Gesha (Geisha)
also: Geisha, Gesha
A celebrated arabica variety famous for jasmine-bergamot florals and record auction prices, especially from Panama.
Gesha (also spelled Geisha) is an arabica variety with an outsized reputation. It traces back to coffee collected near the town of Gesha in southwestern Ethiopia, later distributed through research stations and eventually planted in Panama. The two spellings refer to the same lineage; “Gesha” is closer to the origin name, while “Geisha” stuck through decades of paperwork.
It became world-famous in the mid-2000s when Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama entered it in competition and judges were stunned. At its best, Gesha tastes intensely floral, jasmine, bergamot, and tea-like, with a delicate, almost perfumed body and bright acidity.
Why it matters: Gesha helped prove that variety, not just origin and process, drives flavor, and it has repeatedly broken auction price records, fetching thousands of dollars per pound. It is finicky and low-yielding, which keeps it rare and expensive. Now grown in many countries, the famous Panama washed lots remain the benchmark. See varietals-deep-dive.