All images courtesy of the Hawaii Coffee Association.
A natural-process Gesha coffee from Miranda’s Farms of Ka‘u earned the top score in the 2026 Best of Hawai‘i coffee competition, as the Hawaii Coffee Association says it plans to add a statewide coffee auction next year.
Announced July 31 during the Hawaii Coffee Association’s sold-out annual conference on Maui, the 2026 Best of Hawai‘i represented the 17th edition of the statewide cupping competition, which is designed to identify and celebrate top coffees from across the state’s growing regions.
Scene from the 2026 Best of Hawai’i event.
The 2026 competition included three divisions: an Innovative Division focused on post-harvest processing and fermentation, a Microlot Division for lots of at least 500 pounds and the new Hawai‘i Heritage Washed Division, which honors traditional washed-process coffees made from Typica, Bourbon or Caturra varieties without commercial inoculants, additives or co-ferments.
First-place winners across the competition’s five categories were:
- Innovative Division – Pulped: Hanauna Coffee Company, Kona, SL34, 86.94
- Innovative Division – Unpulped: Miranda’s Farms, Ka’u, Gesha, 87.84
- Microlot Division – Pulped: A Coffee Farm, Ka’u, Catuai, 86.79
- Microlot Division – Unpulped: Ka’u Coffee Mill, Ka’u, Red Bourbon, 85.70
- Hawaii Heritage Washed: Awful Coffee, Maui, Typica, 87.17
“What excited me most about this year’s Best of Hawai‘i was seeing exceptional coffees come from across our growing districts,” Hawai‘i Coffee Association Executive Director Abby Muñoz said in an announcement of the competition. “Hawai‘i coffee is so much bigger than any one region, and the quality we saw from Ka‘u, Maui, Kona and throughout the state really speaks to the talent, innovation and dedication of our producers.”
The association said the Best of Hawai‘i program will expand in 2027 to include the first statewide Best of Hawai‘i coffee auction, designed to connect top-performing coffees with buyers around the world.
Scene from the 2026 Best of Hawai’i event.
The 2027 program is expected to include a Hawai‘i-based pre-selection round, followed by an international final judging round, with top coffees advancing to the inaugural Best of Hawai‘i auction. The association also said it will invite applications from experienced coffee professionals for the international round.
“The Best of Hawai‘i is being developed as a long-term platform for building the international reputation of Hawai‘i coffee, increasing market access for producers, strengthening relationships with buyers and creating new pathways for exceptional coffees from across the islands to reach the global marketplace,” organizers said.
Additional details regarding 2027 competition rules, producer registration, judging, auction participation and international buyer opportunities are expected in the coming months.
Comments? Questions? News to share? Contact DCN’s editors here. For all the latest coffee industry news, subscribe to the DCN newsletter.
Related Posts
Comment