Geisha Coffee at Caffenation in 2026

After several years of Geisha drought at Caffenation, 2025 marked a strong comeback for this remarkable variety. Under the concept of “Geisha for the People,” we roasted a beautiful lot from Claudia Colmenares that was widely appreciated for its excellent quality and very accessible price.

For 2026, we continue along the same path but with the quality turned up just a notch. This time we selected an outstanding lot from Huver Castillo, scoring slightly higher while still remaining far from the extreme prices that many Geisha, or Gesha, coffees reach these days.

The cupping of this particular washed lot made us genuinely excited, and with confidence we gave it a 90+ score. We hope you enjoy the coffee from as much as we do, whether you brew it with filter, espresso, or any other method.

Retail prices online or in our shops:

€18/250 g

€69/1000 g

Here some more info on the Geisha Variety: 

The history of Geisha coffee is relatively young, beginning in 1931. Despite the name, it has no connection to Japanese Geishas; the coffee is named after Gesha Village in Ethiopia. The spelling with an 'i' came later when Don Pachi Serracin, who introduced the seeds to Panama in the early 1960s from CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) in Costa Rica, mistakenly recalled it as "Geisha 2722."

Originally brought to CATIE in 1953 via Kenya and Tanzania, the Geisha varietal eventually made its way to Panama. However, it initially struggled: the trees were slow-growing, produced fewer cherries, and — when cultivated at lower altitudes — tasted poor. As a result, Geisha was largely abandoned in favor of more productive and better-tasting varieties.

Fast forward to 2000: after decades of obscurity, Geisha trees were rediscovered at the Hacienda La Esmeralda farm in the Boquete region of Panama, this time grown at higher elevations. When their coffee was auctioned, its exceptional quality and unique flavor stunned coffee experts worldwide — sparking what is now known as the "rediscovery of Geisha."

In my long coffee-tasting and cupping career, I've never encountered beans that consistently cup higher than the washed Geishas from Hacienda La Esmeralda.

Today, Geisha coffees are produced all over the coffee-growing world, often using natural processing methods. Personally, I find the washed Geishas more exciting, thanks to their refined balance, vibrant acidity, and complexity — they never feel boring.