An expert tastes the finalist Geisha coffees of the Best ff Panama 2025 in Boquete in June. The Geishas from Hacienda La Esmeralda once again made history in the annual competition by setting two new world records: one of 98 points out of 100 in the Washed Geisha category and another of 97 points in Natural Geisha, a score never before achieved by a specialty coffee in any international competition. File Photo by Marcelino Rosario/EPA
Panamanian Geisha coffee made history again at the recent 2025 Best of Panama international online auction, selling for a record $30,204 per kilogram or $13,705 per pound.
The winning lot, a washed Geisha grown by Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, Chiriquí, was purchased by a buyer from Dubai, marking a new high in the global coffee industry, the Panamanian newspaper La Prensa reported.
In the natural Geisha category, also from Hacienda La Esmeralda, a buyer from China paid $23,608 per kg., or $10,709 per pound, while in the varietal category, a lot of the Laurina variety sold for $8,040 per kg., or $3,647 per pound, to a buyer in Beijing.
In total, 30 of the 50 lots offered exceeded $1,000 per kg., of $454 per pound, generating record sales of more than $2.8 million and an average price of $2,861.20 per kg., or $1, 298 per pound — more than double the figure recorded in 2024.
International buyers played a strong role in the auction, with bids from China, Japan, South Korea, Dubai, the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
The Best of Panama is an international specialty coffee competition and auction organized annually by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama.
Rachel Peterson, who represents the winning farm, called the result “a recognition of the effort of our entire team and the dedication Panama has put into cultivating excellence.”
Meanwhile, Richard Koyner, president of the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, said the achievement “undoubtedly positions Panama as the country of the world’s finest coffees” and opens new business opportunities for producers across the country.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino congratulated the coffee growers and said the result puts Panama in a privileged position among the world’s most demanding consumers.
Geisha is an Arabica coffee variety native to Ethiopia, prized for its floral aromas, fruity notes, bright acidity and silky body.
However, in Panama — particularly in the highlands of Boquete and Volcán — it has reached exceptional quality, thanks to altitudes above 4,900 feet, volcanic soils and unique microclimates.
Geisha’s international fame began in 2004, when the Peterson family introduced the variety at the Best of Panama competition, revolutionizing the specialty coffee industry. Since then, it has won awards, broken price records and become known as the “champagne” of the coffee world.
The coffee variety holds the record for the highest price ever paid for a coffee at a public auction. It succeeds in a highly competitive international arena that includes coffees from Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other countries.
