MauiGrown Coffee hopes coffee industry's "perfect storm" bodes well for 100% MAUI Origin coffee

March 25, 2011

There's a lot to be said about being in the right place at the right time. For fifth generation Lahaina farmer James "Kimo" Falconer, the global coffee industry's perfect storm is already having a positive impact on his MauiGrown Coffee's 100% MAUI Origin brand.

Factors which are helping to boost business for growers like MauiGrown Coffee are directly linked to the scarcity of coffee worldwide, the recent inventory reduction of Hawaiian coffee, and consumer's growing demand for specialty coffees. Read more…

MauiGrown Coffee finds growing market niche with its
100% MAUI Origin Coffee

April 2010

It's been over two decades in the making, but MauiGrown Coffee, Inc. is optimistic that their 100% MAUI origin coffee is here to stay. This 500-acre estate is churning out some of the most sought after coffee varieties in the world—Yellow Caturra, Red Catuai, Typica and their signature Maui Mokka™. Read more…

Thousand year-old coffee bean finds
a new home on Maui

April 2010

Mokka, one of the coffee industry's most promising varieties now calls the Hawaiian Island of Maui home, thanks to MauiGrown Coffee, Inc.

Located on the slopes of West Maui, MauiGrown Coffee is the only producer of State of Hawaii certified MAUI origin coffee and the only commercial producer of the Mokka variety in the world. A total of four varieties of specialty coffee are grown on this 500-acre farm—Yellow Caturra, Red Catuai, Typica and Maui Mokka™—Maui Mokka™ being their signature coffee.

"Mokka is an amazing coffee variety originally discovered in Yemen that dates back around 1,000 years," said James "Kimo" Falconer, president of MauiGrown Coffee. "While its journey to Hawaii has been a long time coming, this variety's meteoric rise in popularity has been phenomenal, particularly in markets like Japan."

Mokka's humble beginnings in West Maui started in 1987 when Pioneer Mill Company participated in a statewide cooperative research program sponsored by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). Field tests were conducted by farmers on 23 varieties of coffees. They assessed the ability of these varieties to be grown in the region, their ability to produce an interesting cup and potential financial returns.

While Mokka ranked high in blind taste tests, it was overshadowed by other varieties simply due to its size. The Mokka bean averages 11-14/64" in size compared to the Typica variety favored by Kona farmers which averages approximately 19/64" in size. In terms of volume, it takes approximately 3,000 standard coffee beans to make a pound of coffee but Mokka beans require more than 8,100 beans to make a pound of coffee. Contrary to industry opinion, Pioneer Mill predicted the market potential of Maui Mokka™—a premium, one-of-a-kind product.

The fact that this small bean packs a powerful punch in terms of cupping quality convinced Falconer, who served as Pioneer Mill's director of agriculture, to take on the Maui Mokka™ product as part of the company's diversified agricultural program which would later become the Ka‘anapali Estate Coffee Co. in the early 1990s.

When Ka‘anapali Estate Coffee closed it doors in 2001, it was Kimo's dream to revive the coffee farm. With the help of landowner Ka‘anapali Land Management Corp., Kimo's hard work and dedication paid off with the establishment of MauiGrown Coffee, Inc. in 2003. The first harvest produced an output of over 40,000 lbs of green, of which 200 lbs were Maui Mokka™. In January 2010, MauiGrown estimates a record harvest of over 320,000 lbs of green coffee, of which approximately 100,000 lbs will be Mokka.

Today, Maui Mokka™ has struck a chord with a growing audience of specialty coffee connoisseurs who rave about its unique flavor. According to Falconer, its cupping characteristics are best described as "a lively cup with wild, slightly exotic chocolate aroma and subtle wine notes."

The coffee's unique characteristics are also creating waves in the coffee industry. In February 2010, Peter Lucata of Honolulu Coffee Co. became the first representative from Hawaii to win the Western Regional Barista Competition. His secret? An espresso blend of three Hawaiian coffees of which one was MauiGrown Coffee's own Maui Mokka™.

At the MauiGrown Coffee Company Store in Lahaina, coffee connoisseurs can sample a taste of the famous Mokka variety. According to store manager, Jeff Ferguson there is a fine line between the desire to over roast this bean and the array of flavors to be captured.

"I recommend sample roasting the Mokka beans at different levels and letting it sit a few days before serving," said Ferguson. "It must be served fresh after brewing. Because I want to taste everything that the Mokka has to offer, I like roasting the coffee at what I believe is an Agtron 48 or a Light Full City Roast; or a slightly brilliant roast where the shaft is not darker than the roast of the bean. Due to the density and small size of the bean I recommend backing off the heat before the 2nd crack and bringing it back slowly."

The advice to coffee roasters must be working. In 2009, MauiGrown Coffee all but sold out on their Mokka inventory, and the company is optimistic that this year's yield will allow more roasters to experience this unique and rare varietal.

With continued improvement in agronomics to increase yields and a renewed focus on overseas markets, MauiGrown Coffee sees a bright and fruitful future for their Maui Mokka™ variety—what many consider the best of Maui from seed to cup.

For more information, contact Maui Grown Coffee, Inc. at P.O Box 13100, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761; 808-357-1204.

Reviews

MauiGrown Coffee's Yellow Caturra scores a 90 in Ken David's Coffee Review in March 2010.

Competitions

Maui Mokka™ included as part of the signature coffee that won Peter Licata of Honolulu Coffee Co., the coveted #1 spot in the Western Region Barista Competition, February 2010.

Awards

On October 23, 2009, Kimo Falconer's MauiGrown Coffee won the coveted Mayor's Small Business Award for the category of small businesses with 10 or fewer employees. This prestigious award was established in 2004 to recognize outstanding small businesses in Maui County.