Take a cup of 100 percent Kona coffee grounds. Inhale aroma. Add water. Inhale again. Take a spoonful of the hot coffee. Slurp strongly. Roll over tongue. Expectorate. Repeat for 8 hours. Sound a bit redundant? It is. But getting a sense of the precise methods professional cuppers use to judge Kona coffees for aroma, fragrance, body, and flavor is kind of fascinating for a half hour or so. The best coffee bean in Kona is announced at the end of final round voting.

When & Where:

Preliminary round: Wed. Nov. 11, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Verandah Lounge, Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, 78-6740 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona. Final round: Thurs., Nov. 12, 9:00 a.m.-noon. Winners are announced after the final round


(For more lowdown on Kona coffee and all Hawaii-grown coffees, grab a copy of "The Hawaii Coffee Book: A Gourmet's Guide from Kona to Kauai," from HAWAII Magazine sister company Watermark Publishing, in bookstores or by clicking here.)




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