You are probably aware the coffee is getting more expensive. Not just coffee, of course. Consumer goods across the board have risen in price, driven in no small part by the slew of tariffs instituted by the Trump administration. Coffee roasters all over the U.S. have raised prices in response. Despite a recent Supreme Court decision that ruled the tariffs unconstitutional, industry commentators are already cautioning that refunds are unlikely. We presently have a situation where coffee is getting pricier with no reverse in sight.
This means it’s harder than ever to recommend to someone to pay a lot of money for coffee. Coffee is a luxury after all. We may not like to think of it like that. For many, including myself, a daily routine without coffee is unimaginable. But coffee is, at least here in the United States, an imported product that does not have to be a part of our diets. A luxury it is. And it’s a luxury that is costing is us more and more. How can anyone in good conscience suggest you may even more than you usually do?
Well, that is exactly what I aim to do here. To do that, I’m going to tell you about Gesha. What it is, where it came from, why it’s expensive, and why I think you owe it to yourself to try it. Even if it costs a little extra. And I hope that in doing so I will demonstrate why especially good coffee is worth trying at least once despite the price.
What is Gesha?
Coffee the plant can be divided into two subspecies: arabica and robusta. Robusta is the more highly caffeinated, disease-resistant of the two. It’s been used in commodity coffee for decades, chiefly because it’s cheaper to grow, but it historically has not been considered as tasty. (Although Vietnamese roasters are making waves with robusta!) Arabica, on the other hand, is more prone to disease and thus riskier for producers. Despite this, arabica is highly sought after in the coffee trade because of its more desirable flavor.
Gesha is a variety of arabica. Though it originated in Ethiopia’s Gesha region (hence the name), it was transported to Costa Rica and Panama in the mid-20th century. It is a particularly low-yielding arabica, which is why for many years it was not a major player in the coffee trade. That all changed when a coffee estate called Hacienda La Esmerelda submitted their Gesha to the Best of Panama auction in 2004 and fetched record-breaking prices. Since then, Gesha has become a highly sought-after varietal. In fact, it’s only fetched higher and higher prices in subsequent auctions.
A quick note: you sometimes see this kind of coffee spelled “Geisha.” Both spellings are used to refer to this varietal, but for the sake of consistency I will stick to “Gesha.”
Unique, Powerful Flavor
What exactly makes Gesha so special? After all, there are a lot of rare varieties of coffee out there. Simply put, it’s all about the flavor.
Gesha produces very floral, tea-like flavor and aroma. It also usually carries sweet, berry-forward notes. This rich and complex flavor profile varies slightly from batch to batch. But you can bet whenever you try some that it will have notes of bergamot, jasmine, honey, and berries. In my personal opinion, a lot of Gesha cups taste like Earl Grey black tea.
Few coffee varietals, even other Arabica varietals, taste as vivid as Gesha does. Each time I’ve tasted it (and I’ve had the privilege of tasting it several times), I think to myself that it very well may be the best coffee I’ve ever had. It manages to be delicate while still packing a lot of flavors. And it manages to be floral without tasting too much of flowers. Gesha is something special.
The Economics of Coffee
But flavor alone is not why Gesha is so expensive. As I mentioned before, Gesha is a particularly low-yielding varietal. It’s a lot of labor for not a lot of beans. Arabica coffees in general are finicky crops to cultivate, and Gesha is no different. The economics of farming rare coffees like Gesha means that the only way producers, roasters, and anyone else along the bean-to-cup chain gets fairly compensated is if the final product has a high price tag. This is why it’s common for even very small portions of Gesha to fetch a price many times that of other coffees.
With that in mind, I’m going to make a possibly controversial recommendation. If you have the opportunity to try a Gesha, whether at a café or made at home, you should do it.
If you balk at the price, I completely understand. Over $50 for a small bag of beans? I’m sure it sounds preposterous. And drinking a cup of the stuff in a café can be an over-$20 purchase for a single serving. And yet…
If you love the taste of coffee, if you love how sweet and complex and fascinating a single cup of coffee can be, then Gesha is worth your time and money. Here are some recommendations for how to prepare and enjoy it.
Suggestions for Drinking Gesha (and other Expensive Coffee)
First, prepare it using a pour-over method. By this I mean that you should have a cup of Gesha brewed via the Hario V60, AeroPress, Chemex, or some device that allows for thorough extraction of flavor. An automatic drip machine, while adequate, will probably not yield the most complex cup. But a careful, slow brew can allow all those delicious flavor compounds to truly shine. I do not recommend you make it on espresso, at least the first time.
Second, give yourself some time to savor each sip. If you’re ordering at a café, set aside a few minutes to slowly drink the cup. Let a couple of moments pass between sips. Take notice of the flavors as you taste them. So long as you don’t rush through the cup, you’ll be able to fully experience and appreciate the cup’s flavor profile.
Third, keep it as a special occasion. Although I think Gesha, and other expensive coffees like it, is worth trying at least once, I cannot recommend you make it your daily driver. The cost alone is a good reason to keep it occasional. But I also would never expect that every cup of coffee be drunk in the same slow way that I’m recommending here. Sometimes a cup of coffee is a quick route to caffeine, and that’s okay! That’s why Gesha is best consumed only on occasion.
Conclusion
I hope that we at Raj’s Coffee have convinced you that really expensive coffees really do offer a special tasting experience. If you’re hesitant to go for it, especially in times like these, that is completely understandable. But if you do decide to spring for the truly luxurious coffees out there, then something truly delicious is in store for you.