In the lush landscape of Kaua‘i, Hawaii, Moloa’a Bay Coffee, established in 1998 by John, Daphne, and Amber McClure, functions on a 15-acre plot, home to approximately 4,000 arabica coffee trees and an array of fruit trees. This family-run operation not only propounds a source of coffee but also adheres to a meticulous approach to production, encompassing hand-picking, on-site drying, roasting, and packaging in their Kapa’a facility. The plot, historically utilized for sugar/pineapple plantations and papaya farms, currently cultivates a blend of cacao and coffee, becoming particularly notable for its expansive product range which has come to include various cacao and chocolate products since the introduction of cacao trees in 2005.
The business operation and its multifaceted agricultural process, as elucidated by John McClure in a video interaction, stem from a foundational learning and development in both coffee and cacao production: “When we started, there was no one doing coffee in a big-time except Kauai Coffee, so we ended up having to do everything as an estate, which meant we had to learn from the ground up – first how to grow the coffee, how to process it, and roast it and package it. Then we started to branch out into cacao. It was the same thing; we had to learn from the very beginning how to do the whole process.” The synthesis of these two elements is not merely commercial but also procedural, as some processing methodologies utilized for coffee found applications in cacao production. Moreover, the farm employs a “custom coffee and cacao roaster.”
A secondary yet significant facet of the cacao production pertains to its health implications. Amber highlights the nutritional merits, particularly within their 70% dark chocolate: “Antioxidants – you read a lot about dark chocolate being good for you, and it’s actually true.” This chocolate variant is crafted purely from their cacao nibs and sugar, offering consumers an antioxidant-rich option. An alternative 60% chocolate integrates self-made cocoa butter and sugar, described as “very high-quality pure chocolate” with a notably rich profile. This punctilious approach to creating chocolate and coffee products typifies Moloa’a Bay Coffee’s dedication to providing quality, which seems to navigate beyond mere production, serving as an amalgamation of carefully honed practices and a robust understanding of agricultural procedures.
From harvesting and fermentation to meticulous crafting processes, Moloa’a Bay Coffee encapsulates a confluence of learned agricultural practices, nutritional mindfulness, and a methodical journey from raw materials to final products. This embodiment of dedication to quality and procedural meticulousness underscores the business’s integrity and the McClure family’s adherence to providing products that are not just consumable but embed a piece of the agricultural and familial ethos intrinsic to Moloa’a Bay Coffee.