What is the best coffee? What is the most expensive coffee variety in the world?

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What is the best coffee bean in the world?

So what is the best coffee bean in the world? Some might say Kopi Luwak, others might say Blue Mountain coffee, and some might mention St. Helena coffee. But now, the best coffee in the world should be Geisha coffee!

Wait, some might ask: What is Geisha? Why do we say Geisha coffee is the best coffee in the world? Next, please allow FrontStreet Coffee to introduce to everyone this most expensive coffee bean variety—Geisha!

The Rise of Geisha Coffee

Geisha coffee beans can be said to be the most well-known and most expensive coffee bean variety in recent years! And this origin traces back to Panama's specialty coffee. As early as before 2004, Panama's specialty coffee was not valued by the international coffee industry. However, after 2004, when "Geisha coffee" was discovered and gained fame, it repeatedly won championships in the Panama National Treasure Bean Cupping Competition, dominating until 2007.

So why didn't it dominate after 2008? Because Geisha coffee beans' flavor profile was so overpowering compared to other varieties that they were separated to hold their own competition!

The Geisha Revolution

Geisha, sweeping through the coffee world with hurricane-like force, this coffee revolution came with such momentum that the original king and queen of the coffee kingdom—Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona—had to step aside. This wild variety originating from Ethiopia, after countless battles, is now cultivated in major coffee-producing regions. Its best ambassador comes from Panama's "La Esmeralda" estate.

According to reports, because Geisha trees grow taller than typical coffee trees, they were originally planted in a small area within the estate and used as windbreaks. The owner's son, to participate in the annual Panama Best Coffee Competition, searched through all coffee tree varieties in the estate for testing, giving Geisha the opportunity to make its debut. Subsequently, it also participated in various world coffee competitions, winning a total of eleven championships.

Championship Achievements

Champion: Best of Panama (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)

Champion: SCAA Roasters Guild Cupping Pavilion (2005, 2006, 2007)

Champion: Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008)

Such outstanding achievements made Geisha shine like a green diamond, gaining recognition in the international coffee auction market and repeatedly setting high-price records.

Best of Panama 2004 Auction: $21/pound

Best of Panama 2005 Auction: $20/pound

Best of Panama 2006 Auction: $50/pound

Best of Panama 2007 Auction: $130/pound

In the following two years of 2008 and 2009, Esmeralda held its first single-estate auction activities. Simply put, they no longer participated in Panama's annual Best Coffee Competition and auction activities. Instead, they classified products from the Esmeralda estate by harvest region or time, directly opening them to buyers from around the world for bidding, letting the market determine the price of the year. Interested buyers could purchase green bean samples in advance for testing, then bid online for their desired products.

Below are the highest auction prices for 2008/2009, once again breaking the $100 mark!

Esmeralda Special 2008 Auction: $105/pound

Esmeralda Special 2009 Auction: $117/pound

La Esmeralda Estate Introduction

The official La Esmeralda website introduces these seven batches as follows:

(1) Reserva de la Señora:

Overall balanced and sweet, main notes include jasmine flower, orange, chocolate, blackberry jam, and rose tea; grown in the newest production area within the Cañas Verdes administrative region, near the Baru Volcano National Park. This is also the highest quality "Esmeralda Special" we produce.

(2) Caballeriza:

Main notes feature wild strawberry, strong licorice, blueberry, and red currant flavor characteristics, belonging to an exceptionally aromatic coffee, grown in the new Jaramillo region.

Quick note: the Mario region at 1500-1650 meters altitude is classified by harvest time.

Previously award-winning "Esmeralda Special" coffee was grown in this well-known Mario region. However, this year during harvest, the north and south banks of the stream are no longer harvested separately but classified by harvest date, named according to local festivals—Carnival, San José, and Easter.

(3) Mario Carnaval:

Harvest season in February, during Panama's Carnival. Main notes include floral sweetness, blueberry, grapefruit, and passion fruit.

(4) Mario San José:

Harvest season in March, named to commemorate the prophet San José born in this month. Bright and sweet acidity, red berry and molasses as main flavor notes.

(5) Mario Pascua:

Harvest season in April, named for Easter in this month. Citrus, jasmine flowers, and sugarcane sweetness, showing distinct late harvest characteristics during cupping.

(6) Naranjo:

Featuring cranberry, citrus, strong vanilla, and milk candy flavors, balanced and clean, with quite comprehensive and complete notes. Grown in the new Jaramillo region.

(7) Colgá:

Grown in lush green valley land, located in the new Cañas Verdes region, with cocoa and nutmeg as main notes, featuring complex and multi-layered floral aromas, with an enchantingly fragrant aroma.

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