What Is Gesha Coffee?

Spotted: the most name-dropped coffee in the room. Everyone has an opinion on Gesha. Not everyone has actually tasted a good one.

Short answer: Gesha is a coffee variety, first collected in the forests of southwestern Ethiopia, that is known for floral, tea-like flavour and high prices. You will also see it spelled Geisha. It is the same coffee.

• Type: A coffee variety, not a region or a roast
• Origin: Southwestern Ethiopia; made famous by farms in Panama
• What it tastes like: Jasmine, bergamot, stone fruit, a light tea-like body
• Why it costs more: Low yields, picky growing conditions and a lot of demand

Where it comes from

Gesha was collected in Ethiopia in the 1930s and moved through research stations in East Africa and Central America. It sat mostly ignored for decades because the trees don’t produce much. In 2004 a Panamanian farm entered it in a national competition, it won, and buyers paid record prices. It has been the celebrity of specialty coffee ever since.

What it tastes like

A good Gesha is delicate and aromatic: flowers, citrus and stone fruit, with a body closer to tea than to a heavy dark roast. It is sometimes brilliant and sometimes overhyped. The name on the bag doesn’t guarantee the cup; the farm and the processing do.

Our Gesha

Colombia Gesha Buesaco is grown by Huver Castillo Velásquez in Nariño, Colombia. The cherries go through a 48-hour anaerobic fermentation and are then washed. It tastes like lavender syrup, raspberries and lime. The same coffee also comes as specialty instant for mornings with no time.

Quick answers

Is it Gesha or Geisha?

Both spellings are used for the same variety. Gesha is closer to the name of the area in Ethiopia it comes from.

Why is Gesha so expensive?

The trees give little fruit and only do well in certain high-altitude conditions, and demand for the best lots is high.

How should I brew it?

Pour-over shows it best. Try 15g of coffee, ground medium-fine, with water at about 93°C, and drink it black.

Is it worth it?

If you like floral, tea-like coffee, yes. If you like chocolate and caramel, start with something from our Calm shelf.

See all our Gesha coffees.

Read next: Colombia Gesha Buesaco V60 Recipe · Inca Gesha Was Never Gesha: The SL9 Story · What Is Sudan Rume Coffee?

You know you love it.
xoxo, The Angry Roaster