Learn about our June 2023 Auction.
Unique micro-lots to full containers of high-quality lots
Consistency from type samples to deliveries
Accessibility by phone and e-mail from start to finish
Marketing support: photos, technical specs, stories and events
Our Hawaiian portfolio currently consists of coffees from two of the Big Island's best-known districts: Kona and Ka’ū.
Think of us as your on-the-ground, quality-control service. With your preferences in mind, we cup through individual lots to find the green beans that best suit your needs. And we develop exclusive coffees with trusted farmers and mills.
Upon sourcing these coffees, we immediately prep and ship them in GrainPro bags.
Our Ka’ū coffees mostly come from farmers who practice traditional washed methods. They ferment small batches of beans in water, then allow them to sun dry—a practice we prefer for its often superior cup quality.
In Kona, where the supply of high-quality beans has been tight in recent years, clients value our ability to snap up the best coffees for them. By working with various farms and mills and cupping through individual harvests, we can assemble larger lots of coffee with consistent cup quality.
Meet Our Team
R. Miguel Meza
Founder, Coffee Sourcing & Development
As a green-bean buyer, cupping-competition judge and award-winning roaster, Miguel is obsessed with finding the best raw material. Eventually, he decided to create it: In 2008, he moved to Hawaii to work with coffee from the farm to the cup.
Miguel is the co-founder and co-owner of Paradise Roasters in Ramsey, MN, and has worked with several award-winning Hawaiian coffee companies during his tenure on the Big Island. His unique and deep knowledge of coffee production and roasting have led to his demand as an instructor in emerging coffee regions around the world.
Ralph Gaston
Co-Owner, Coffee Sourcing, Finance & Logistics
Ralph controls Isla’s logistics and financial departments. If you’re a client, he’s your main contact in charge of creating, booking and monitoring all deliveries.
Ralph’s specialty-coffee adventures started with an introduction to R-graded, specialty Robusta during an origin trip to India. Since then, he has undergone Q-grader training and worked on all stages of coffee production and roasting as co-owner of Rusty’s Hawaiian, an award-winning farm, mill and roastery in the Big Island’s Ka’ū District. Ralph also is a key point of contact with Isla’s Kona coffee supply chain.
Lorie Obra
Coffee Sourcing & Quality Control
After decades of creating award-winning Ka’ū coffees as co-founder of Rusty’s Hawaiian, Lorie brings invaluable expertise and relationships to Isla. She is a key sourcer and cupper of Isla’s Ka’ū coffees.
Joan Obra
Co-Owner, Marketing & Sales
Joan is head of marketing for Isla. Like Ralph, she has worked on all stages of coffee production and roasting as co-owner of Rusty’s Hawaiian. She also draws on seven years of experience as a food journalist across multimedia platforms.
