Geisha
Information
A Sweet aromatic cup with fruity citrus acidity and wonderful floral notes with a touch of tangerine
Farm: Lot The Geisha – Finca La Hermosa
Processing: Fully Washed and dried on patio
Farm Size: 180 Hectares (445 Acres)
Total Production: 1,000 46kg (103lbs) bags of Parchment
Altitude: 6,500ft (1,980mts) above sea level
Rainfall: 1500 a 1800mm (60-70 inches) per year
Water supply: Finca La Hermosa has three springs and a River “Rio del Carmen”
Shade Trees: Grabileas (95%) and Chalúm (5%)
Owner: Max Fernando Pérez Ríos
Town/City: Aldea los Planes, Acatenango, Chimaltenango
Region: Acatenango Valley
Package: Grain Pro – a multi-layer plastic bag made to preserve freshness and aroma for longer keeping our coffees at their best.
Farm History:
“Finca La Hermosa” is the name of the most recently acquired farm, which used to be part of the immense Finca La Colina; the coffee pioneer in the municiple of Acatenango, Chimaltenango.
Finca La Colina was previously owned by Mr. Mateo Mejia Mazariegos, who won various national and international awards for his excellent coffee. La Colina was the first farm to have both wet and dry mills at beneficio “La Providencia”. Once the farm was split into different working sections it had both at beneficios “El Socorro”, “Palo Verde”, and “Platanar”, among others.
Subsequently, the farm was then split into five working sections: La Colina, San Miguel, El Pensativo, El Carmen and San Mateo. All these divisions are within the municiple of Acatenango neighbouring the towns of San Antonio Nejapa and Los Planes.
In 1950 Mr. Mateo Mejia passed ownership of “San Mateo” to his son Jose Maria Mejia Monzon. After just, seven years running the farm, Jose handed the reins to his son, Carlos Mejia, who successfully managed the farm until 2002. At this point, San Mateo was split further into four by his four children, Carlos Humberto Mejía, Thelma Mejía, Virginia Mejía, and Manuel Mejía.
In 2010, at the young age of 26, Max Fernando Perez Rios acquired the four parts of the farm and reunited it to what is now known as “Finca La Hermosa”. Max Perez, who himself is the third generation of coffee farmer descending from Huehuetenengo, grew up on his family’s coffee farms. He now manages every process at Finca La Hermosa, from the coffee nursery and the planting of new varietals, to the harvest, the wet milling and the sun drying on patios, finally the selection of the parchment and the packaging at the farm. This ensures Max knows every step of the process for every crop, so that the highest quality is assured.
Cupping Notes
Coffee Growers – Supporting direct trade
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Panama Esmeralda Private Collection Geisha
About Panama Esmeralda Private Collection Geisha
New crop arrived September 2017, vacuum packaged.
Panama Esmeralda Private Collection Geisha represents a great bargain in one of the world's most expensive and sought after coffees -Hacienda La Esmeralda Special - which is sold only through an privately held, international auction for roasters. Each year for the past several years, Hacienda Esmeralda has held a private auction of their prized Geisha varietal, each Esmeralda Special lot coming from a specific plot of land on their farm. Altogether there is not much coffee, only about 20,000 pounds, which must fill a big demand from all corners of the world (this may sound like a lot but is only half of one shipping container). Competition for the coffee is fierce and prices go very high. This year a new world price record was set for a natural process lot attaining $601 a pound! Without considering this record price most of the auctioned coffee is in the $50 to $200 range and needs to be at least twice that by the time it roasted and sold. Esmeralda can go for $5 to $20 when sold by the cup.
Fortunately, for the past few years Esmeralda has released their "second coffee", the 100% Panama Esmeralda Private Collection Geisha. As in the wine world where the second wine of the very top chateaux are fabulous wines in their own right, still costly but a relative bargain. Lafite-Rothschild has its Lafite Rothschild Carruades de Lafite; Chateau Latour its Les Forts de Latour. These wines would be great in anyone's book, but they are withheld, often for a tiny detail, from being in the rarified top lot. The same holds true for Esmeralda Private Collection Geisha. This is a wonderful coffee, exhibiting much of the same lovely jasmine, floral and lemony tones witnessed in the auction lots but at less than the price.
There is only a very limited supply of this coffee too. It comes from alll of the growing plots on the Hacienda Esmeralda farm which range in altitude from 1450 to 1800 meters (4750 to 5910 feet). At this price , Panama Esmeralda Private Collection Geisha may not casually seem a bargain, but it is considerably less than half the price of its sibling and almost the same taste experience. We really feel that the Geisha varietal is well represented in this coffee and that you will thoroughly enjoy it.
Naturally, every detail of growing and processing has been done at the farm to produce this fine, washed coffee. The finished green beans just arrived at our roasting plant in vacuum packaging ready for us to take it the rest of the way in roasting it for you.
Cup Characteristics: Very lush and delicate sweet floral notes, especially Jasmine and coffee blossom, with pronounced lemon-lime citrus acidity. Generously fruit filled and light candy flavors. Soft, lush, refined and light chocolate mouthfeel. A coffee with obvious pedigree and extremely approachable.
Roasting Notes: Keep it light and we recommend pulling this roast just after first crack. Depending on the roaster you use and its controls, it it good to ramp up quickly. On a Behmor, this means P1. This will best preserve the delicate Geisha citrus and fruit flavors, which can be masked if roasted darker.
