For the past four years, I have been traveling to try various coffee, from shops in the US, Japan, Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc.
But for 2020, I wanted to do something different. Of course, with not being able to travel during this time, many coffee farms are or now starting to sell their coffee to consumers.
And I’m going to focus a lot on coffee growing in different islands of Hawai’i and also continue to cover coffee produced in other countries but purchasing it directly from notable farmers and roasters.
For those wondering, well why don’t you just buy from Amazon or some store that sell Hawaiian coffee (specifically Kona Coffee).
First, let me begin with saying that when it comes to coffee, I spend a lot on quality coffee and I there are two sources that I tend to follow. One is Coffee Review and the other is Good Coffee.
With that being said, for Kona Coffee there are grades set by the Hawaiian Agricultural Society:
- Kona Extra Fancy
- Kona Fancy
- Kona Number 1
- Kona Select
- Kona Prime
And a lot of coffee you find on Amazon do not mention the grade. This is because it’s Kona Prime, affordable and the beans that are the lowest grade. Not bad but consist of 25% of defective beans. A lot of the Kona coffee you will find on Amazon, if they don’t have a grade, they are prime.
For those not familiar with Rusty’s Hawaiian, the original founders are Rusty and Lorie Obra. Both were living in New Jersey before moving to Ka’u with a dream to create a coffee farm from old sugarcane land.
Rusty was a retired chemist and also the founder president of the Ka’u Coffee Growers Cooperative and unfortunately he passed away in 2006.
While Lorie who also had a scientific background, continue on with her and her husband’s dream of running the coffee farm with the goal of making “some of the best coffee in the world” and conducting many experiments of coffee, from fermentation to roasting.
In 2007, Rusty’ Hawaiian ranked in the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA)’s top 10 in the Hawai’i/Asia/Indonesia regional competition.
In 2012, Rusty’s Hawaiian was one of the 10 winners of the 2012 Roaster’s Guild Coffees of the Year Competition.
Rusty and Lorie’s daughter Joan and her husband Ralph Gaston would move from California to Hawaii to join Lorie in running the family business.
Not many people know this but there is a connection to the valley. Joan used to work for the Fresno Bee and her husband Ralph worked as a sportscaster.
For me, I personally root for Rusty’s Hawaiian to become successful.
For one, Rusty (Restituto Soriano Obra) is Filipino and in my family, we have Soriano’s in our bloodline (Granted, there are many Soriano’s all over the Philippines and throughout the world, but to see a Filipino man who went on to become a chemist and a coffee farmer, for me that is so cool!).
Second, I like the fact to see two people from the media now working in coffee. Personally, it’s cool to see the two now involved in a successful coffee business in Hawai’i, but also a family business built with aloha.
And with two from media, Joan and also Ralph (who is African-American) working in the coffee industry is really awesome! Check out this cool interview Honolulu Magazine did with Ralph.
Ralph, Lorie and Joan also offer specialty green coffees from Hawaii, Thailand and more through their other company, Isla Coffees, joining forces with R. Miguel Meza co-founder/co-owner of Paradise Roasters in Ramsey, MN and Mountain View, HI. Isla Coffee exports coffee worldwide.
Now for the review of Rusty’s Hawaiian Kono Maragogype.
When it comes to coffee, there are two types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is known for its flavor, aroma and low caffeine.
Robusta is known for its more stronger, bitter flavor and high caffeine content.
The most popular Arabica varities are Bourbon, Catuai, Mundo, Novo, Typica and Maragotype.
Maragogype has one of the largest beans of any coffee arabica cultivar. A bean can stretch across the diameter of a penny and because of that, it’s a tricky to roast.
It’s one of Rusty’s Hawaiian’s highest rated coffees at 93 points for 2020 (by Coffee Review) and Rusty’s Hawaiian was listed in the top 12 coffee roasters in the U.S. by Forbes Magazine. The whole beans are medium roast and is 100% Kona coffee.
So, where is Kona?
Kona is the orange areas on this map.
But to show even a more detailed map… As you can see, there are two major volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
Manua Loa is considered the largest volcano on Earth (Note: Research announced in 2013 that Tamu Massif, an extinct submarine shield volcano in the northwest Pacific Ocean, may now be the largest, but more research is being done) and is a sub aerial volcano and also an active shield volcano. Also, it’s non explosive. Mauna Loa’s most recent eruption was back in 1984
And the soil of Mauna Loa is rich volcanic oil and has a rain forest climate so, on the Hilo side, that is where the popular Macadamia nuts are grown. While for Kona coffee, its cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa. Rusty’s Hawaiian is located in Pahala, Hawaii on the south of Mauna Loa of the Kau District.
But these Maragogype which Coffee Review rated this at 93 mentioned that the notes were produced at Aloha Hills Farm and processed by the wet or washed method (fruit skin and pulp are removed before drying). Aloha Hills is based in the Captain Cook area of Hawai’i, Kona region.
Drinking Kono Maragogype (aka Maragogipe), one of the rarest Hawaiian coffees as this variety yields about half the beans as the more common Typicas (because the beans are much bigger), very few Kona farmers plant it.
With that being said, Kona Coffee is cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii and is considered one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Maragogype beans are not cultivated as much, so you will be paying a bit more for this type of coffee.
It’s important to note that where Maragogype is cultivated plays a big difference. Bad soil is bad flavor or not much flavor. Rusty’s Hawaiian Kona Maragogype is full of flavor.
If you love great tasting, complex coffee, Rusty’s Hawaiian Kona Maragogype Coffee is wonderful!
When I prepared this coffee, the first thing I noticed was the deep, dark taste, earthy nuttiness with a sweet structure. The size of the beans is something I found myself looking at.
Right at the end, there is a note of berry. Coffee Review described the berry as lychee and perhaps it is lychee that I taste as the final note, but you do taste the berry and also the almond/nutty notes.
But there is something about this Hawai’i grown Maragogype that I find it different from Nicaragua Maragogype coffee I have tried before.
But it’s really interesting to drink it and you are hit by the dark earthiness and then suddenly the sweet, berry, nuttiness right after.
I really enjoyed Rusty’s Hawaiian Kona Maragogype Coffee! It’s a kind of coffee that you want to take a little time drinking it, tasting the complex flavors and just wanting to savor the moment.
Highly recommended!
