Ka'u Classic Medium Roast
WashedMediumSCA cup 93.0
Cherrybook Index
59
Evidence-of-quality score, not a cup score. Confident: 3 of 7 signals on file. Methodology
Price position
$3.19/oz$22.50 for 200g
this lot $3.19$2.38$3.82
Typical band for this profile $2.38 to $3.82 (washed single-origin lots (other named varieties, retail bags); USD listings; medium roast in stock). Where it sits
Catalog summary
A washed lot from Hawaii, United States, not yet indexed (3 of 7 signals on file) and priced inside the typical band for its listed profile.
Based on the listing and catalog evidence
Price and availability set by the roaster.
Batch roasted weekly
Roasted on a scheduled weekly rhythm. Very fresh if you order right after a roast day; less so near the end of the cycle.
“Our main roasting days are Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday, and we also roast small batches between those scheduled dates” source ↗
Save at Rusty's Hawaiian10%
Cherrybook last checked this listing 6 days ago.
Roaster’s notes
chocolaty · citrus · stone fruit · sweet herbs · floral
- Fruit
- Citrus
- Floral
- Cocoa and nut
- Unclassified
Open the flavor wheel
Mapped from the roaster’s tasting notes to the SCA flavor wheel; Cherrybook’s interpretation of the stated notes, not the roaster’s own categorization.
- Origin
- Hawaii, US
- Producer
- —
- Farm / Co-op
- —
- Process
- Washed
- Altitude
- —
- Varietals
- Typica
- Harvest
- —
- Weight
- 200g
- Bag price
- $22.50
- Price / oz
- $3.19/oz
- Brew
- —
from the roaster’s storeread by Cherrybook from the listing“estimated” below = inferred, not stated
Price contextmodeled
A modeled range and current prices for comparable listings.
$3.19/oz
typically $2.38 to $3.82
Where it sits
126 washed single-origin lots (other named varieties, retail bags); USD listings; medium roast in stock
typical band this lot
Broad comparison: 99th percentile of 126 washed single-origin lots (other named varieties, retail bags); USD listings; medium roast in stock right now.
This group broadens origin, roast or selling market to find enough lots. It does not qualify this coffee for a value recommendation.
What moves this price
cheaper×1.00pricier
- Latin American origin×1.68
- Roaster brand and sourcing×0.90
- Washed process×0.95
- Other listed varieties×0.96
At 200 g, this bag runs about 5% more per ounce than a typical 287 g bag; that is pack size, not the coffee.
How this estimate works
A statistical model, refit weekly across the in-stock catalog, estimates what a coffee with these listed attributes typically sells for per ounce. Each multiplier compares one trait against the average lot in this market; the roaster line covers brand and sourcing together, which this model cannot separate. Bag size is shown separately, priced at the rate observed across sizes of the same coffee, because it says nothing about the coffee itself. The distribution counts every in-stock listing in the comparison group, with at least 15 listings from three roasters and no roaster supplying more than 60% of it. Decaf, blends, variety segments, processing families and bag formats stay separate. Origin, roast and selling currency can broaden as the group label indicates. Prices are converted to USD per ounce; shipping and differences in tax treatment are not adjusted. The model reads listed attributes only: the quality of the specific lot in the bag is not observable, so a price above the typical band is not evidence of overpricing.
Not listed by the roaster: altitude
Cherrybook Index (CBI)
Evidence-of-quality score, not a cup score. Methodology
59
Confident
Confidence3 of 7 signals on file
Enough independent signal to score at face value; no shrinkage applied.
How confidence affects the score
Coverage measures signal availability, not cup quality. This coffee has 45% of the signal universe on file. Missing sources are dropped, remaining weights are renormalized, and the result is shrunk toward a neutral 50 baseline by 0% so one thin signal cannot carry the score on its own.
Missing: Reddit sentiment, YouTube reviews, On-shop ratings, Cherrybook ratings
- 65/ 49% weightSCA gradeRoaster-published cupping score
- 65/ 40% weightCoffee ReviewMean score from coffeereview.com
- 60/ 11% weightRoaster transparencyProducer / farm / lot disclosure depth
Bonuses applied
- +-5Stale-stock demotionThis lot has been listed in stock for an extended time; specialty coffee freshness degrades over weeks
Base weighted score: 64.4 + bonuses = 59
Sensory profileestimated
- Acidity
- 3
- Body
- 3
- Sweetness
- 4
- Balance
- 4
- Clean
- 4
Comps & alternatives
Tasting flight
Compare this with three more lots selected from the catalog.
Brew a set side-by-side. The picks vary along axes that pair with this lot; origin, process, roast, or producer; so you learn the difference, not just drink four good cups.
Reference · About the varietal & origin
About Rusty's Hawaiian
On YouTube
Meet the roaster on camera
About the roasterBrand film
Rusty's Hawaiian Coffee l Local Love l Whole Foods Market
WholeFoodsMarket · 128.3K views on YouTube
Watch on YouTubeThis video covers Rusty's Hawaiian; it is general roaster coverage.
Cherrybook summary of the video
The video profiles Lorie Obra, owner of Rusty's Hawaiian, and her journey to continue her late husband's dream of producing world-class coffee in the Ka'u district of Hawaii. It highlights the farm's commitment to quality and their partnership with Whole Foods Market.
Inside this video
From WholeFoodsMarket:
“I spent 25 years of my life in the laboratory. All I want to do is just be outside.”
“My goal was to fulfill his dream, and his dream is to put Ka'u coffee as one of the top coffees in the world.”
Videos by their credited creators. Playing a video connects to YouTube. Privacy