Panama coffee facts:
Population (2006): 1.3 million people
Coffee Production: 180,000 bags (60 kg)
Country bag capacity: 132 pounds - 60 kg
Domestic Consumption: 80,000 bags
Coffee Export: 100,000 bags
Cultivated Area: 26,000 Hectares (64,200 acres)
Harvests: October - February
Arabica Introduced: Arabica was imported from Costa Rica in 1820.
Specialty Coffee Regions: Boquete near Volcan Baru, Chiriqui.
Grades: Strictly Hard Bean (SHB), HB.
Farms: About 30,000 farms.
Botanical Varietals: Typica, Caturra, Gesha.
Panama is a rising star in the specialty coffee world. In the Boquete in particular, farmers are taking Arabica coffee cultivation to new levels and recent auctions of small, specialty lots have garnered record, if not silly, prices. Nonetheless, some of the coffee is excellent. Gesha, a varietal that stems from Ethiopia, has been grown here with good success, yet other cultivars noted above, can produce superb results.
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Geisha coffee costs a lot of beans
By Michelle Locke, Associated Press
Posted: 01/25/13, 1:26 PM EST | Updated: on 01/25/2013
Still think a $5 latte at Starbucks is over the top? Hold on, because now there’s an even pricier cuppa Joe to get buzzed about.
These days caffeine fiends are all atwitter about Geisha beans, a high-end coffee so rare and prized it’s being sold for $7 a cup. That’s a lot of dough for a straight up cup of Joe, but worth it say fans of the beans which come from low-producing plants that grow only in certain areas.
“It’s got unique aromatics. It’s just rich with tropical fruits. It’s got tremendous brightness in the cup — sweet and just super interesting stuff,” says Ric Rhinehart, executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, based in Long Beach, Calif. “Coffee people are just in love with it.”
The beans emerged on the market about seven years ago and quickly got the attention of high-end roasters and coffee connoisseurs. Now, the coffee has moved toward the mainstream, being offered at Starbucks and sold by the pound by major companies, including Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee, which recently introduced its Colombia Geisha Special Reserve coffee as part of its line of rare and premium beans.
Just don’t expect this to become an everyday blend, says Lindsay Bolger, director of coffee for Green Mountain Coffee. “It can’t because it’s limited and obviously we’re not going to be able to carry it year-round,” she says. But when you “really are seeking a very singular, very unique, very rarefied experience with your coffee, this is such a wonderful and convenient way to bring that to coffee lovers.
Geisha beans originated in the Gesha (no “i’’) district of Ethiopia, hence the name. There’s no literal connection to the elegant Japanese hostesses, although Bolger sees a figurative affinity in that the coffee is “very delicate, pure, the flavor expression is refined, graceful, very lovely.”
The plant was taken to Central America at some point and became a sensation during the last decade after a Panamanian farm, Hacienda La Esmeralda, offered the beans at auction.
James Freeman, founder of Blue Bottle Coffee, a small, upscale chain based in the San Francisco Bay area — it also has outlets in New York City — was among those who were impressed with Geisha coffee when it first emerged. The company now sells tins of beans as well as brewed coffee for around $7 a cup.
“We’re getting a lot of great feedback about how distinctive it is,” Freeman says. “A good Geisha is very much unlike any other coffee that you’ve ever had, so it’s very memorable. It’s not a subtle thing for connoisseurs only.”
Why the high price tag? Not only does the Geisha plant produce relatively few beans, it’s also very sensitive to soils and climate. Plant it in one spot and it’s special, try another and it’s just ordinary coffee, says Bolger. “It requires just the right conditions and it requires very careful handling.”
At Green Mountain, the Columbia Geisha is being sold in 18-count boxes of K-cup packs at $31.99, which works out to about $1.80 per cup. Blue Bottle is selling 150-gram tins at $25, with each tin producing 8 to 10 servings.
The quest for super premium coffees mirrors what’s been going on in other parts of the food world, such as the revival of heirloom tomatoes, says Rhinehart. “We’re always looking for unique flavors or exceptional qualities.”
What Freeman likes about the Geisha trend is that consumers are recognizing the name and getting interested in the concept of searching out different types of beans. “It’s making people pay attention,” he says. “It’s not a 99-cent thing that comes out of a tap.”
Geisha
There is no other coffee quite like it. It is an extremely aromatic coffee, which you notice as soon as the water hits the cup – you can detect the sweet floral, citrus blossom, jasmine and sweet honey fragrances immediately.
A bergamot-like finish and a distinct though delicate acidity are typical for its cup profile.
Ric Rhinehart, a professional coffee cupper, owner of Groundwork Coffee Co. and head of the SCAA summed up the experience of judging the Esmeralda Special at the 2006 Best of Panama as follows: “This cup not only had flavors that matched the aroma in intensity and complexity, but added in a perfectly attenuated acidity, solid body and an overall sweetness that made for what may be the most complete cup of coffee I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.”
Geoff Watts, green buyer for Intelligentsia: When he tasted Esmeralda Especial, the coffee was so aromatic, he said he felt as if streams of light were pouring out of it.
Don Holly, quality control manager for Green Mountain Coffee in Vermont, at the 2006 Best of Panama: “I am the least religious person here and when I tasted this coffee I saw the face of God in a cup”.
Some call Panama the birthplace of the Geisha coffee. Well, the bean of course did not originate there, but Panama is definitely the place where it was commercially grown for the first time, made known to the world and where, at least for now, it found its perfect home.
The Geisha varietal was introduced to Panama by Don Pachi in the 1960’s, back then an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture, who brought it from Costa Rica as a varietal with resistance to leave rust and shared it with his neighbors. The resulting trees however, with their low yield and mediocre taste were considered a flop.
