Surprising Results in ACE’s Isla Hawaii Auction
Portland, Oregon USA (April 13, 2021) – The Alliance for Coffee Excellence is excited to share results from their first ever Hawaii Private Collection Auction with Isla Custom Coffees. The average price per pound came in at $37.29 with 31% of the 16 lots sold for over $50 per pound. The top price went to the 9th place yeast-fermented, anaerobic natural geisha from Kona Geisha Farm, which was purchased for $68.50/lb by Latorre & Dutch Coffee Traders. This was the only gesha in the auction and also the lowest elevation grown coffee — grown at 300 meters.
Producer Doug McKanna imported these seeds from Finca La Milagrosa in Boquete, Panama, and planted them in February of 2018. McKanna, who processes all of his coffees as naturals, mechanically dried whole cherries in dehumidifying dryers which he designed and built.
This auction offered 12 yeast-fermented coffees, showcasing the ability to deliver excellence through fermentation as opposed to exotic varieties and high elevation. “We’re looking forward to continuing the innovations from this year’s auction — such as yeast fermentations in closed environments — as well as selling traditional washed coffees,” said Joan Obra of Rusty’s Hawaiian.
One reason why Isla partnered with ACE for a Private Collection Auction was due to the cancelation of SCA Expo 2020. Usually, the Hawaii Coffee Association booth allows people to taste a range of Hawaiian coffees and the group did not want to lose a year of sharing Hawaii’s innovations with the world.
“It was wonderful to have the chance to showcase to a global audience the variety of coffees we produce in Hawaii and exciting to see many of them finding homes in regions of the world Hawaiian coffees rarely go to,” said Miguel Meza, Co-founder of Isla Custom Coffees.
“This has been a great opportunity to demonstrate the potential of Hawaii as a legitimate specialty coffee producing origin, and we hope the prices top coffees achieved in this auction will encourage more growers here to pursue specialty coffee production. Hopefully this is just the first step up to heights of quality never before experienced from Hawaii,” he continued.
The coffee is now getting shipped to winning bidders to roast and share with their customers. For more information on the winning bidders and details on the auction please follow the link: https://allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org/isla-custom-coffees-2021-auction/
Upcoming 2021 ACE Private Collection Auctions include:
Fincas Mierisch: Los Favoritos Nicaragua 2021
May 18
Qima Yemen
Fall of 2021
About Alliance for Coffee Excellence
Alliance for Coffee Excellence is a global non-profit membership-based organization that brings together the global marketplace in order to create a more transparent and sustainable economic future for high quality farmers. ACE manages a Global Coffee Center Education Lab, Cup of Excellence samples and Private Collection Auctions. Adhering to ACE’s mission of rewarding exemplary coffee farmers, ACE Private Collection Auctions is a curation of auctions with organizations and farmers who best exemplify ACE’s standards with Cup of Excellence programming.
