Frequently asked questions

A named variety of Coffea arabica, originally collected in the Gori Gesha forest of south-western Ethiopia in the 1930s and made famous by Panama from 2004 onwards. It is a plant variety, not a region, a brand or a processing method.

Both. Gesha reflects the Ethiopian place name and is preferred by many producers and specialists; Geisha is the historical trade spelling from Panama and is what most people search for. They are the same coffee.

No. The resemblance to the Japanese word is a coincidence of transliteration. The name comes from the Gesha area of Ethiopia.

No. Panama is the benchmark, but Geisha is grown in Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Honduras, Ecuador, China, Taiwan and elsewhere. Compare the origins.

No. Cup of Excellence is a competition that any variety can win. Geisha is a variety that often wins competitions.

Low yields, a narrow high-altitude band where it performs, repeated selective hand picking, high processing risk, and an auction system that concentrates global demand onto a few dozen lots a year. The full explanation.

USD 30,204 per kilogram, paid in August 2025 at the Best of Panama auction for a 20 kg lot of washed Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda — a total of USD 604,080 for the lot.

Because there is no such thing as the price of Geisha. It depends on the estate, harvest year, cup score, process and quantity, and those combinations change constantly. We quote per lot, on request, and you will normally have an answer the same working day.

For a landmark experience or a business that needs a signature offer, often yes. As an everyday coffee, no — and we will say so. There is excellent Geisha in the 88 to 91 point range at a small fraction of the auction headlines.

Jasmine and orange blossom on the nose; bergamot, citrus and stone fruit in the cup; light tea-like body, high sweetness and a very long clean finish. It tastes closer to a fine tea than to a conventional dark-roasted coffee.

Filter, light roast, 92 to 94 °C, around 1:16, medium-fine grind, three minutes. Full brewing guide.

Yes, though washed lots are demanding. Use a longer ratio and a lower temperature, or choose a honey or natural lot.

It is your coffee, but milk covers exactly the floral top notes you are paying for.

Roasted: four to six weeks in a sealed valve bag. Green, vacuum packed and cool: a year or more.

No. We work to order, because the best lots are seasonal and small. Write or call and you will get a specific offer rather than a catalogue.

One retail bag of roasted coffee. For green coffee, 5 kg upwards, with samples available first.

Yes — Switzerland, the EU, the UK and worldwide. We handle export and customs paperwork.

Roasted coffee in Switzerland is usually a few working days. Sourced green lots depend on origin and shipping; we give you a realistic date up front.

Often, yes. Tell us the farm and the lot and we will tell you honestly whether it is obtainable and at what cost.

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