But then the varietal got the chance to really show what it can do, by being planted and grown at high altitude (about 1.600 mts and up) and in a climate and in soil that would later turn out to provide its perfect home. It began to call the attention of judges and other international coffee connoisseurs, for the first time at the 2004 Best of Panama competition, and continues to surprise ever since, with a flavor and an aroma profile so different from anything else coming out of Central or Latin America.
More and more farmers are starting to grow Geisha coffee on their Fincas. Due to the before mentioned multitude of micro climates the variety in taste and aroma profiles of different Geishas produced in Panama is amazing.
The Geisha plant is very elegant – it grows very tall and with elongated leaves, cherries and beans.
Fact is – the Geisha varietal is a truly astounding coffee!
Geisha, Panama’s Best Coffee—and Why I Didn’t Drink It
When I heard about award-winning Geisha, Panama’s best coffee—which is one of the best/most expensive in the world—I really thought I wanted to try it.
So, while in Boquete, known for its climate and fertile soil that’s ideal for coffee growing, I considered several tours. I then settled on one with Café Ruiz, one of the oldest coffee estates there that offers this hard-to-grow premium coffee.
As expected, I enjoyed the tour; I found the coffee process—all of it and not just about Geisha itself—quite fascinating. But what I didn’t expect was that I would find my tour guide, Carlos, even more interesting.
Meet Carlos—a Local Ngobe
He’s not just a local, but an indigenous man. A Ngobe. And one who loves what he does for a living.
As he showed me around, we got to know each other in Spanish and in English. I mentioned to him that I’d volunteered, the day before, at the local Volcancito School in Boquete—one that serves underprivileged Ngobe children.
We talked about the fact that many of the children walk for close to an hour to get to school and are happy when they get a simple breakfast of hot farina. I recalled how sweet and eager to learn they were—and how I wished I could have done more as a volunteer.
“I was one one them,” Carlos told me. His Ngobe family struggled. In fact, when he was 12, he had to work while going to school. And it wasn’t for extra money; he had no choice; they needed the money.
So what sort of work did he do?
He picked coffee beans. At Café Ruiz.
It was a grueling job, based on how he described it. Standing in the relentless sun, getting cut up by the plants, bitten by insects, etc. Fortunately, he worked in all the other stages of the process and eventually advanced to his current job, that of a tour guide—which he obviously enjoys and excels at.
In between conversations about coffee cultivation and the rest of the process—its many and intricate steps—he explained that he was able to finish school and to educate himself, too. I’m not sure if he went to college or to tourism school (he probably did); his English was very good, he was super knowledgeable about coffee and he gave a fantastic tour.
So…back to the story.
There I was, enjoying myself—and feeling psyched about wanting to try the Geisha coffee. After the tour (which included a coffee tasting experience) concluded, Carlos walked me over to the coffee bar.
(By the way, we ran into 80-something year old Señor Ruiz, the owner, on our way. I was thrilled to meet him and have a chat in Spanish about coffee, etc.).
When we got there, I got my free bag of the basic Arabica coffee they give away as part of the tour price ($30, from what I recall). (Believe me, when I got home and tried it out in my French press, I was quite pleased.)
Geisha—$9 a cup
I now stood there, checking out coffee price list–the “coffees of the day.” Geisha, of course, was on the list.
For $9 a cup. (I didn’t even ask the price for a small bag of beans—fuggedabout it!)
Ouch, I thought. That’s big bucks for a small cup of java. But then—it’s Panama’s best coffee and I should try it. I’m a coffee lover, after all.
“So, what’s the deal with the Geisha?” I asked Carlos. I truly respected his opinion; he was both knowledgeable and down to earth. No BS whatsoever (sadly, I do recall experiencing some with snarky foreigners who wanted me to take tours of their estates/farms.)
“Well, it’s good. Excellent. But if you’re a true coffee drinker, you might not like it.”
“Really? What’s it like?”
“It’s smooth–floral and citrusy. Good coffee for tea drinkers. ”
At this point, thinking about my budget, which I’d already blown several times on this particular trip, I wondered if I really needed a $9 cup of coffee. By the way, it was served in a tiny cup. Larger than what you’d get Turkish coffee in, but not much bigger.
“Which of the premium coffees on the list do you recommend?”
Berlina–at $3–a Better Deal?
“The Berlina. It’s excellent. Full-bodied with a hint of chocolate.”
“OK, then. I’ll try that.” I’m a chocolate lover anyway.
As an added bonus, I would be saving several dollars by skipping the Geisha and going for this alternative. And I knew what I was going to do with that money.
Just when Carlos was saying goodbye and walking away, I called him back.
Although I’m a low-budget backpacker, I do tip. And this was case where it was more than deserved.I gave him $5, and he was overjoyed and I so was I.
I then sat down and enjoyed the Berlina, which was great—just as he’d said. Not only was it flavorful, but it was truly satisfying to me personally.
To me, it was the best cup of coffee in Panama.
Your Thoughts/Experiences?
Have you taken any coffee tours in Panama or elsewhere? Did you try any of the premium/estate coffees? If so, how far did you go in terms of price? Did you try Geisha?
In my situation, would you—as a coffee lover—have tried Geisha and skipped the tip? Or done both? Just wondering….
If you’re interested in taking a tour with Cafe Ruiz, click here. (Note: I did not receive any compensation for writing this post. I simply enjoyed the tour, highly recommend Carlos and thus, wanted to share this story with you.)
To learn more about the Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca (tribe/reservation),click here.
