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Geisha Coffee Bean Origin Estate Flavor Auction Records Introduction

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Follow Coffee Review (WeChat Official Account: vdailycom) to discover wonderful cafes and open your own small shop. The Discovery of Geisha: The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 from the Geisha forest in Ethiopia, then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya; introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, Costa Rica in 1953, and Panama in the 1970s by Don Pachi Estate

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The Discovery of Geisha

The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 from the Geisha forest in Ethiopia and then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania. Costa Rica introduced it in 1953, and Panama began growing Geisha coffee in the 1970s when Mr. Francisco Serracin from the Don Pachi Estate obtained seeds from CATIE in Costa Rica.

Actually, Daniel conducted continuous cupping sessions based on different harvest batches, noting the flavor profile of each batch, and discovered that one particular batch had a unique flavor. The only way to find the difference was to compare batch by batch.

After identifying the batch, he then traced back to find its harvest date and collection area in the estate, conducted a comprehensive review of the batch data, and finally determined the exact harvest location of the batch. After confirming the location, he began observing the appearance, leaves, and fruits of the coffee trees one by one, which led to the discovery of Geisha.

It was not as simple as external rumors suggest. In other words, it required several times more effort and persistence than others for this legendary variety to emerge.

Hacienda La Esmeralda's Astonishing Auction Records

The main source comes from her unshakable championship records. The price of award-winning competition beans will definitely rise significantly, with champion prices reaching dozens of times the market value. However, Hacienda La Esmeralda's winning record is unprecedented. As of 2013, it has won fifteen different coffee competition championships. Especially notable was the natural-processed Geisha batch that won the 2013 Best of Panama natural process category, which sold for $350.25 per pound! At that time, the price of non-auction premium Panamanian coffee beans in 2013 was about $6 per pound, making its price more than 58 times that of other premium coffees!

The Geisha Variety

Geisha coffee green beans have a very beautiful blue-green color with a jade-like warm texture. They smell of fresh grass, peach, berries, and have a unique milky sweetness characteristic of oolong tea that most coffee beans lack. It seems that aroma and flavor require associative thinking, but the light tea note is something we can clearly perceive.

To highlight the characteristics and aroma of this bean, it is roasted to the verge of second crack. The verge of second crack and first crack of second crack are commonly used roast levels that better bring out the bean's inherent characteristics. Too light a roast will produce off-flavors, while too dark will damage the floral aroma and fruit acidity. Of course, this must also be adjusted according to the coffee bean's characteristics and the roaster's understanding of the bean itself.

Flavor Profile

Floral, tropical fruits, and intense sweetness; with proper roasting, they give you the feeling of sipping the fragrance of a bouquet of fresh flowers. It originated as an ancient heirloom variety from Ethiopia, brought as a coffee sample to Costa Rica's coffee experimental station and distributed to several small farms for small-scale trial planting.

For a long time, not many people paid attention to Geisha until one day, Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama separated it from other varieties and won the national coffee championship.

The fruit flavors and floral elements are remarkably similar to those from Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia on the other side of the African continent. Of course, some small farms now have Geisha varieties and are eager to grow their own Geisha.

However, the results are not consistent. Influenced by weather, soil, and altitude, this "star" variety seems to taste different when planted in various geographical locations. However, in the Acotenegro region, we see typical Geisha characteristics: elongated bean shape, changes during roasting, and the elegant, clean flavor in the cup.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Classification by Altitude

Auction Geisha (ESMERALDA SPECIAL) (Red Label), specially selected from altitudes above 1550 meters.

Boquete Geisha (Green Label), specially selected from 1500 meters.

(ESMERALDA 1,500) (Blue Label), specially selected Geisha varieties from around 1500 meters altitude.

Red Label Geisha participates in global auction bidding every May, while Green Label does not participate in auctions but is still high quality with a slightly lower price. Buyers of Red Label get priority purchasing rights for Green Label.

Hacienda La Esmeralda's Four Major Brands

1. [Esmeralda Special] - Independent auctions organized by Hacienda La Esmeralda itself, completely featuring Geisha varieties, classified by production zone names, with each zone further subdivided into small batches for auction. Only Geisha batches that the estate puts forward for independent auctions can use the Esmeralda Special name.

2. [Geisha-Boquete] - Geisha varieties but not independent competition batches, created by mixing non-auction but still excellent quality batches from various production zones, though still Geisha varieties.

3. [Diamond Mountain] - Hacienda's traditional varieties, grown in the Cañas Verdes and Jaramillo regions at approximately 1400-1700 meters. The coffee has complex flavors with distinct chocolate, vanilla, and sweet citrus notes. The cultivated varieties are standard Central American mixes, including Typica, Bourbon, and Catuai.

4. [Palmira] - Located in the outskirts of Boquete town at approximately 1000-1250 meters altitude. Only this area grows low-altitude coffee, almost entirely Catuai variety. Though not premium grade, the acidity is not too sharp, with distinct nutty sweetness and chocolate flavors.

Panama · Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Coffee Beans

Panama Geisha (Hacienda La Esmeralda)

[Origin]: Panama

[Region]: Located on the slopes of Baru Volcano, the highest peak in western Panama

[Estate]: Hacienda La Esmeralda

[Grade]: SHB

[Growing Altitude]: 1450M

[Processing Method]: Fine washed processing

[Special Certification]: Rainforest Alliance Certified

[Roast Level]: Light roast city-

[Flavor Description]: Oolong tea aroma, peach aroma, honey aroma, fresh and comfortable, bright and balanced, with extremely strong aromatic layers. The entire aroma is wrapped together with caramel sweetness, with noticeable fruit acidity on the tongue at entry, becoming gentle and rounded in the mouth. The fruit sweetness and aftertaste are strong, like drinking a mouthful of fresh fruit tea, refreshing and satisfying. The lower the temperature, the more delicate the acidity. The flavor is quite persistent, leaving one deeply satisfied!

Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Coffee Beans Blue Label Geisha Washed Processing Fresh Roasted Authentic 100g