The numbers are outrageous, almost unbelievable, but this month a Panama Gesha has once again claimed the title of the world’s most expensive coffee. Beyond the jaw-dropping price tag, the real story is what this means for the future of coffee itself.
First off; what the hell is a Gesha?
Gesha is a coffee variety originally discovered in the 1930s in the Gori Gesha forest of Ethiopia. It was later planted in Panama in the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the early 2000s that it really blew up. It’s genetically different from your everyday Arabica, and in the right conditions (hello, Panama’s highlands), it delivers mind bending flavours; think jasmine, bergamot, tropical fruit, honey-like sweetness. People often compare it more to fine tea or wine than “coffee” as we normally think of it. It’s finicky to grow, yields are small, and the demand is insane because it consistently wins competitions and scores in the 90s. So it is a special variety to begin with but this coffee was on another level.
Why It’s Such a Big Deal
At the Best of Panama auction, this month, a 20 kg lot of washed Gesha from the legendary Hacienda La Esmeralda sold for a mind-bending US $30,204 per kilo. That’s over $600,000 for one lot of beans.
But the of this quality is just as record breaking as its price. This Gesha scored 98 points, the highest ever recorded in the competition. It’s not just expensive for the sake of it, this is as close to perfection as coffee gets. Coffee is scored on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) cupping scale, which runs from 0 to 100. Anything 80+ points is considered “specialty coffee”, 85+ is excellent, 90+ is rarefied air, and 95+ is unicorn territory.
And La Esmeralda didn’t stop there. Their natural Gesha pulled in nearly $24K/kg, and even a Laurina varietal broke $8K/kg. Add it all up, and this year’s auction generated US $2.8 million, obliterating last year’s total and setting a new benchmark for what “luxury coffee” really means.
Who Had the Nerve to Buy It?
Step forward Julith Coffee, a brand new roastery and café concept in Dubai. That’s right: they opened their doors this year and brought the most expensive coffee in history.
Final Sip ☕️
This isn’t everyday coffee; it’s coffee as theatre. Proof that specialty isn’t just about taste, it’s about prestige, rarity and telling a marketable story. While these coffees sold are in a league of their own it marks a trend we are seeing emerge all over the place; big priced coffees sold with a story of experience.
For Julith Coffee, it’s a mic-drop launch: buy the world’s most expensive coffee and put your name on the map instantly. For Panama, it’s another reminder that their territory and craft put them in a league of their own.
Now the real question is; who’s going to get a taste and how much will a flat white with the most expensive coffee in the world cost...?