It’s kind of sad they employ child labor. I know it’s a reality around the world, and it provided an opportunity for this boy who needed to work to support his family. Still, though, can’t help but be a little saddened by that harsh truth. Seems to me your tip money was well spent!
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Hi, Ava. I agree with you that the child labor situation is sad. I hate when I see kids working when they should be in school.
Thanks for your comment! I felt good about giving him the tip vs having the expensive coffee. It would have felt wrong otherwise…
CB Driver recently posted..Village in Sumatra (Photo of the Day) #Indonesia #photography
When I read CB Driver’s response, I finished her first sentence with “they should be playing.” And I’m a retired college professor. Ah well, different strokes….
Wow, $9 US for a cup of coffee and that is on location, I wonder what the Geisha goes for Europe? And to be honest, I thought the reason you didn’t drink it was because of the name before I read the post.
As a coffee drinker, I really still want to take a tour of a plantation, and after this post, I’ll make sure I am prepared to go over my budget….
stay adventurous, Craig
Craig Zabransky recently posted..The Morning March to the Tikal Temple Sunrise
Hola, Craig. Yeah, that’s some serious dinero for a small cup of coffee. In Europe, it would be $15 maybe. Yikes.
Funny re: the Geisha name…
Staying revved up on coffee, Lisa
Makes me wonder if the extra $6 for the Geisha would have even been worth the money. There must be some sort of threslhold on how much better a cup of coffee could actually be.
Glad you enjoyed your cup of joe
Annette | Bucket List Journey recently posted..Getting Bit By An Ostrich. Not on the Bucket List.
Hi, Annette. Funny re: the coffee taste threshold–love that! Wonder if it’s similar to fine wine….hmmm.
It’s really cool that you wrote about this because my group actually took the tour of the Ruiz plantation when we were in Boquete as well! We had Señor Ruiz’s grandson as our tour guide, instead of Carlos, and I believe that it was a more informal deal as we didn’t get free coffee or anything. (Though one of my friends ended up spending over $300 on Geisha coffee – at $70 a pound!) However, it was such a neat process! I can’t imagine working on a plantation like that, though – some of the paths look so steep and the thought of walking up and down them with pounds of coffee beans just makes me shudder!
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Hi, Sky. You took a tour of the same plantation? How cool! I can’t believe one of your friends spent that; wow, he/she must have loved it!
It is an interesting process, but I agree with you…cannot imagine working there. Looks like some serious toil!
Very interesting! I didn’t know there are all these kinds of coffee, even though I love coffee. Is there any way to find out whether these types of coffee are fairly traded? Do they still use child labor to pick them?
Hi, Martha. I think there are ways to find out, but I’m not sure how exactly. As for the child labor issue, that’s really tricky. I think one could see it while visiting one of the places. I didn’t notice any kids at Cafe Ruiz, but it was early in the day. Maybe, if they work there, they arrive later… Let’s hope they don’t work there at all (although it’s possible since Carlos did.) Sadly, it’s common in many countries.
Hello CBDriver/martha and everyone.
Sorry for joining this late,
I absolutely love the fact that people all around the world are very interested in learning more about coffee and the way it’s processed.
It’s important to know about the whole journey a coffee-bean does before it’s ready for drinking.
quote: “I think there are ways to find out”
I hope I can help you with some questions.
Café Ruiz does not have Child Labour. There are rules for kids if they want to work in Café Ruiz, which are:
– they have to be over 14 years old.
– they HAVE to be on school vacations (3 months in Panamanian school system)
– they have to be accompanied by their parents/people officialy responsable during harvest time.
– and very important : of one’s own free will: they are not being forced.
– they choose freely if they want to work
All the Coffee of Café Ruiz is being traded fairly.
Did Cafe Ruiz certify “Fair Trade” ? no – simply because it’s very expensive for a small coffee company to pay high yearly fees.
remember: In Panama every Coffee Grower is independent and stands on his own. In other countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador etc.) coffee industry is managed by the state or by coops which have a yearly budget for certifications, publicity etc.
Hope I could help.
Hi, Joshua–thanks for sharing this info! Are you someone in the Cafe Ruíz family? Grandson of Sr. Ruíz?
People are definitely interested in coffee–me included. I loved the tour I went on. I’m so glad that there is no child labor, etc. and those who do work there have to be on vacation from school, etc.
I can imagine fair trade is expensive.
Yes, I’m Mr. Plinios Grandson.
I just finished an internship at Café Ruiz. That’s why the whole information is still “fresh”
I was googleing about coffee tours in Panama and came across this blog, which I really liked. I thought I could answer some questions down in the comments-area.
I also participated in Carlos Coffee Tour and gave Tours myself.
It’s very nice to find blogs and websites with positive experiences about Café Ruiz coffee tour.
If you have any questions I’m glad to answer some
Hi, Joshua. Nice to meet you! Now I understand how you found my blog, etc. So you also went on Carlos’ tour and gave some yourself? Very cool.
Thanks for stopping by.
What a lovely open-minded post! We also heard great things about Carlos when we were in Boqueste but we didn’t take his tour. We’ve toured a dozen coffee fincas/beneficios and just couldn’t justify $30 each for another one….Let along $9 for a cup of Geisha! Glad to read that Carlos’ tour lives up to expectations.
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Thanks, Karen. Glad you liked it! Carlos was wonderful. But I hear you re: the price of these tours. I checked out a bunch of them before I chose this one. And I’m glad I didn’t drink the Geisha. That was just too much!
