| Hey all, A friend of mine brought back a coffee that Lava Java said was Maui Moka. The coffee was green and and about the size of a tic-tac. Yes, really small. I roasted it just into 1st crack (no / minimum dwell time in the region between 1st & 2'nd ). It had a TON of chocolate flavor. In fact, as it cooled, my friend and I thought it went into becoming a defect. If I hadn't gotten it green, we would have sworn it was flavored. Anybody know antthing about it? FYI, it seemed to be polished. Really gave off very minimal chaff. Ben -- I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| Ben, I got the very same coffee, I thought it was lentils , not coffee, at first. The beans come from Maui Grown Coffee, Inc. on the big Island. A man named Kimo Falconer started this company after the Pioneer Mill Sugar Company closed it's coffee growing enterprise known at the time as Kaanapali Estates Coffee. You can read all about it by doing a google search of "maui grown coffee". They grow yellow caturra, red catuai, Guatemalan typica progeny 502/ variety 6661, and the Mokka variety. Tom stocked some of the mokka years ago and if you search the archives you can read his reviews. The biggest knock from the coffee crowd is that it is low grown and lacks the dynamic cup that you find in the higher grown Konas. I got a 1/2 lb. of the yellow cattura, a pea berry 1/2lb. which included the yellow, red and typica varieties and the Mokka. The Mokka is amazingly chocolaty and tastes even better when cool. They were all very good coffees when roasted, rested several days and brewed in the vac pot. I would buy the Maui Mokka if Tom had it on the list, without question, it was that good. Hope this helps. Cheers, John in Nor Cal On 8/24/08, J. W. Bullfrog wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| I had some Maui Moka a few years ago that was almost pure chocolate in taste. They were also the smallest beans I have ever seen - like lentils. The farm was shut down for a while - financial problems of some kind if I remember right - but started producing again not long ago. I haven't seen any of the new crop, but if it is at all like what I tasted a few years back, I'd love to try it again. I don't know if Tom ever carried it and hope he will if the new crop is good. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| Sweet Maria's carried it several years ago, but the farm went belly-up, and= the trees fell into decline through neglect. I think Ed Needham mentioned = that they were going back into production. It was wonderful coffee from Yem= en stock -- hence the small seeds -- but wet processed if I recall correctl= y. ----- Original Message ---- From: J.W.Bullfrog A friend of mine brought back a coffee that Lava Java said was Maui Moka. The coffee was green and and about the size of a tic-tac. Yes, really small. I roasted it just into 1st crack (no / minimum dwell time in the region between 1st & 2'nd ). It had a TON of chocolate flavor. In fact, as it cooled, my friend and I thought it went into becoming a defect. If I hadn't gotten it green, we would have sworn it was flavored. Anybody know antthing about it? FYI, it seemed to be polished. Really gave off very minimal chaff. = Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee=.com Homeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee=.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=7820 |
| I actually visited the farm and their company store a few weeks ago and they are very much back in business, though on a smaller scale than previously. They sell greens on their website (I won't post it, out of respect for Tom, but if anyone is interested, please email me off-list). They people running the place are great and are really into the coffee. I strongly suggested they speak with Tom about selling greens through Sweet Marias and sent them contact information. As a side business, they carved out 1 acre plots throughout the farm and you can buy them for private houses and live the "Plantation Owner Lifestyle". :) Anyone have $1.2M (house not included) to spend? But in all seriousness, they are great people and if you find yourself on Maui, definitely look them up! On 8/24/08, Andy Thomas wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| I haven't chatted with the farm owner lately, but I know they are up and running. I am almost sure most, if not all the crop is sold to Japan and to local roasters. The Maui Moka was a pretty unstable varietals (from almost wild Yemen stock) and would produce erratically from year to year even when things were managed well . For a number of years, the owner (A big agribiz corp) only invested enough to keep the trees irrigated. Weeds and pruning, or even picking didn't happen during that period. Now though, the farm is well managed and is likely producing decent crops. I'll see if I can get some information and post it here. In the meantime, if you want to look at some old pics of the plantation I took in 2002 when it was not producing, check out my web pages. ********************* Ed Needham "to absurdity and beyond!"http://www.homeroaster.com********************* |
| ...and that's just to 'lease' the property. No property changes hands on Maui. I also visited the plantation about six years ago when it was in shambles. I am glad to hear things are thriving there. ********************* Ed Needham "to absurdity and beyond!"http://www.homeroaster.com********************* |
| On 8/24/08, Zara Haimo wrote: <Snip> Thats the bean. It seemed too 'one note' for me. What little I kept I mixed with sumatran (the last of the blue batak?). They got it from the guy green for $15 for the lb because it was too small for him to roast. I got a fair amount of 'backlog" in greens now because 3 of us went in on a buy, and then they moved me to a diffferent building at work.We were coffee clubing it with my Tv. The farm was shut down for a while - financial problems of some kind if I <Snip> -- I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| Ed, I looked since I remembered your history with the place. Just had a hard time beliveing it was 'that' Maui Moka" 1.2 Mill? Geez, I can get 4 whole houses in Panama for that price. (inthe tourist subdivision) On 8/25/08, Ed Needham wrote: <Snip> -- I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| 1.2 million doesn't get you the house, just the 1 acre site in the middle of a 6 acre plantation lot. But hey, who else can claim to have coffee hedge rows? :) On 8/25/08, J. W. Bullfrog wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| There was 'good' Maui Mokka (as they are now spelling it) and there was so-so Maui Mokka. When I visited in 2002, the guy who ran the whole thing said there was still a bunch of beans stored in a warehouse on the island. That was the previous year's crop, which was the last harvested before things went belly up. I bought some MM beans from someone? and they were so-so. I actually still have a half pound or so of them, since they were not interesting enough for me to roast again. The beans I bought in 2001 were spectacular. I have not had any of the recent crops. Maybe it's time to try it again. ********************* Ed Needham "to absurdity and beyond!"http://www.homeroaster.com********************* |