Light Roast Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations: Panama Geisha Coffee That Will Captivate You Irresistibly

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Introduction to Geisha Coffee by FrontStreet Coffee

The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia and then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania. Costa Rica introduced it in 1953, and Panama began growing Geisha coffee in the 1970s when Mr. Francisco Serracin from the Tumba七 Agricultural Estate obtained seeds from CATIE in Costa Rica. Due to its extremely low yield and the need to participate in bidding, this coffee bean can be said to be hard to come by.

In 1931, it was quietly exported from Geisha Mountain in southwestern Ethiopia (coincidentally with the same pronunciation as the Japanese word for geisha) to Kenya, then traveled through Tanzania and Costa Rica. In the 1960s, it was transplanted to Panama, where it endured for nearly half a century before suddenly rising to fame, defeating perennial champions like Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and Typica varieties. It swept the first prizes in the Panama National Treasure Bean Cupping Competition in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In 2007, Geisha won again at the International Premium Bean Cupping Competition hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), with a bidding price of $130 per pound, setting a record high price for competition beans.

Legend has it that Geisha was merely the byproduct of Panama's world-class Hacienda La Esmeralda, not the main variety. This was because it produced few flowers and poor fruit harvests, resulting in naturally low theoretical economic value. It was relegated to the windiest corner of the estate to serve as a windbreak, protecting other high-yield varieties. In other words, it played what we commonly call a supporting role.

The turning point came from a strong curiosity. The son of the estate owner, Peterson, wanted to determine which variety in his home was "the strongest" and conducted a cupping of all the coffees on the property. The results were shocking: the supporting role Geisha defeated all opponents with its explosive citrus, honey, and jasmine floral aromas, proving to everyone who the true leading lady was.

As an American financier, Peterson keenly recognized that he was holding an invaluable treasure. Thus, he carefully cultivated and devoted himself to research, developing the originally scarce Geisha trees into a plot large enough for commercial sales. In 2004, Peterson brought La Esmeralda Geisha to the Best of Panama competition, where all judges were amazed by its flavors reminiscent of earl grey tea and citrus soda! Not only did La Esmeralda win decisively, but it also won championships for four consecutive years from 2004 to 2007! Besides winning championships, La Esmeralda Geisha also set a record-breaking auction price of $21 per pound that year, leading the third wave of specialty coffee.

About FrontStreet Coffee

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research institute that enjoys sharing knowledge about coffee with everyone. We share without reservation simply to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three low-discount coffee activities every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473