A coffee for tea drinkers – that sounds like something I’d enjoy, though for $9 a cup maybe not…
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Hi, Audrey. Yes, that $9 did sound like a lot. I do wonder, sometimes, what Geisha tastes like…
Geisha can also be spelled gesha. 9.00 a cup sounds right for gesha. It is my favorite varietal. If you do not drink specialty coffee or have spent time refining your pallet it might not be worth it. Geshas are prized for their floral characteristics, fruit acids, and sweetness. There are many micro roster who sell fto certified coffee.
Hi, I did the same tour in December 2011. It was an amazing tour, I enjoyed it so much. Although you probably don’t read Dutch, here are some photos: http://wp.me/p1BNhB-ev
I didn’t try the Geisha back then, although I don’t remember why not, but I found it a few days ago in a bar in the Netherlands. It was 4,50 EUR, for a huge cup, and it was indeed tea-like. I even asked the waiter if he was sure i was coffee 
Hi, Susan. Thanks for sharing your photos! Very cool seeing the beans in Carlos’s hand!
You tried the Geisha in the Netherlands? Interesting that it does taste a bit tea-like yet has tons of caffeine. I think that if I’m getting the caffeine punch, I might want the strong coffee flavor, too.
Maybe someday I will try it. PS: I tried the cat poop coffee in Indonesia. Kopi luwak. That was quite wonderful!
Nice! Wonder what that one tastes like? Maybe my coffee bar will sell it someday 😉
Coffee bar? Very cool!
Great post! On our stay in Boquete last December, we visited Cafetales Don Alfredo, a small ecological coffee plantation run by a guy who can only be described as an inventor. Our guide (Felix) was also a knowledgeable local. Don Alfredo grows about 40 different varieties (Geisha among them) and creates a blend that has come in as the second best coffee in Panama for a number of years. We were told that the light roast tastes more like tea but has the most caffeine, and we were able to roast some beans light, medium, and dark and taste the difference by chewing the beans. Seems the more they taste of coffee, the less caffeine they contain. It’s the marketing machine elsewhere in the world which then turns the whole thing on its head. The question of fair trade coffee is a difficult one. I bought 4 large packs at Don Alfredo’s plantation and I guess you can’t trade fairer than that! BTW our coffee sample (not pure Geisha) was free….
Thanks, Marc–glad you enjoyed it! I think I’ve heard of the other plantation. Sounds very cool. Interesting that the tea-like roasts have more caffeine and the more coffee-like ones have less. Hmmm. I wonder about Turkish coffee.
I hear you re: the marketing machine…and fair trade issues. Great that you bought some while there and that your samples were free. My basic samples, during the tour, were, too. It was only later when I wanted to hang out in the cafe that I had to pay.
Wow!! This is so funny. Until I read this story, I didn’t know that the name I would like to give my future daughter is the name of one of the most famous coffees from Panama… Well, it is good to know, but I’m not sure if I still want to call my baby Geisha.
That’s funny … Café Ruiz has a product line called “baby Geisha” –> the first crop of a Geisha plant when processed is called “Baby Geisha”
Baby Geisha? No way. That’s so cute.
PS: Are you a Geisha drinker? Or do you like a different coffee?
First of all, it’s a shame you didn’t try the Geisha; it’s incredible. But, $9 is way too steep. You should try to find it elsewhere in your travels and give it a whirl. I bought 200g of premium Geisha beans at one of Sydney’s finest roasters (Campos). It was $19.50. I can produce 8 400ml cups of drip coffee with 200g. So that’s about $2.50 cup.
Yes, $9 is a bit much. If I find it somewhere else, cheaper, I’ll definitely give it a try. Sounds like what you bought is reasonable.
Hi have tried this famous coffee in what I consider myself to be the best place in Paris for coffee enthusiasts. A cup of expresso was 5€, which is far bellow the (abnormal) price in Panama.
The coffee itself is extremely floral, with a dominant jasmin flavor which is unusual for coffee. As your guide said, it may be a great coffee for tea drinkers.
Hi, Baptiste, and thanks for sharing this. The way you described Geisha matches other descriptions I’ve read. I do believe it’s ideal for tea drinkers.
Maybe I’ll try it next time.
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When I walk into Starbucks and order a drink, I accept that I’m paying for more than just a beverage. Embedded in the price are the costs and economic premiums of a central location, comfy couches, and a relaxing atmosphere, and as a consumer, I’m generally satisfied with what I get for my money.
Still, every now and again the chain rolls out some new type of coffee that seems exorbitantly expensive, and this month’s new addition is a doozy, at 1,850 yen (US$18.30) for a single cup! But hold on, it’s called Geisha coffee? Well in that case, it sounds like a bargain! Time with Japan’s traditional entertainers usually isn’t anywhere near that cheap.
Actually, we’ve got some bad news for hardcore Japanophiles, but it’s also good news for coffee lovers. Geisha refers to the type of beans used, which are some of the rarest in the world.
The special beans were first found in the 1930s, growing in southwestern Kenya, in a region called Gesha, for which Geisha seems to have become an alternate spelling. Entrepreneurs took samples back to Costa Rica, and Panama later become a producer as well.
Geisha coffee is highly prized for its jasmine-like smell, as well as the nectarine and passion fruit notes present in its flavor. The beans are notoriously difficult to cultivate, though, regularly making them some of the most expensive in the coffee market.
For its premium coffee, Starbucks is using Panama Auromar Geisha beans, two-time winner of the award for Panama’s highest-quality brew. It’ll be available for a limited time at 48 Starbucks locations in Japan, in limited quantities, starting September 17.
