El world’s most expensive coffee is grown in Panama and the land from which it springs gives it a unique aroma that caresses the palate. It was born in a very special microclimate that has allowed it to receive a score of 98 100 on from the experts of the magazine “Coffee Review”, which each year makes a comprehensive review of the world’s best-rated coffees.
According to its producers, the secret of its flavor is the origin: the province of Chiriquí, next to the border with Costa Rica. The altitude of this region exceeds 1.600 meters and is at the foot of the Barú volcano. The genuine taste of coffee is achieved by the fact that it is located in a cold and rainy area between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Because matures very slowly and its flavor is enhanced.
This new “black gold” is produced by a family business that perpetuates a coffee tradition learned from its ancestors since 1918. They baptized the place where coffee sprouts as «The Lamastus Family».
The geisha variety has become a luxury product. In Asia it is a delicatessen. The act of tasting a cup of coffee has risen to the status of ritual and has gained momentum in recent years. Each grain is a object of desire.
Last year the demand was higher, a group of Japanese specialists paid 925 euros per pound. Which translates to the kilo is valued at 2.241 euros. It is already considered the most expensive coffee in the world.
The usual winners are Colombia, Costa Rica or Puerto Rico but the Panamanian variety gheisha has been at the top for two two seasons. In 2018, the region’s coffee began to emerge, its flavor is so peculiar that it was priced at 725 euros per pound (454 grams).
In an interview with AFP Justin Boudeman, one of those responsible for the geisha variety assured that coffee culture is evolving. “50 years ago it was just another merchandise that people bought without much attention to its characteristics and flavors, but in the last 20 to 25 years it is beginning to be valued.” It has become – he assures – a luxury product, «Everything points to an increase in the prices of the most exclusive varieties in 2020.
Brazil stands out among the coffee giants, exporting 40 million bags a year. Colombia follows with 14,8 million bags. Panama is not able to compete with its neighboring markets due to its scarcity, which in turn makes it a more exclusive product: it generates 191 million euros in exports. Less quantity for less palates.
A coffee shop in the United States that charges 67 euros for a single cup of this variety of coffee is called Klatch Coffee Roasters. Those responsible for the establishment went to a food auction that was part of the event «Best of Panama »to get as much as possible« geisha coffee » in 2019.
The objective of the North American company was to make known to the most sybaritic sector of its clientele the “summum” of their favorite drink. «We want our customers to have the opportunity to taste a coffee of this quality«.