Geisha (Gesha)

Geisha (more accurately Gesha, after the Ethiopian area near which it was collected around 1936) was distributed through research stations in Costa Rica's CATIE and planted in Panama as a rust-tolerant curiosity. Its destiny changed in 2004 when Hacienda La Esmeralda entered it in the Best of Panama and judges were stunned by its jasmine-and-bergamot intensity; auction prices later surpassed US$10,000 per pound. Tall, delicate, and low-yielding, Geisha is now the world's most prestigious — and expensive — Arabica variety.

At a glance

• Scientific name: Coffea arabica var. geisha
• Identified: 1936
• Flavor: Intensely floral, jasmine, bergamot, tropical fruit.
• Aroma: Jasmine, bergamot, peach.
• Disease resistance: Moderate (some rust tolerance)
• Cup potential: Exceptional