Does Starbucks Have Geisha Coffee?_Starbucks Geisha Coffee Actually Comes from Colombia?!

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Starbucks Introduces Colombia Blue Mountain Geisha Coffee Beans

Starbucks has launched "Colombia Blue Mountain" coffee beans—Geisha beans under another banner. What makes Geisha beans rare is how difficult they are to grow; the variety originally thrived only in a handful of specific places. After careful improvement, Blue Mountain Estate became the first plantation in Colombia to grow Geisha successfully. These Colombia Blue Mountain beans are cultivated on slopes between 1,600 and 2,000 meters: the first sip brings grape and floral fruit notes, the middle palate evokes tropical fruits like pineapple or mango, and the aftertaste lingers with berry aroma.

Growth of Asia's Premium Coffee Market

Asia's coffee market has flourished in recent years, with premium coffee showing the most astonishing growth. Sensing the opportunity, Starbucks opened its first "Starbucks Reserve" store at Hsinchu North Gate in 2013. There are now 24 Reserve stores across Taiwan, with the Taipei Longmen store being the highest-specification of them all.

Starbucks' Diversified Business Strategy

Xu Guangyu, General Manager of Uni-President Starbucks, has said Starbucks will pursue more diversified operations: regular coffee items (lattes, Americanos, and so on), TEAVANA tea beverages, and premium single-origin coffees (the Starbucks Reserve series), with nearly 90 Reserve bean varieties launched. Visitor numbers at Reserve stores have grown by over 10%, showing strong acceptance among premium coffee customers.

Unique Experiences at Reserve Stores

Across the 24 Reserve stores, some experiences stand out: the "Reserve Espresso" series at Taipei Longmen, "Clover, Pour-over, and French Press Coffee" at the Kaohsiung Art Museum Vision store, and "Siphon Coffee" at the Chiayi Zhongxiao store, which delivers both a visual and a gustatory show. The Taipei Longmen store was first to launch the "Colombia Blue Mountain" beans, complete with specially designed black paper cups and carrier bags printed with the exclusive Reserve logo.

Premium Pricing for Rare Beans

Starbucks introduced the rare "Colombia Blue Mountain" beans first at Taiwan's Reserve stores, priced at NT$1,680 per 250-gram package.

The Extraordinary Geisha Coffee Bean

In recent years, Geisha beans have repeatedly set new price records at coffee auctions.

Geisha trees belong to the Arabica species (all specialty coffees do) and trace back to the forest near Gesha Mountain in Ethiopia.

With extremely limited production, a mellow and smooth taste, and an elegant sweet aroma, they are considered dream treasures of the specialty coffee world.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

At those prices, a taste of Geisha can feel out of reach—yet authenticity is also about knowing where your beans come from. FrontStreet Coffee's La Esmeralda Blue Label Geisha offers a solid guarantee of both brand and quality at exceptional value: 120 yuan per 100-gram bag. At 15 grams per cup, that's 6 cups—about 20 yuan each—against café prices that often exceed 100 yuan a cup.

For a more everyday take on the same floral-fruit magic, the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend pairs Panama Geisha—rose and orange delicacy—with Costa Rican honey-processed coffee bearing grape, dried blueberry, and strawberry-candy sweetness. It brews beautifully as pour-over, works in a moka pot or espresso machine, and even makes a refreshing cold brew; let it ferment and settle a little longer and it takes on an almost fruit-wine character. Or, for those curious how Typica—the variety behind Jamaica's legendary cup—compares with Geisha, look for genuinely certified Blue Mountain: beans shipped in the traditional 15kg, 45kg, and 70kg wooden barrels, with estate certificates and green beans that are plump, regular, slightly upturned at both ends, and green in hue. That balance of cream, caramel, chocolate, and gentle sweetness is a different kind of island luxury from Geisha's floral fireworks.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small storefront but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online store services at https://shop104210103.taobao.com