Given its lofty price, we’re assuming most customers who opt for the Geisha coffee will pass on getting theirs to go, instead choosing to linger inside the shop over their pricy cup of java for as long as possible. For those who do want to enjoy it at home, though, you can of course still get your coffee to go, or pick up a 250-gram (8.8-ounce) bag of Geisha beans to brew at home for 10,000 yen.
We should also point out that neither of the two prices announced by Starbucks include Japan’s universal eight-percent sales tax. So if you do decide to splurge on Geisha coffee, you might want to bring some change along with your wad of cash.
Geisha
Information
A Sweet aromatic cup with fruity citrus acidity and wonderful floral notes with a touch of tangerine
Farm: Lot The Geisha – Finca La Hermosa
Processing: Fully Washed and dried on patio
Farm Size: 180 Hectares (445 Acres)
Total Production: 1,000 46kg (103lbs) bags of Parchment
Altitude: 6,500ft (1,980mts) above sea level
Rainfall: 1500 a 1800mm (60-70 inches) per year
Water supply: Finca La Hermosa has three springs and a River “Rio del Carmen”
Shade Trees: Grabileas (95%) and Chalúm (5%)
Owner: Max Fernando Pérez Ríos
Town/City: Aldea los Planes, Acatenango, Chimaltenango
Region: Acatenango Valley
Package: Grain Pro – a multi-layer plastic bag made to preserve freshness and aroma for longer keeping our coffees at their best.
Farm History:
“Finca La Hermosa” is the name of the most recently acquired farm, which used to be part of the immense Finca La Colina; the coffee pioneer in the municiple of Acatenango, Chimaltenango.
Finca La Colina was previously owned by Mr. Mateo Mejia Mazariegos, who won various national and international awards for his excellent coffee. La Colina was the first farm to have both wet and dry mills at beneficio “La Providencia”. Once the farm was split into different working sections it had both at beneficios “El Socorro”, “Palo Verde”, and “Platanar”, among others.
Subsequently, the farm was then split into five working sections: La Colina, San Miguel, El Pensativo, El Carmen and San Mateo. All these divisions are within the municiple of Acatenango neighbouring the towns of San Antonio Nejapa and Los Planes.
In 1950 Mr. Mateo Mejia passed ownership of “San Mateo” to his son Jose Maria Mejia Monzon. After just, seven years running the farm, Jose handed the reins to his son, Carlos Mejia, who successfully managed the farm until 2002. At this point, San Mateo was split further into four by his four children, Carlos Humberto Mejía, Thelma Mejía, Virginia Mejía, and Manuel Mejía.
In 2010, at the young age of 26, Max Fernando Perez Rios acquired the four parts of the farm and reunited it to what is now known as “Finca La Hermosa”. Max Perez, who himself is the third generation of coffee farmer descending from Huehuetenengo, grew up on his family’s coffee farms. He now manages every process at Finca La Hermosa, from the coffee nursery and the planting of new varietals, to the harvest, the wet milling and the sun drying on patios, finally the selection of the parchment and the packaging at the farm. This ensures Max knows every step of the process for every crop, so that the highest quality is assured.
Cupping Notes
Coffee Growers – Supporting direct trade
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New Starbucks Reserve: Panama Geisha Auromar – Available only at StarbucksStore.com
Tonight (April 9, 2013), I had the chance to attend a very special coffee event. Leslie Wolford, a Starbucks coffee master at the Starbucks headquarters, lead the seminar for the new Panama Geisha Auromar Reserve coffee. The supplies of this coffee are so limited, it will be an online offering only. Here’s the link for it at StarbucksStore.com. As you may recall from the last time I wrote about a Geisha varietal coffee, the trees are low yielding, and many farms don’t grow Geisha trees, so Geisha varietal beans are in short supply.
This new coffee hass hints of orange and mango, and is described as having some spice (‘bergamot’) flavor too. One person at tonight’s event described the finish of the coffee as having a little bit of an “earl grey” finish. This new Geisha coffee strikes me as a little more complex, and robust than the last one, and less juicy. I got a lot of the orange notes (and some floral notes) from the aroma of the beans. I definitely was able to detect orange flavor notes in the coffee, though the person next to me thought it was more spicy! The roast profile for the beans is still a fairly delicate and nearly-blonde roast so that that you can enjoy all origin flavors, and almost no flavors of the roast. By the way, notice in the photos, these beans are fairly large coffee beans.
For this new Reserve, the Panama Geisha is being sold in numbered half-pound bags. There are only 790 bags of this coffee. It comes from just 17 hectares of land in Panama, at an elevation of 5,100 feet. Starbucks sourced so little of this coffee that they roasted it all on March 26, 2013, and it was roasted actually at the Starbucks headquarters, rather than one of the large roasting facilities like the Kent Roasting Plant.
Starbucks suggests savoring this coffee on its own, rather than trying it with food. We tried it both Clover-brewed, and made with a pour over, and I liked them both, though enjoyed the Clover-brewed a little more.
If you want to buy this coffee, you should do so right away. Since there are only 790 bags of it, I bet it will sell out in just one day. Each bag of coffee comes with a letter about the Panama Geisha Auromar, signed by Craig Russell, the Senior Vice President of Global Coffee Authority at Starbucks.
Thank you East Olive Way Starbucks for hosting this event. If it’s not obvious, I had a great time. I thoroughly enjoy coffee tastings, and it was terrific to catch up with many friendly faces also. And what a treat to be able to try such a rare and exotic coffee offering!
The East Olive Way Starbucks has regular coffee events every other Monday evening, at 6:00 p.m. I hope to see you at the next one! (Call ahead to confirm their coffee seminar schedule).
