How Expensive is Geisha Coffee? Geisha Coffee Bean Price Per Kilogram and Pour-Over Cost Per Cup

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The Geisha variety is often the champion in coffee green bean competitions. Whether in terms of flavor or coffee taste, it deeply fascinates people. This is one of the reasons why Geisha coffee is unforgettable and famous. Furthermore, Geisha coffee beans receive excellent ratings above 90 points in the specialty coffee category, making it no simple matter to find top-tier Geisha coffee beans on the market.

What is Geisha Coffee?

Geisha is also called "Geisha coffee" because its pronunciation is similar to the Japanese word for geisha. Compared to Blue Mountain coffee, Hawaiian coffee, and Mandheling coffee, Geisha coffee has richer and more diverse floral and fruit aromas, with distinct layers of intense sweetness from tropical fruits. In the eyes of coffee connoisseurs, Geisha is undoubtedly a deserved goddess. Many people are captivated by its bright and complex floral and fruit aromas, multi-layered high-sweetness fruit notes, and delicate, soft acidity.

This variety was discovered in 1931 from the Geisha forest in Ethiopia. Afterwards, Geisha was sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya, introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, brought to Costa Rica in 1953, and introduced to Panama in 1970. Initially, not many people paid attention to Geisha, until Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda separated it from other varieties in 2003 and it became the BOP competition champion in 2004.

It was then that the Geisha variety truly entered everyone's spotlight. Although the Geisha variety's flavor is exquisite, such elegant flavor comes from specific growing conditions. The Geisha variety is quite particular about its growing environment, requiring cultivation in high-altitude areas with cloud cover or extensive shade from trees, and fertile soil. High-altitude Geisha variety coffee exhibits distinct floral aromas and refined, elegant fruit acidity. Such elegant flavor is also one of the reasons for its global popularity.

After becoming famous, the Geisha variety gained attention from coffee-producing countries worldwide, which began introducing it for cultivation. However, to produce delicious Geisha coffee, it must be planted in high-altitude regions with rich soil that can create significant temperature differences between day and night, in consistently warm areas.

In Panama, the best Geisha must be grown at altitudes above 1700m. Some estates like Hacienda La Esmeralda's Red Label and Green Label grade Geisha coffee beans are all planted in areas above 1700m, while other estates plant Geisha at altitudes of 1700-1950m, such as the renowned Elida Estate.

What are the characteristics of Geisha varieties grown in Panama?

FrontStreet Coffee often mentions in many articles that coffee, as an agricultural product, its flavor expression is always closely related to factors such as variety, climate, altitude, soil, and management. It is a natural and authentic expression of the variety and local terroir, while post-processing methods and roasting should maximize the preservation, restoration, and presentation of their most authentic flavors. Therefore, Geisha's excellence is inseparable from the coordination of the above factors.

Compared to other Arabica varieties, the Geisha variety not only has lower fruit yield but also particularly fragile plants and is quite demanding about growing conditions. It requires high altitude, fertile soil, and cloud cover or plant shade - it cannot be directly exposed to harsh sunlight. Geisha coffee trees have very thin leaf systems, meaning photosynthesis efficiency is quite low, and their root systems are fragile, with slow absorption of water and nutrients. Therefore, coffee production is very low, and combined with high-altitude growing conditions, fruit maturation time is also relatively late. A Geisha coffee tree yields only half as much fruit as a Caturra tree, which is one of the reasons why Geisha is so precious.

The "discoverer" of Geisha, the owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda, once said that the estate needs numerous shade trees to protect the delicate Geisha from direct sunlight, and traditional pruning methods must be used during early planting, otherwise the plants are prone to death. Geisha planted at higher altitudes has longer fruit maturation times, resulting in more complex and unique flavor expressions. Geisha fruits must be harvested at the most appropriate level of ripeness and immediately undergo post-processing. This presents a great challenge to the estate owner's professional judgment and the estate's labor quality; failing to grasp the right timing will lead to quality degradation and waste.

Why is Geisha coffee so expensive?

Its extremely low production is just one excuse for its high price. What truly fascinates people is Geisha's unique and alluring coffee flavor, which is the most important reason for its exceptional preciousness. Geisha needs to be harvested at the most appropriate moment of ripeness and immediately undergo careful extraction and drying processing.

For example, the high price of Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda is due to several factors: first, Hacienda La Esmeralda was the earliest discoverer of Geisha; second, Geisha has been a consecutive BOP competition winner; third, it established its own quality system. However, the most expensive Geisha coffee beans from Hacienda La Esmeralda must be purchased through auctions, and such beans are called competition grades.

The price changes of Hacienda La Esmeralda's competition-grade Geisha coffee: In 2004, $21/pound; in 2006, $50.25/pound; in 2007, $130/pound; in 2010, $170.2/pound. By 2017, at the Panama Specialty Coffee auction, a batch of natural-processed Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda reached an astonishing price of $601/pound, meaning one kilogram of green beans cost as much as 8,900 RMB.

The Emerald Red Label and Emerald Green Label Geisha coffee that we can purchase are directly available without going through auctions, so their prices are relatively much more affordable. Geisha coffee prices vary in different regional estates/coffee shops (due to different procurement costs). At FrontStreet Coffee stores, a cup of Emerald Estate Red Label Geisha currently sells for 75 RMB, a cup of Emerald Estate Green Label Geisha sells for 60 RMB, and there is also a Geisha from the Boquete region of Panama (not specified to a particular estate) that sells for 30 RMB per cup.

Geisha Pour-Over Coffee Brewing Suggestions

FrontStreet Coffee's coffee beans are shipped within 5 days after roasting is completed, so friends should not rush to drink the coffee beans after receiving them. You can first let the beans rest - keep them sealed in their original packaging in a cool, dry place for 3-4 days after the roasting date. This way, the brewed Geisha coffee will be more delicious!

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha coffee bean brewing parameter recommendations: Filter cone: V60 #01, Coffee dose: 15g, Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15, Brewing water temperature: 90-91°C, Grind size: Medium-fine grind (80% pass-through rate with #20 standard sieve).

The recommended brewing method is three-stage pouring: Start the timer, use 30g of water for the first stage bloom for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, begin the second stage with a small stream of water in a circular motion until reaching 125g. When the coffee liquid level in the filter drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, begin the third stage with a small stream of water in a circular motion until reaching 225g, then stop pouring. When all the coffee liquid from the filter has flowed into the server, remove the filter cone to finish extraction. The total extraction time for Geisha coffee beans is typically between 2 minutes 10 seconds and 2 minutes 20 seconds.

Pour-over Emerald Red Label Geisha coffee tastes of fresh jasmine, citrus, and tropical fruit acidity, with flavor layers that change as the temperature varies. The overall mouthfeel is smooth, with a pleasant tea-like aftertaste.

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more premium coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: qjcoffeex

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