What is Geisha Coffee Bean? Discover Why Panama Produces the Best

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Geisha Coffee

Geisha coffee beans journeyed unnoticeably in 1931 from the Geisha Mountain in southwestern Ethiopia to Kenya, then roamed through Tanzania and Costa Rica. In the 1960s, they were eventually transplanted to Panama. After enduring nearly half a century of obscurity, they suddenly rose to fame, defeating the long-standing champions such as Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and Typica varieties, sweeping the first prize in the Panama National Bean Cupping Competition for three consecutive years in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Due to its extremely low yield, this bean is truly hard-won. In 2007, Geisha once again won the championship at the International Famous Bean Cupping Competition hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), with a bidding price of $130 per pound, setting the highest price record for competition beans in history.

Geisha green coffee beans possess a beautiful blue-green color with a jade-like warm texture. They smell of fresh grass, peach, berries, and the unique milky sweetness characteristic of oolong tea that most coffee beans lack.

Floral notes, tropical fruits, and intense sweetness—these are the sensations that Geisha has always brought us. With proper roasting, they offer an experience akin to sipping the fragrance of a fresh bouquet of flowers.

The dry aroma of Geisha is remarkably bright and elevated, characterized by rose and jasmine fragrances, with hints of pomelo and citrus. Light roasting reveals nutty aromas; the wet aroma also features hazelnut notes while bringing out more floral characteristics.

In terms of flavor profile, the initial stage may seem somewhat reserved compared to the elevated aroma mentioned earlier. As it cools slightly, the floral and fruit flavors gradually intensify with the decreasing temperature, and the cold aroma is exceptionally outstanding (with notes of sweet dried fruits, rose hips, orange glaze, strawberry jam, hints of pine, cherry, vanilla, and gradually fading rose notes, yielding lemon-like fruitiness). The reason Geisha coffee is so popular is that it scores over 90 points in the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scoring system.

"It possesses an incredible fragrance, almost perfumed, with rose, jasmine, and bergamot aromas," stated Willem Boot. "The coffee's exquisite taste and persistent aftertaste are unforgettable. You can taste lime, honey, and papaya—the fruit flavors are deep and rich."

Since 2004, coffee from Panama's La Esmeralda estate has won awards 13 times in various cupping competitions. At the 2013 Best of Panama auction, La Esmeralda's natural process coffee fetched a price of $350.25 per pound. These coffee beans are extremely rare, making them highly sought-after and a must-try for coffee enthusiasts.

In Brief

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