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15 Comments
i’m not sure if melody is referring to me or to the folks on her other side when talking about someone else thinking it was spicy.
i tend to taste things very differently from others,so here are my quick notes:
1. it smelled fairly earthy to me as a ground coffee.it was described as honey-washed, which is interesting wording,for sure.
2. as a clover-brew, i got a strong impression of burnt sugar/caramel, with a little tiny bit of fruitiness. i would not for the life of me have described it as citrus or mango, which is what it was described as by the speaker (whose name i have already forgotten,sorry!). if i rolled it around in my mouth, i got a little bit of maybe a berry note. most of the flavour stuck to the front half of my tongue.
3. as a pour over, it became a bit more fruity,but still not citrus. it got more intricate and intense as it cooled. again, most of the flavour was at the front of the tongue, for me.
i could totally see this as a stand alone coffee, and i am not a big stand alone coffee drinker. i like to add all the stuff. this one, though, i can definitely see being a no add-ins blend. they did say this one is on the lighter end of the roasting spectrum, which is probably why i like it so much. i can also see it as a good chilled summer coffee, but i don’t think it should be iced.
Just put my order in. I can’t wait to try it! I’m debating between doing a tasting right away or saving it for my Coffee Master certification tasting next month…
It just my opinion, but I dislike when Starbucks only sells certain coffee online. I understand the reason for limits on certain coffees they can sell, but it shuts other customers out. Why would a customer that has never tried the Panama Geisha buy it online before knowing if the would like it or not? I would love to try it myself. I know I don’t drink much coffee at home, but unless I was given an opportunity to sample it or try it at a local Clover / Reserve location, why would anybody buy this for home use without ever getting a chance to decide if they like it and it’s worth the money? The only people who would buy this are those lucky enough to have gotten an opportunity to have tried it in the past. Something most of us ever get the chance to do.
I’m not ranting, but I enjoy trying everything at least once. If I like it enough, then yes, I am willing to buy some for home use. To me, this is like buying a new car without ever driving it first. It’s hard to imagine how this would taste from just a review. I do appreciate the review Melody as always, but It’s another tease for some us. 😉
I think Geisha coffees are a bit of a hobby adventure rather than a drinking coffee, as good as they are. They are very expensive, usually starting at $40 a half-pound or so and going up. Roasters get them to show off and to share with people the adventure. You can find them from many other roasters when they are in season. I have tried them from Verve and Novo, and seen them carried by the likes of PT Coffee and Stumptown. A roaster might only roast one bag (30-130 lbs.) of it and sell out in a week. (The Starbucks page showed them getting it in in only five pound bags) If you live near a big store or roaster you can walk in and try them, if not you need to gather your hobby budget and take a flyer online.
You can invite a bunch of friends and try a coffee. Maybe even get them to share the expense. I took a flyer on a bag once and then shared it with partners in several stores. I now know I like it and am occasionally willing to splurge on another bag and try it again, but it is not a coffee I will even think of as an everyday coffee.
I think Starbucks is carefully stepping into the high end coffees. I would guess more than half their sales of geisha coffees are to partners who buy them to share with other partners or in their stores. I expect that over time it might be an annual event for coffee lovers (customers and partners) in a store to pool their resources and order a bag for the store. One bag produces 4 in-store French presses, so a store could hold 4 tastings with a bag.
Chgo I often wonder why SB cannot send these coffees to SB stores outside of Seattle for coffee tastings so those of us that want to try it can get a chance. I agree that it seems these coffee tastings are very limited and it is a shame. I totally understand the draw of Seattle but haven’t they realized by now that their customer base goes beyond Seattle. We have so few coffee tastings around here.
@Purple1 – At 790 bags of this coffee, they’re just not going to send it to stores easily. I can imagine, hypothetically, that Starbucks could or might send like a bag of it to a flagship location like Harvard Yard Starbucks or Streets of Woodfield Starbucks, and those stores might do coffee events like this. If Harvard Yard had done an event for this coffee, I can imagine that a lot of people would take the time out to see come to it! I can see Chgo going to Streets of Woodfield for a coffee event!
@Melody – Streets of Woodfield, being in Schaumburg Il., is probably the second worst place to be outside of downtown Chicago as far as traffic and congestion. I can’t see any coffee event going on that wouldn’t be a hassle to go to unless one lives in or near Schaumburg.There isn’t anything convenient about going to and from Schaumburg from the City. I could see Streets as a good choice, but not for me. Just my 2 cents worth.
I have LOVED going to STREETS for Clover coffees but I have to say, the last time I went there…being in the very nr vicinity….I could not find a place to park AT ALL (and I usually do not mind a walk…) but this day (a week day!) was so congested and busy, we had to leave and not stop. That was really disappointing. At this point, I’d rather be at the River Forest store…. at least it’s not generally sooo crazy busy. I think Streets has become a ‘tourist’ spot…deservedly so, but not so good for those of us ‘natives’. @Melody, when we went, it actually luckily happened to be that rainy/t-storm Sunday. I thought sure it would still be crazy busy that weekend but the t-storms helped us out I guess.
I do wish RESERVE coffees were at least back in the few stores they were in that didn’t have a Clover. That was helpful.
Melody I do understand the issue of limited supply and where to send it, but that being said I do think that corporate in general does not provide enough options for customers to taste new coffees beyond the Seattle market. But, I guess this has been an ongoing issue with coffee tastings.
