Geisha (coffee)

An overview look at a coffee farm

Geisha coffee, sometimes referred to as Gesha coffee,^[1] is a variety of coffee tree that originated in the Gori Gesha Forest, Ethiopia, though it is grown in several other nations such as Colombia.^[2] It is widely known for its unique flavor profile of floral and sweet notes, its high selling price, and its exclusivity as its demand has increased over the years.^[1]

While there are many varieties labeled gesha (or geisha), the Panamanian Geisha has a distinct and verifiable genetic fingerprint.^[3][4][5] After its discovery in Ethiopia, it was sent to the research station in Tanzania. In 1953 it was taken to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Costa Rica and recorded as ascension T2722. From there, CATIE distributed it throughout Central America. It was in Panama, in 2005 that was entered into the Best Of Panama competition by the Peterson family of Boquete, Panama. It won the competition and sold at a record price of $350/pound,^[5] that record price has repeatedly been broken since then.^[6]

History[]

Coffee production in Ethiopia dates back dozens of centuries^[specify].^{[citation needed]} Ethiopia is the world's main storehouse of genetic diversity for Arabica coffee, and this diversity is manifest in the chemicals that produce flavour. Ethiopia has a complex climate and landscape, resulting in regional and local differences across the coffee growing landscape.^[1] The Geisha variety of Coffea arabica was identified in the 1930s, in the mountainous Geisha region of southwestern Ethiopia.^[7] After seeds were collected in 1936 by a British consul, the coffee was planted in Tanzania and Costa Rica. From there, cultivation spread to Panama in the 1960s, including the famed Boquete region.^[7]

Growing and Processing[]

Geisha coffee begins with the process of picking the ripest cherries. Producers prefer hand-picked cherries as it increases the labor costs.^{[citation needed]} The riper the cherry means the resulting coffee will have a sweeter flavor profile. The cherries then go through quality inspection. Some producers have the technology to put their cherries into a machine that deciphers the quality of the cherries. Some smaller producers have workers sort through the picked cherries by hand. The cherries are processed either by means of wet or dry methods. Washed coffees are generally considered^{[weasel words]} to be ‘cleaner’ and more delicate in the cup (i.e. during drinking), lighter-bodied, and with a brighter, better-defined acidity and brighter fruit notes. Washed coffees are also often said to be more balanced (i.e. lacking particularly strong tasting notes or biases). Dry-processed (natural) coffees tend to be fuller-bodied, fruitier, sweeter and less acidic, although in some cases the acidity is more pronounced and easier to define.^[1]

After those methods are complete, the producers end with a Geisha coffee bean.^[1]

Flavor Profile[]

The flavor profile of Geisha coffee is one aspect that contributes to its renown. Geisha is known for its sweet flavor and aroma of floral notes, jasmine, chocolate, honey, and even black tea.^[8][9] These sweet floral notes, and complex flavor profiles are some of the many characteristics that Geisha coffee shares with most other African coffees.^[10] Additionally, this unique flavor is also one of the contributing factors for Geisha's high price tag and prestige. Whilst it may be difficult to pinpoint a flavour profile to any specific coffee area, the differences between (and even identification of) many of the coffee areas can be made by experienced coffee tasters (cuppers).^[11] Gesha is the home of the world-famous Gesha (Geisha) coffee, and this origin is now starting to produce its own very high quality washed, semi-washed, and dry-processed coffees. Gesha (Geisha) coffee grown within and outside Ethiopia (e.g. in Panama) is noted for its outstanding aroma and flavour, with notes of jasmine, black tea, and tropical fruit, and for profound sweetness. For these reasons, Gesha (Geisha) coffee is sought-after and usually commands a high price.^[1]

Sales & Auction prices[]

The Best of Panama Coffee Competition has a long-standing reputation for having high dollar coffee at auction, which is where Geisha asserted itself as one of the world's highest costing coffees. This occurred in 2004 when Hacienda La Esmeralda entered the coffee into the competition where it was found to have a distinctly unusual taste before being purchased at auction for a record price of $21 per pound.^[12] 15 years later at the same Best of Panama Competition and Auction, another Geisha sold for $1,029 per pound (unroasted).^[13] Earning the nickname "Elida Natural Geisha 1029," this Geisha was produced on the Lamastus Family Estates.^[13] 100 pounds of Geisha coffee sold for $100,000, ranking above the next closest coffee by $80,000. Geisha is perhaps the most valuable coffee in the world.^[14]

External links[]

• World Coffee Research Varieties Catalog: Geisha

References[]