Dunno if anyone on the list caught this from my SCAA updates, but while at 
SCAA, I got some really encouraging news. A guy named Richard (I don't have 
his last name handy) with Kauai Coffee is taking serious steps to save the 
Kaanapali Farm from the Condo bulldozers, and reinstitute it as a 
productive coffee farm. Their primo bean is (was) the Maui Moka bean, the 
tiniest, and most chocolatey bean you'll ever see.
I told Richard at the conference the following (a direct quote):
"You pull this off, and I'll either bear your children or do a contract 
killin' for ya, no charge"
(of course, I was kidding about the bear your children boast :))
Anyway, I'm staying on top of this. I don't want to wax prosaic here, but I 
personally consider the loss of the Maui bean to be close to the level of 
loss suffered when the Java crops were killed off by disease in the late 
1800s, thus ruining the original Mocha Java blend for ever.
The Maui Moka bean is by far the most chocolatey bean I've ever had the 
pleasure to try, and for me, the taste flavour I value most in espresso is 
a complex blend that highlights chocolate notes. Some other beans come 
close, but nothing compares.
On another note, thanks to Simpson's goading of me :) :), I obtained 10lbs 
of the 1999 stock of Maui Moka from a, ahem, other green bean source (sorry 
Tom!!!) for one of the higher prices I've paid for green (only JBM and Kona 
are higher). I got 10lbs of the last 100 lbs or so left on the planet.
There is also some 2000 stock oooot and aboooot, but I've been warned by 
several sources not to touch it with a ten foot pole. It's sourced out of 
Chicago. Supposedly storage problems, along with other issues.
Anyway, I really hope Richard can pull it off. He says he has many 
seedlings from the Maui stock (I think he said 2,000!!!), and if he can get 
that land back, the fallow season(s) will probably aid in producing a 
bumper crop once it comes back "online".
Mark
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Mark I agree. What goes around comes around and I bought this bean on
your strong recommendation (25 lbs... do NOT do the math) and I have
never, never had a bean contribute so strongly to the overall pleasure
of an espresso shot. Straight shots with this stuff are almost too
choccy, as Ken says, and of course are one dimensional, but tasty
anyway. Mixed with a popular espresso blend made with Indian coffees, it
most certainly rocks big time.
I sure hope Richard can pull this off, and you can tell him I said so,
FWIW. MM isn't your delish morning cup of drip, but as a grace-note
coffee in espresso, for my tastes, nothing else comes close. Thank you
for being so darned positive about this stuff. You were keenly accurate
in your appraisal.
Ted
Mark said:
	snip
The Maui Moka bean is by far the most chocolatey bean I've ever had the 
pleasure to try, and for me, the taste flavour I value most in espresso
is 
a complex blend that highlights chocolate notes. Some other beans come 
close, but nothing compares.
	snip
Anyway, I really hope Richard can pull it off. He says he has many 
seedlings from the Maui stock (I think he said 2,000!!!), and if he can
get 
that land back, the fallow season(s) will probably aid in producing a 
bumper crop once it comes back "online".
Mark
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Thanks to a heads-up from Mark, I noticed Richard at the Kauai booth, and 
asked him if he was REEEELEEE going to bring back Maui Moka.
He said absolutely that was his intent.  He said he may save the existing 
plants, or need to replant, so it might be one year or three, but he 
assured me that Maui Moka WOULD be back.  That was truly encouraging!
-- garyZ
<Snip>
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Does anyone know 'Richard's' last name, or know an email for him?  I'll be
going to Hawaii on Maui in a couple of weeks and would like to meet him and
chat about coffee.
Regards,
Ed Needham
ed

Ed Needham wrote:
<Snip>
I do have a bit more information on Richard.  I responded to Ed privately 
on this one.  If anyone is really interested, write me off-list.
-- garyZ
garyzim
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