@disqus_TdwdmbeFhB:disqus – I can appreciate what you’re saying. There’s no doubt, because I am right here in Seattle, I have a number of opportunities that many Starbucks customers (and even to some degree partners?) do not have. And I can completely agree that there should be tasting opportunities all over. And, well, there is an issue of access – You’re most likely going to find tasting opportunities in larger, flagship Clover Starbucks. Totally agree that it makes tastings generally more difficult (and this situation as an online only is a rare bird). If I were, hypothetically, wanting to try Sun Dried Sidamo, and I lived in Chicago, I’d pretty much have to go to a Clover store and ask if they’ll sample it for me. And if you’re in Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico – places with no (or a tiny number) of Clover stores, I can appreciate that this is tough. I am sorry! It is a pain. It’s just that with supply and demand of a scarce coffee bean (and I’m not just referring to this Geisha, rather the Reserves more generally) that is how it is. 🙁 I am sorry. I know there are Clover stores in the state that you’re in – I hope some day you get to have the experience of sampling/tasting coffee there. I know you’re more of a tea drinker though. I realize this isn’t a great reply, but I just wanted to say that I understand that the experiences in Seattle are not universal. But the opportunities to try Reserve coffees are there – just maybe a little tougher to get to.
It sounds like an amazing event. So happy for you that you got to participate. I saw in one of the photos that Major Cohen was a part of it. That must have been great. That guy will forget more about coffee than most of us will ever learn.
My little cafe store is not a Clover store. In fact, the nearest Clover store for me is no less than a 45-minute drive and I live in Southern California. (In fairness, everything in Southern California is no less than a 30-minute drive to begin with so take it with a grain of salt.) I had to order my Geisha coffee online like everyone else. I am only speaking for myself here when I say that ordering Reserve coffees without ever having tried them is a leap of faith I am willing to take with Starbucks. Sure, my partner discount eases the pain a bit, but the reservoir of trust Starbucks has built with me makes me comfortable ordering a product I have never tried.
I am definitely excited to receive my coffee. It shipped today so I just have to wait a couple more days. I will take it to my store and do a tasting with my partners and customers. I have done this before at my store with Reserve coffees and one of my customers asked why I was “sampling” a coffee that we don’t sell in the store. The simple answer was that without such a tasting my customers would never get to experience this coffee in our store and if nothing else, since the Reserve coffees are limited editions, by identifying the characteristics one likes or dislikes about a coffee it can lead us to find a core coffee that suits their tastes. With that, she tried the coffee with an open mind and together we discovered that she likes Kenya a lot more than the Italian Roast she had been buying.
So, I hope that everyone who is fortunate enough to try this coffee walks away with more than just the memory of this coffee. This is why I appreciate your coffee reviews. You never fail to touch on processing method, roast profile and brew method. These are all things that have a big impact on the final cup of coffee and being able to identify differences in the cup based on these variables can lead one to find a wold of coffees they may never have known existed.
Thanks for the review, Melody! I ordered this right away! I can’t believe how rare it is! It sounds like it’s going to be amazing!
Sounds like they have great seminars at olive way and a lot of customer interest, something that is significantly lacking here. As for online only coffees, I’m not sure that with only 790 bags of it that there’s much choice. And because its a limited time rare reserve coffee, it will easily sell out even if no one has tried it.
Looks like it is now sold out. Seems like that took just a little over 24 hours.
There are a few bags still at Olive Way for sale. Ask a barista!
What makes the coffee from Panama special?
Being a small coffee producing country together with many other advantages make Panama coffee so special:
- An ideal coffee producing environment with high elevation, volcanic soil, the right balance of moisture and sun in a tropical highland climate.
- The many microclimates that produce a variety in flavors and taste profiles are unique.
- Coffee is grown at a very high altitude (starting at 1.400 mts), where it is given the chance, due to the lower temperatures and resulting slower growth, to really develop its flavors and aromas (aroma safe or in German “Aromatresor”).
- Biodiversity is highly valued – almost all of the coffee is shade grown, native rainforests provide living habitats for birds and other wildlife, natural water resources feed plants and animals and are being protected.
- Traditional seed stocks, traditional farming know-how and milling methods that have been transferred from one generation to the next, are combined with very advanced technical skills.
- Innovative mindsets – The farming methods are quality focused, the farmers know they have to compete on a quality level and are willing to learn, to experiment, they are very receptive to implementing new ideas to get the best out of the beans, and some of them are taking coffee cultivation to new levels.
- The farms are worked by hand. Large mechanical and industrial style equipment is non-existent.
- The farmers are very knowledgeable and very well educated. Many of Panamas first coffee growers were European engineers and managers who immigrated to Panama to work on the canal. Their descendants mostly received US university education and they spoke English and had an abundance of agriculture know how. Combined with hard work, this knowledge was applied to Panama’s coffee industry.
- The farmers know about their quality, they cup and grade their coffee, recommend certain roast profiles to the buyers and they are confident to charge the right price for their quality.
In our constant conversations with the producers in Panama we noticed several strong trends:
- Coffee is grown more and more in an environmentally sensitive way. Farms are embracing sustainable agricultural practices for growing, harvesting and processing.
- International coffee buyers and cuppers are visiting more and more to see Panama coffee quality and where it stems from for themselves.
- More and more Geisha varietals are being cultivated using different methods of growing and processing catapulting Panama to the top of the Geisha pyramid.
All of these point towards a promising future for the development of the Panamanian coffee industry.
Further proof of the level of quality in Panama is that it is not part of the Cup of Excellence group of countries, but holds its own competition and auction every year – “Best of Panama” – organized by the SCAP, the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama. This competition attracts global buyers competing for the best lots. More and more producers arrive every year garnering spectacular prices.
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