Geisha (coffee)

Coffee production in Ethiopia dates back dozens of centuries. The Geisha variety of Coffea arabica was identified in the 1930s, in the mountainous Geisha region of southwestern Ethiopia.[4] After seeds were collected in 1936 by a British consul, the coffee was planted in Tanzania and Costa Rica. From there, cultivation spread to Panama in the 1960s, including the famed Boquete region.[4]

Like with most coffee, grinding is very important regarding the preparation of Geisha coffee. The grind size should be medium or medium-fine for drip coffee, depending on the method, and it requires a normal espresso grind size. The temperature ideally should be around 97 degrees Celsius or 205 Fahrenheit. The brewing process should be done with a 1:15 brew ratio for Chemex, Hario V60, French press, and Aeropress, and a 1:2 brew ratio for espresso.[5]

Geisha coffee cherries.[6]

Geisha coffee begins with the process of picking the ripest cherries. Producers prefer hand-picked cherries as it increases the labor costs. The riper the cherry means the resulting coffee will have a sweeter flavor profile. The cherries then go through quality inspection. Some producers have the technology to put their cherries into a machine that deciphers the quality of the cherries. Some smaller producers have workers sort through the picked cherries by hand. The cherries are processed either by means of wet or dry methods. After those methods are complete, the producers end with a Geisha coffee bean.[7]

The flavor profile of Geisha coffee is one aspect that contributes to its renown. Geisha is known for its sweet flavor and aroma of floral notes, jasmine, chocolate, honey, and even black tea.[8][9] These sweet floral notes, and complex flavor profiles are some of the many characteristics that Geisha coffee shares with most other African coffees.[10] Additionally, this unique flavor is also one of the contributing factors for Geisha’s high price tag and prestige.

A bag of Panama Esmeralda Geisha Special coffee.[11]

The Best of Panama Coffee Competition has a long standing reputation for having high dollar coffee at auction, which is where Geisha asserted itself as one of the worlds highest costing coffees. This occurred in 2004 when Hacienda La Esmeralda entered the coffee into the competition where it was found to have a distinctly unusual taste before being purchased at auction for a record price of $21 per pound.[12] 15 years later at the same Best of Panama Competition and Auction, another Geisha sold for $1,029 per pound (unroasted).[13] Earning the nickname “Elida Natural Geisha 1029,” this Geisha was produced on the Lamastus Family Estates.[13] 100 pounds of Geisha coffee sold for $100,000, ranking above the next closest coffee by $80,000. Geisha is perhaps the most valuable coffee in the world.[14]