Which Geisha Specialty Coffee Estate is the Most Expensive? Their Detailed Introduction

FrontStreet Coffee · Panama 90+ Perci Ruby Geisha

Origin: Geisha Estate, Panama

Price: Approximately $1000+ per pound

Hailed as the world's finest coffee: 90+ Perci Ruby.

This sky-high-priced coffee comes from 90+ beans at a Geisha estate in Panama, with an even patented processing method. The method used to process the original beans is called "Ruby Processing," a patented approach belonging to the famous specialty coffee trader 90+. Coffee processed this way is said to show rich, ultimate aromas.

Because it was the champion bean for two consecutive World Barista Championships (WBC), in 2014 and 2015, that double champion halo firmly placed this coffee among the ranks of the most expensive coffees.

At a certain coffee shop in Shanghai, a small 180ml cup sells for 1010 yuan. The "Perci Ruby," which took top honors and runner-up spots at the 2014 and 2015 World Brewers Cup Championships (WBrC, World Barista Championship), is a specialty coffee priced at approximately 24,000 RMB per kilogram, with a single cup selling for 1010 yuan.

Probably only the truly devoted, or the second-generation wealthy who treat money like dirt, would drink a cup of such sky-high-priced coffee; otherwise, who would spend so much money on just 180ml of coffee? That is 1010 yuan.

FrontStreet Coffee · Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Natural Red Label Geisha

Origin: Boquete, Panama, Hacienda La Esmeralda

Price: In May 2017, the natural Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda reached a record-breaking auction price of US $601/pound at The Best of Panama (BOP) green bean competition, almost double the previous auction price. That means one kilogram of green beans costs as much as 8900 RMB.

The Geisha green beans from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda were already selling at $50 per pound on May 30, 2006. The flavor and aroma of Geisha coffee are praised by many, even achieving a high score of 94.6 in the Cup of Excellence (COE) competition.

Today Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha has three lines, categorized by altitude:

Auction Geisha (ESMERALDA SPECIAL) (Red Label), selected from altitudes above 1600 meters.

Boquete Geisha (Green Label), selected from 1600 meters.

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

FrontStreet Coffee · Panama Volcan Sophia Estate Super Geisha

Region: Volcan, Panama, Sophia Estate

Price: The 2017 Best of Panama (BOP) auction began with major global buyers fiercely competing for nearly six hours. Sophia's washed Geisha champion, making its first appearance in the BOP auction, was acquired by the Japanese company SAZA Coffee at a stunning high price of $254.8 per pound (approximately 3964 RMB/kilogram).

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The estate that made Geisha a global name is Esmeralda, and FrontStreet Coffee carries both of its grades. The Red Label, formally Esmeralda Special, is grown at 1,600-1,800 meters, must cup above 90 points for every lot, and is numbered individually, with each lot drawn from a single small plot. This lets buyers choose the parcel whose subtle flavor suits them best.

The Green Label, formally Private Collection, blends lots from several plots to express the estate's signature high-altitude Geisha profile, and it offers notably good value for the quality.

For a gentler way into the variety, FrontStreet Coffee's Boquete Geisha is the one to try first. It is an entry-level Geisha that delivers the classic Boquete tangerine-honey character at a friendly price, with the oolong-tea sensation and the fine fruit sweet-and-sour balance that define a good Panama Geisha, and clearly separated layers.