Gesha coffee and international coffee competitions have always been friends. Over the past 15 years, many contestants participating in the WCC World Coffee Championship have regularly chosen Gesha (or Geisha) as their companion.

After being first known at the BOP auction in Panama, Gesha beans began to create a fever. It makes its own mark with complex floral notes and a light taste like a cup of morning tea. In the following years, the supply of Gesha coffee gradually increased in both output and production units. The bid price always exceeds the predicted threshold.

Source:  World Coffee Championships

Why is Gesha coffee famous in competitions?

Gesha coffee first made its mark on its signature flavor in 2019, in the BoP auction. Applications from Lamastus Family Estates are highly regarded with a record score of 95.25.

The price of this type of coffee is also increasing day by day. At the 2021 online BoP auction, a Gesha profile from Finca Nugue received a record bid of US$2,560/lb. This bid exceeds the record price set in 2020 – US$1,300.50/lb of the Gesha Levado profile from Finca Sophia by a large margin.

Gesha coffee is increasingly appreciated in competitions and the fact that many contestants participating in national and international tournaments, especially WCC, use and present profiles of this coffee is said to be the reason. of course. From 2011 to 2019, of the 9 World Brewers Cup (WBrC) champions, 7 had the companionship of Gesha beans.

Demand for Gesha coffee and new changes at coffee competitions

The demand for Gesha coffee is increasing according to the level of appearance and frequency of prizes when there is a Gesha companion. However, getting a quality Gesha coffee source for the competition is not easy for the contestants because the demand for this product is quite high, the price exceeds the usual threshold and the supplier itself. Product developers also expect to give their products to contestants with higher winning potential.

With the increasing demand, the supply of Gesha coffee products is more and more diversified. The map of Gesha coffee gradually darkens in many areas, most notably Colombia and Ethiopia. The growing popularity of Gesha coffee means that there is a risk of lower quality Gesha coffees and signs of market dilution.

In view of the nature of supply and demand, for contestants in the coffee arena, the selection of new, less well known coffee varieties or processing methods to demonstrate that the quality of these products can be achieved. It is not uncommon for them to be equal to Gesha or their talent enough to win without Gesha.

Example: When Saša Šestić won the 2015 World Barista Championship (WBC) with the Ethiopia Sudan Rume profile. At the time, this coffee was often sold as part of a blend, so Saša’s winning streak brought the name Sudan Rume into the spotlight. Saša also fueled the popularity of decarbonization with its triumph with a fermentation technique influenced by the wine industry.

Gesha coffee and competitions

More recently, a coffee variety called Coffea Eugenioooides – an ancient coffee originating from East Africa has been known for its strong notes of tropical fruit and silky feel. Eugenioides is considered a “rediscovered” coffee and a parent species of arabica and robusta. Eugenioides is used by both WBC champion Diego Campos and WBrC champion Matt Winton in 2021.

Is Gesha’s favor at competitions decreasing?

Agnieszka – World Barista Championship 2018 champion once shared: “It’s hard not to like Gesha and not appreciate its elegant personality. Gesha is like the champagne of coffee, but drinking champagne every day can destroy its magic.”

There are many judgments that Gesha will always be the darling at international coffee competitions or tournaments. But gradually, the fluctuations in the frequency of this type of coffee and the introduction of more interesting new varieties have caused this assumption to be shaken.

Gesha still has a solid presence in coffee competitions, but there is increasing potential for varieties, processing techniques and even other species to appear more frequently. This diversification is not only healthy for competitions but also for the coffee industry as a whole.

In short, on the development journey of the coffee industry, there are many types of coffee that shine before fading, but it is essential to create the best bricks. Regardless of any changes in Gesha’s position in the international arena, this coffee also makes its own mark with its own unique flavor and ecological background. Even in competitions, the emergence of new varieties of tomato, preliminary processing methods, new approaches or perspectives all point to the advancement of the whole industry.

Changing for the better is always the journey that both humanity and 43 Factory Coffee aim for. Whether a fragrant coffee carries a lot of sustainable value or not is sometimes based on its own enlightening journey to the coffee industry.