WOLF FARMS WINS 2009 GEVALIA KONA COFFEE CUPPING CONTEST

KONA, HAWAII'S BIG ISLAND –

“The secret to our success is 30 years of being dedicated Kona coffee farmers and our location is one of the wettest areas for growing Kona coffee,” expressed Mark Wolf.

John King, Harold L. King & Co. judge added, ”The balance and pleasing aftertaste made this Kona coffee the obvious winner. The overwhelming final fragrance was the tipping factor.”

Second place was awarded to Hawaiian King Coffee located in Holualoa, owned by Christopher Kim. Third place was awarded to Healani Farms.

Sixty-one Kona coffee farmers submitted entries into this year's Gevalia Kona Coffee Classic Cupping Competition. Fifteen entries advanced to today's final round.

Each coffee farm submitted a 50-pound sample from which five pounds were actually entered into the cupping competition. To be eligible, the coffee submitted must have been harvested in Kona. The Gevalia Kona Coffee Classic Cupping Competition is a blind tasting. Once the entry is accepted, it is simply assigned a

number to protect its anonymity. These numbers are changed midway into the cupping, between the preliminary and final rounds, to keep the judges' palates alert throughout the competition.

The coffee samples, both green and roasted, are placed on a long table for the judges to independently evaluate. The judges look for high marks in these six categories: fragrance, aroma, taste, nose, aftertaste and body.