AWARDS
November 2023 - People’s Choice Awards winner, at the 2023 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival / Holualoa Village Coffee & Art Stroll!.
April 2023 - Good Food Awards
April 2023, Portland, Oregon, USA: Winning Coffee Producer, submitted by Pacific Coffee Research (PCR), based here in Kailua-Kona, who submitted our 100% Kona coffee -Honey processed, as one of their entries for this prestigious competition. Our coffee was one the two only USA-USA-Hawai‘i grown coffees awarded this year. This is the *first* time a Hawai‘i based coffee roastery has won in the Coffee category. It is also the first time a Kona coffee has won since 2011. This is a huge honor for us.
For more information, visit: Winners - Good Food Foundation (goodfoodfdn.org)
Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (KCCF) Cupping Competitions.
We have scored within the Top Ten winners for four consecutive years, since our first participation in 2018:
November 2022: 4th place - Classic Division, out of 66 participants. Our entry of Kona Typica/ Pacamara 100% Kona Private Reserve- NATURAL process, scored 86.15 points. The 2022’s first place scored 86.42 points (out of 100).
November 2021: 6th place - Classic Division, out of 70+ participants. Our entry of Kona Typica/ Pacamara 100% Kona Private Reserve- NATURAL process, scored 86.15 points. The first place scored 87.15 points (out of 100).
November 2019: 8th place - Classic Division, out of 72 participants. Our Kona Typica - Private Reserve 100% Kona HONEY process scored 84.29 points.
November 2018: 3rd place - Classic Division, out of 90+ participants. Our first time ever participating in a cupping competition. Our Kona Typica Private Reserve 100% Kona - HONEY process scored 84.042 (participated under the name of Casablanca Farms, we changed to Aloha Star in 2020).
It's an honor for us to be part of the Kona Coffee community. Also, it’s a double honor to be able to represent the Latino/Hispanic coffee farmers at the KCCF Cupping Competition Top Ten ranking.
Hawaii Coffee Association Cupping Competition (HCA),
May 15-17, 2023: State of Hawaii Top 25 winners, from all coffee districts within the state of Hawaii. Our Kona Typica/Pacamara 100% Kona Private Reserve - HONEY process, scored 83.31 points.
June 24-25, 2021: State of Hawaii Top 10 winners, from all coffee districts within the state of Hawaii. Our Kona Typica/Pacamara 100% Kona Private Reserve - WASHED process, scored 85.85 points; less than 1 point away from the highest score of the competition, which was 86.63 (1st place). This was our first time participating in the HCA cupping competition.
Recognitions
November 2023: Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (KCCF) Cupping Competition (Nov 3th -12th, 2023) - Final Ranking coffees with scores over 80 points (SCA standard)
November 2022: Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (KCCF) Cupping Competition (Nov 4th -13th, 2022) - Final Ranking coffees with scores over 80 points (SCA standard)
November 2022: Kona Coffee Signature Beverage Throwdown - (Nov 10th, 2022) - Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s Baristas Competition.
Our 100% Kona coffee was employed by first the place winner @onegramofbeans, and also by @paulmelicor from @whitenenecoffee , who won third place.
October 2022: Our story was featured in the Hispanic Heritage Month Special by KHON2 News
Our farm's story was featured by @khonnews, as part of a documentary about members of the Hispanic/Latino community living and working in Hawaii and on the mainland USA, in celebration of 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15th - Oct 15th). The complete video, including the other featured stories, can be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JElikxKZMYY
May 2022: Hawaii Coffee Association (HCA) Cupping Competition - Final Ranking coffees with scores over 80 points (SCA standard)
November 2021: Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (KCCF) Cupping Competition - Final Ranking coffees with scores over 80 points (SCA standard)
October 2021: Donkey Mill Art Center - Kona People Exhibition - 50th anniversary of the Coffee Cultural Festival - October 23rd - December 18th, at Holualoa Village, Hawaii island.
Such an honor for us to be considered as part of the Kona farmers whose portraits were painted. “This curated exhibition pairs artists with Kona farmers to create works which convey the spirit of “Kona People” through explorations in portraiture”. Featured artists included: Adare, Noel Badges Pugh, Naehalani Breeland, Aspen Dewey, Ronit Fahl, Amanda Lillibridge, Mary Lovein, Miho Morinoue, Brandon Reis, Virginia Small, William Wingert and Hana Yoshihata. Our portraits were created by William Wingert.
June 2021: Hawaii Coffee Association (HCA) Cupping Competition - Final Ranking coffees with scores over 80 points (SCA standard).
