Let's journey up the arabica coffee tree and look at some important coffee varietals.
Caturra
This coffee varietal is itself a natural mutation of the Bourbon varietal. It was found in the 1930’s near the town of Caturra in Brazil.
It became popular because of its compact tree size, which makes it easier to harvest and because it delivers high yields. It is known for delivering a crisp and clean cup quality.
SL28 and SL34
The SL in the title refers to Scott Labs, a famous coffee research facility in Kenya. It is based on the Bourbon variety and is known for its drought resistance and high yields.
These varieties give bright, acid-forward coffees with a big body that Kenyan coffees are famous for. This makes them highly sought after by speciality coffee companies.
Gesha or Geisha?
The Gesha variety has near mythical status in the speciality coffee world. Originally, this variety came from Ethiopia, one of hundreds of Ethiopian “heirloom” varietals, and small amounts made it out of that country. In particular, to the Central American country of Panama.
Coffee farmers in Panama started planting Gesha in the 1950’s and 1960’s, but it was not until the early 2000’s that its unique flavour profile was fully recognised.
Gesha produces unique, delicate floral notes, think Jasmine and rose, tea-like mouth feel and bright acidity that gets compared to wine and champagne. It soon became one of the most expensive coffees in the world.
In 2007, a Panama Geisha lot from the farm La Esmeralda set a world record, selling for $350 per pound at auction. That seemed like an astonishing price back then; the scarcity of Gesha and its reputation continued to grow. Demand got higher despite more farmers growing the variety in Panama and Colombia.
In 2022, a new record was set of $1029 USD per pound. That is around $3,400 Australian dollars per kilo.
Keep in mind that this is the raw price, before it is roasted, so you would lose about 15% in weight roasting it!
Gesha Coffee on the tree!
