stalled and diminished into a trough just northwest of the island of Kauai. Trade winds blow into the region and strengthen into the moderate to locally breezy range from Monday through Wednesday. A slight decrease in wind speeds and a shift from a more east- southeast direction remains in the forecast from Thursday onward as another cold front approaches the islands from the northwest, weakening and lifting the ridge north of the state. Local scale sea breeze winds will develop along terrain sheltered slopes of each island as the large scale winds weaken. Limited shower activity will prevail into next weekend with only brief showers possible. The afternoon forecast looks good. No evening updates.
Previous discussion
Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026. Expectations for this afternoon remain on track. The boundary upstream of Kauai has made little to no forward progress today, sea breezes have struggled to establish owing to abundant high clouds, and showers southwest of Kauai and Oahu have essentially remained in place while stratiform elements peel off to the northeast. In addition, regenerating showers over Windward Oahu have dissipated in response to backing low-level flow. All told, an uneventful, cloudy, and mostly dry day across the state. Going forward, building heights over the N Central Pacific will maintain strengthening, but progressive high pressure at the surface. This in turn ensures the return of trades tonight which then become breezy during mid-week. Winds diminish slightly by late week as trades veer to ESE in advance of another round of upstream height falls. Typical trade wind weather anticipated throughout this time with showers focused windward and mauka. High clouds gradually clear from west to east Monday into Tuesday before exiting the area altogether by Wednesday.
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Aviation
A weakening stationary boundary will allow for abundant high clouds and relatively light land/sea breezes to prevail across most TAF sites. This front will also allow for disorganized showers across Kauai and Oahu tonight, however confidence was on the lower end based on weather model guidance, so made use of VCSH and PROB30 where rain chances were felt to be the highest. MVFR conditions may prevail under shower activity, otherwise VFR is expected across most sites for the period. AIRMET Tango remains in effect across the islands due to upper- level turbulence from FL200-400 due to this front, with conditions expected to improve into tomorrow as this system continues to weaken. Patchy mountain obscuration may occur due to the presence of this front, however observations and webcams suggest that the threat is not widespread enough to warrant an AIRMET at this time. Light icing is also possible in cloud layer 120-180.
Marine
Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026. A dissipated front will linger into Monday just northwest of the area. Fresh to locally strong easterly trades will build in by Tuesday as surface ridge strengthens to the north. Winds will maintain strength but veer east southeast towards the end of the week as another system approaches from the west. Surf along north and west-facing shores will be above seasonal average as a northwest swell (310 degrees) is expected to impact through Monday. Surf should remain small though the week with a small northwest bump expected next weekend. Surf along exposed east-facing shores will be a bit elevated due to a short-to medium-period northeast (40 degrees) swell, then decline Tuesday. However, period and choppy conditions are expected to return by Tuesday as fresh trade winds redevelop and expand upstream of the state. Surf along south-facing shores will remain near the seasonal average into March.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
None.
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(BIVN) – YAS Fest, aka the Youth Art Series Festival, is returning to Kalākaua Park in Downtown Hilo.
The East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center is hosting the event on Saturday, March 14th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Keiki and their families will be treated to an exciting array of performances, craft and information booths, and art activities,” a press release promoted.
From event organizers:
YAS Fest brings together local organizations dedicated to providing arts opportunities to keiki and teens from around Hawaiʻi Island. By spotlighting their activities, YAS Fest celebrates the importance of arts education for everyone.
Booths include the Hilo High School Art Club, Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ Hui, Friends of the Palace Theatre, and over a dozen more.
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Headlining the performers is HAAStile (a teen rock band from Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts and Sciences, directed by Trever Veilleux). Audiences will also enjoy performances by Big Wave Dance Academy, Aloha Teen Theatre, N2 Dance, Hawaii’s Volcano Circus, Prince Dance Institute, and Kona Dance and Performing Arts.
YAS Fest is made possible by support from County Council District 2 and Coldwell Banker Island Properties. EHCC also thanks KTA Super Stores, Kelsey Ito, and Lō‘ihi Studios for their contributions.
Says YAS Fest organizer Kellie Miyazu, who is EHCC’s Youth Education Director, “Last year we had around 300 visitors to the first YAS Fest. There was a lot of nice feedback from visitors, and also from the organizations who were able to network with each other and the community. We’re expecting an even more successful festival this year.”
Visitors are also encouraged to stop by the EHCC patio across the street to learn more about EHCC’s vision for the year and how community support helps keep EHCC’s unique gallery and keiki programs accessible to all.
For more information, visit EHCC online at ehcc.org, call 961-5711, or visit EHCC at 141 Kalakaua Street. Current gallery and office hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday noon to 6 p.m.
A boy was killed after being struck by a vehicle today in Hawaii Kai, police said.
At about 11:02 a.m., a 37-year-old woman “was attempting to travel northbound” on Kukuau Place when the vehicle hit a boy who was in the road in front of the vehicle, according to a Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division news release. The child was taken to a hospital in critical conition where he was pronounced dead.
The driver remained at the scene and was uninjured, police said.
HPD did not release the boy’s age or say whether speed, drugs or alcohol were possible factors in the collision.
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This was Oahu’s ninth fatality in 2026, compared with 15 at the same time last year.
