The Geisha/Gesha variety of Arabica coffee is unique to Panama and has recently taken the specialty coffee world by storm. It has been hailed as the "Queen of Specialty Coffee" within a few short years of its introduction, making it a prized possession of Panamanian coffee. While coffee farmers claim it was only recently discovered, this is not entirely accurate. Geisha was present in Panama as early as 1960, and many Panamanian breeding units possessed Geisha seeds. It was first discovered in southwestern Ethiopia in 1931, where it had various names, such as Gesha. In 1931 and 1932, it was imported to Kenya under the names Abyssinian and Geisha, respectively. In 1936, Kenya sent harvested Geisha seeds to Uganda and Tanzania for cultivation. In July 1953, Tanzania sent progeny trees to Costa Rica, while retaining the mother trees. In 1960, Panama officially began cultivating Geisha through CATIE. Geisha is known for its excellent aroma, reminiscent of Geisha blossoms and jasmine, with a sweet, clean, and distinctive aftertaste. It exhibits fruity notes with bright fruit acidity, such as tamarind, mango, and papaya, and a very smooth mouthfeel.
Geisha coffee, once named one of the "World's Ten Most Expensive Coffees" by Forbes, is a well-known legend in the specialty coffee world. There is significant confusion surrounding the Geisha variety, as several genetically distinct plant types are referred to as Geisha, many of which share similar geographical origins in Ethiopia. Recent genetic diversity analysis by World Coffee Research has confirmed that the T2722 variety grown in Panama and its descendants are unique and consistent. When the plant is well-managed at high altitudes, it correlates with extremely high cup quality and is known for its delicate floral, jasmine, and peach-like aromas.
The Geisha that has been grown and propagated in Panama for over 60 years is the T2722 variety. It was originally collected from the coffee forests of Ethiopia in the 1930s. It was sent to the Lyamungu Research Station in Tanzania and then brought to the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Costa Rica in Central America in 1953, where it was recorded as number T2722. In the 1960s, it was distributed throughout Panama through CATIE after it was recognized for its tolerance to coffee leaf rust. However, the plant's brittle branches made it unpopular with farmers, and it was not widely planted. It was not until 2005 that the Peterson family of Boquete, Panama, entered this coffee in the Best of Panama competition and auction, which brought it to prominence. It received extremely high ratings and broke the record for green coffee auction prices at the time.
Regarding the name Geisha, the spellings Geisha and Gesha are often used interchangeably, which is related to transliteration, as there is no fixed translation from Ethiopian dialects to English. The coffee was initially recorded as Geisha in planting records, and this spelling has been maintained by coffee researchers and planting databases for decades, leading to its promotion and use in the coffee industry. The variety was originally collected from a mountain in Ethiopia, the name of which is commonly translated as Gesha or Geisha in English.
In recent years, the cultivation of Geisha varieties has become popular around the world, achieving excellent results in major competitions, including in Central and South America, such as Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia, Peru, and others, generally through the transplantation of the Panama T2722 variety. Additionally, many high-altitude areas in Taiwan have begun to cultivate Geisha, with higher altitudes generally producing more captivating flavors.
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Justin Coffee carefully selects various Arabica subspecies, including: Geisha/Gesha, Pacamara, Heirloom, Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Pacas, SL28, SL34, Tim Tim, Catuai, and other world-renowned specialty coffees. We print the bean variety information on the packaging bags, allowing you to understand the flavor of the bean you are tasting while enjoying your coffee. Although the flavor will vary depending on many factors, at least we can get a glimpse of the vast world of bean varieties.
