Few names in coffee generate as much excitement as Gesha. First made famous by the 2004 Cup of Excellence winner, Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda, this rare variety is now synonymous with competition coffees, high scores, and distinctive floral cup profiles.

But what makes Gesha so special in coffee circles? It’s a cultivar with a story, and it's had a long journey from its native home in Ethiopia to farms across Central and South America.

A genetic origin story

The Gesha variety traces its roots back to the Gori Gesha Forest in western Ethiopia. In the 1930s, researchers collected wild coffee seeds from the area and sent them to agricultural stations across Africa. From there, it made its way to Panama, where it would eventually gain global attention decades later.

Despite its Ethiopian origins, Gesha is genetically distinct from the wild heirloom types commonly grown in Ethiopia today. It’s a variety in its own right — and one of the most aromatic you'll find.

What makes Gesha so unique?

It all comes down to the flavour in the cup. In the right conditions, Gesha coffee produces an incredibly expressive cup: jasmine-like florals, bright citrus acidity, bergamot, stone fruit, delicate tea-like body — more like oolong than espresso.

It's often described as elegant or refined — the kind of coffee that consistently turns heads on the cupping table. That complexity is one of the reasons it’s a favourite among competitors and judges on the global stage.

Why it’s hard to grow

With high quality comes high risk. Gesha is notoriously difficult to cultivate:

  • It requires high altitudes — usually over 1,600 metres — which limits where it can be grown

  • It has low yields compared to other varieties

  • It’s more susceptible to diseases like coffee leaf rust

  • Trees take longer to mature and need careful maintenance to reach their full potential

For these reasons, Gesha is rarely grown at commercial scale. Instead, it’s often nurtured in small plots by producers who are focused on excellence over volume — and who are willing to take the financial risk in pursuit of an extraordinary cup.

Why we love it

When grown with care and processed with precision, Gesha is a win-win for everyone — from producers winning awards at origin to customers tasting florals and citrus in their filter brew. Since its rediscovery in Panama, bursting onto the scene through the Cup of Excellence, it's now appearing in other origins such as Colombia, Brazil, and others, as quality-focused farmers look to build out their offering.

You’ll often see Gesha used as a competition coffee — including recently in our own V60 Championships — because it shows what’s possible when great growing meets great brewing. 

If you get the chance to try one, don’t rush it. Take a moment. Let the cup do the talking.