Geisha (coffee)
Gesha coffee, sometimes referred to as Geisha coffee, is a variety of coffee tree that originated in the Gori Gesha forest, Ethiopia, though it is now grown in several other nations in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. 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.
| Coffee Variety Information | |
|---|---|
| Stature | Tall |
| Leaf Tip Color | Green or Bronze |
| Bean Size | Average |
| Quality Potential | Exceptional |
| Yield Potential | Medium |
| Coffee Leaf Rust | Tolerant |
| Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) | Susceptible |
| Nematodes | Susceptible |
| WCR Variety Catalog: Geisha (Panama) | |
While there are many varieties labeled gesha (or geisha), the Panamanian Geisha has a distinct and verifiable genetic fingerprint.
After its discovery in Ethiopia, it was sent to the Tengeru (now Lyamungu) Coffee Research Station in Tanzania. In 1953, plants successfully cultivated at Lyamungu as VC-496 were taken to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Costa Rica and recorded as accession T2722. From there, CATIE distributed it throughout Central America. In 2005, The Peterson family of Boquete, Panama, entered a Geisha coffee into the Best Of Panama competition. It won the competition and sold for a then-record price of US$350/pound (US$770/kilogram); in 2017, a lot of natural Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda established a new Best of Panama record of US$601/pound (US$1,320/kilogram). Seven pounds of Geisha coffee of the Lamastus Family Estate sold for $42,000 in September 2022 during private auction hosted by the Sensible Coffee auction house.