Waialua Estate

The Waialua Estate beans are grown at an elevation of about 700 feet alongside Kamehameha Highway, not too far from the Pacific Ocean. Customers might unknowingly drive past the farms on their way to the sugar mill. Island X does not perform any of the harvesting, but has intimate ties with the farmers, and an established relationship with Dole Company. They collaborate with Dole Company providing feedback for what works and what doesn’t. This ensures they serve a better product.

They also roast beans from other local farmers, including those on Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island. His favorite coffee to roast is “from a farm on the big island called Rusty’s”, but 90% of their roast comes from Waialua.

When compared to Kona coffee, the most significant difference one might taste is that it’s not as sour as Kona coffee—which is not to downplay the great taste of coffee grown down south. According to his wife, Reba, “Experts think the reason why [this is the case is because] Oahu land is much older than the new volcanic land in Kona. It doesn’t contain so much fresh volcanic acid in the soil.” You could say that after years of tasting different roasts, and beans from different parts of the state, Bill and Reba have Hawaiian-refined taste pallets.

Roasting with Multiple Sclerosis

Bill is the primary roaster at Island X, and has taught several of his staff how to roast beans also. They are able to roast specific beans to their particular desired color and aroma, and can produce a pretty consistent roast. Although there are variations with each batch, due to variations in the beans, Bill and his team accept the challenge and continue to showcase the best aspects of each batch.

Bill helping customers

A few years ago, Bill was diagnosed with multiple-sclerosis. He now does all of his roasting from his wheelchair, but doesn’t let this restriction get to him. Sometimes he’ll elicit help when necessary, but has also found innovative ways to roast when working alone. An example of this is a bucket he attached to a pole so he can pour the beans into the hopper. He also performs maintenance on the roaster when required. Today, he is cleaning out the gas burners to ensure a more uniform heating of the drum.

When he’s done with the maintenance work on his roaster, he might roast a batch if necessary, or he’ll work on something else in the store. With visitors constantly coming and going, he fills his time helping them and telling them about the coffee growing and roasting process. Sometimes in between sets, when things slow down for just a moment, he’ll relax and enjoy the tranquility. It’s just a matter of time before he finds himself out at the beach for his next surf sesh.

Check this out to roast your own coffee at home: