Celebrating the Best of Hawai‘i
Exceptional Coffee, Community and a Bold Future
The 2026 Best of Hawai‘i was about much more than scores.
It was a celebration of exceptional coffee, the people who produce it, and the remarkable diversity found across Hawai‘i’s coffee-growing regions.
On Friday, July 31, during the Hawai‘i Coffee Association Annual Conference on Maui, producers, coffee professionals and members of our statewide coffee community gathered to recognize this year’s Best of Hawai‘i competition winners.
And there was a lot to celebrate.
Hawai‘i Coffee Excellence, From Across the Islands
This year’s competition showcased coffees representing traditional and innovative approaches to varieties, production and processing, with entries evaluated across five competition categories.
Leading the 2026 competition was Miranda’s Farms of Ka‘ū, whose natural Geisha earned an impressive 87.84 points, the highest score of the competition and first place in the Innovative Division – Unpulped category.
But one of the strongest stories of the competition was the depth of quality represented throughout the results.
Among the highest-scoring coffees were:
Miranda’s Farms, Ka‘ū — 87.84
Hula Daddy Kona Coffee, Kona — 87.57
Elepoki Coffee, Ka‘ū — 87.27
Awful Coffee, Maui — 87.17
Mauka Meadows Mountain, Kona — 87.02
These coffees came from different farms, growing regions, varieties and processing approaches—an exciting reflection of just how dynamic Hawai‘i coffee has become.
2026 Best of Hawai‘i Category Winners
Five coffees earned first-place honors in this year’s competition divisions:
Innovative Division – Pulped
Hanauna Coffee Company, Kona
SL34 — 86.94
Innovative Division – Unpulped
Miranda’s Farms, Ka‘ū
Gesha (Geisha) — 87.84
Microlot Division – Pulped
A Coffee Farm, Ka‘ū
Catuai — 86.79
Microlot Division – Unpulped
Ka‘ū Coffee Mill, Ka‘ū
Red Bourbon — 85.70
Hawai‘i Heritage Washed
Awful Coffee, Maui
Typica — 87.17
The results demonstrate both the strength of Hawai‘i’s traditional coffee heritage and the creativity producers are bringing to varieties, processing and production throughout the state.
Celebrating Our Coffee-Growing Districts
Best of Hawai‘i also recognizes outstanding coffees by growing district.
In Ka‘ū, Miranda’s Farms earned the district’s top position, followed by Elepoki Coffee and A Coffee Farm.
In Kona, Hula Daddy Kona Coffee led the district with its Kona Mocca, followed by Mauka Meadows Mountain and Uluwehi Coffee Farm.
On Maui, Awful Coffee took the district’s top honor, followed by Upcountry Farm Specialties and O‘o Farm.
Hog Heaven Coffee earned top recognition for Hāmākua, while Kodama Farms represented O‘ahu.
The statewide results are an important reminder that Hawai‘i coffee cannot be defined by a single district, variety or style. Exceptional coffees are being produced in communities throughout our islands, each reflecting its own place, people and approach.
More Than a Competition
There was another part of Best of Hawai‘i this year that cannot be captured on a score sheet.
It was the community.
Throughout the competition and awards, we saw growers celebrating one another’s success, cheering for neighboring farms and discovering producers they may not have known before.
There were familiar names among the winners—but there were also newer farms and producers earning recognition and getting their coffees in front of the broader Hawai‘i coffee community.
That matters.
Competition can help us identify quality, but its greatest value may be what happens next: the conversations, relationships, learning and opportunities that grow from bringing Hawai‘i’s producers together.
That spirit of shared success is something HCA hopes to continue strengthening through Best of Hawai‘i.
BEST OF HAWAI‘I 2027
Competition • International Judging • Auction
From Competition to Market
And next year, Best of Hawai‘i takes another significant step forward.
Beginning in 2027, the Hawai‘i Coffee Association plans to expand the program to include the first Best of Hawai‘i statewide coffee auction.
The vision is bigger than simply selling winning lots.
Best of Hawai‘i is being developed as a long-term platform to introduce outstanding Hawai‘i coffees to buyers, roasters, importers and coffee professionals around the world while strengthening Hawai‘i’s international reputation for quality and creating new market opportunities for producers.
The anticipated 2027 format will include a Hawai‘i-based pre-selection round followed by an international final judging round, with qualifying coffees advancing to the inaugural auction.
For our producers, that means creating a clearer pathway between quality recognition and market opportunity.
For the Hawai‘i coffee industry, it creates another opportunity to tell a larger story.
Looking Ahead to 2027
The 2026 Best of Hawai‘i gave us a glimpse of what is possible.
Exceptional coffees are being produced across our state. Producers are experimenting, refining, learning and continuing traditions that have shaped Hawai‘i coffee for generations.
Our opportunity now is to make sure the rest of the coffee world knows it.
As planning for the 2027 Best of Hawai‘i competition and auction continues, HCA will share additional information regarding competition rules, producer registration, judging, auction participation and opportunities for international buyers and judges.
For now, we congratulate every producer who entered the 2026 Best of Hawai‘i—and especially this year’s award recipients.
Your work represents the quality, diversity and future of Hawai‘i coffee.
Congratulations to the 2026 Best of Hawai‘i producers. We can’t wait to see where we go next.
Mahalo for being part of our community.
Advancing Hawaiʻi Coffee. Together.
INTEGRITY · COMMUNITY · EXCELLENCE
Hawaiʻi Coffee Association
www.hca.coffee
