Nav: Home > Coffee >

One of the Top Ten Best Tasting Coffee Beans - How to Enjoy the Famous Boutique Geisha Coffee

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Geisha Coffee Introduction: In the late 9th century, new immigrants brought coffee cultivation technology to Panama. From 1994 to 1995, the international coffee market was sluggish, partly due to weak international raw bean prices, and partly because people had already signaled their demand for high-quality coffee, with boutique

Coffee beans and brewing equipment

FrontStreet Coffee's Introduction to Geisha Coffee

In the late 19th century, new immigrants brought coffee cultivation techniques to Panama.

From 1994 to 1995, the international coffee market experienced a downturn. This was due to two factors: first, the weak international prices of raw beans, and second, the emerging demand for high-quality coffee, which gradually shaped the specialty coffee market. Consequently, the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP) was established. The "Best of Panama (BOP)" competition, independently organized by SCAP, successfully created the image of premium beans and rapidly established Panama's reputation and foundation for producing excellent coffee.

Panama coffee is famous for the Geisha variety from Hacienda La Esmeralda, and the region where this estate is located is also quite renowned: the Boquete region in Chiriqui province. Boquete is a town in Chiriqui province, situated near the border between Panama and Costa Rica, close to the famous Baru volcano. With its beautiful scenery, rich and fertile soil, and climate ideal for producing high-quality coffee, Boquete offers perfect conditions for coffee cultivation.

The first owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda was Rudolph A. Peterson, who purchased the estate in Panama to spend his retirement years. Unexpectedly, his casual efforts bore remarkable fruit when the coffee trees on the estate produced beans that he submitted to a coffee competition, achieving overnight fame by winning the national championship at the 2004 Panama Specialty Coffee Competition. The estate's Geisha variety and its record-breaking auction prices have given Hacienda La Esmeralda worldwide recognition.

Hacienda La Esmeralda is divided into four brands:

First, Esmeralda Special: This is the estate's own independent auction, featuring exclusively Geisha varieties categorized by production area, with each area further subdivided into small batches for auction. Only Geisha batches that the estate offers for independent auction can use the Esmeralda Special name. Since 2013, Esmeralda Special has had nine batches.

Second, Geisha Boquete: This consists of Geisha varieties that are not part of independent auctions. It is created by blending high-quality beans from various production areas that don't participate in auctions but still maintain excellent quality. However, these are still Geisha varieties.

Third, Diamond Mountain: This represents the estate's traditional varieties, cultivated in the Cañas Verdes and Jaramillo regions at altitudes between 1,400-1,700 meters. The coffee exhibits complex flavors with distinct chocolate and spice notes. The coffee produced here has received "environmentally friendly" Rain Forest Alliance certification.

Fourth, Palmyra: This belongs to the estate's commercial coffee grade, grown at altitudes between 1,100-1,250 meters. The acidity is not overly stimulating, with distinct nutty sweetness and vanilla chocolate flavors. This variety accounts for 70% of the estate's total production.

Despite its expensive price, Geisha coffee continues to attract many coffee enthusiasts who want to experience it. The flavor and mouthfeel of Geisha coffee are delicate and charming, and it should be tasted following proper cupping procedures.

Knowledge Point: The reason Geisha is more precious than gold is due to its extremely low production volume and the requirement to participate in auctions. Therefore, obtaining Geisha green beans is exceptionally challenging.

In Summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a research-focused coffee house dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, hoping to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three low-discount coffee events each month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price—this has been our mission for the past six years!