MEDIA RELEASE

Kailiawa Coffee Farm in Ka’u continued the winning streak for Ka’u coffee by placing seventh in the prestigious international finals of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) 2009 Roaster’s Guild Coffee of the Year Cupping Competition earlier this month in Atlanta.  

Vying against coffees from Ethiopia, Columbia and Panama, the seventh place finish is another victory for the small farmers of Ka’u and the third consecutive year that a Ka’u estate coffee has made the SCAA finals.  

In 2007 Will & Grace Farm/Rising Sun placed sixth and Aroma Farm placed ninth; in 2008, Ka’u Forest took 11th place. 

Kailiawa Coffee Farm is operated by Thomas “Bull” and Jaime Kailiawa with the help of nephew Lyndon “Baba” Kailiawa-George, a ninth grader at Kaʻu High School. 

Two other Ka’u estate coffees made the semi-finals of the SCAA cupping competition:  R&G Farms (Ka’u Royal) run by Rogelio Aquino and Gloria Camba, and Will & Grace/Rising Sun Farm, run by William & Grace Tabios.  

The Ka’u coffee farmer’s entries into the SCAA competition was sponsored by Ka’u Farm and Ranch Company, LLC, the management firm for the lands on which the Ka’u coffee farms are located.

Renowned chef Alan Wong, an early and strong supporter of Ka’u coffees, features all of the internationally recognized Ka’u coffees at his flagship Alan Wong’s Restaurant on King Street in Honolulu. Ka’u coffee is also served at Josiah Citrin’s Melisse Restaurant in Santa Monica (a Michelin two star awardee) and Merriman’s Maui.