{"id":17342,"date":"2026-09-25T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=17342"},"modified":"2026-09-25T14:08:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:08:19","slug":"impressive-panama-geisha-auction-tops-3-million-as-elida-lot-sets-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/business-economy\/impressive-panama-geisha-auction-tops-3-million-as-elida-lot-sets-record\/","title":{"rendered":"Impressive! Panama Geisha Auction Tops $3 Million as Elida Lot Sets Record"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A single 15-kilogram lot of Panama Geisha coffee sold for $270,060 at the Best of Panama<\/a> 2026 auction, pushing total sales past $3 million and confirming the country’s dominance in the ultra-premium specialty coffee market. The Elida Geisha Torre lot from Lamastus Family Estates<\/a> fetched $18,004 per kilogram, the highest price recorded during the two-day online bidding event that closed September 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The auction, organized by the Specialty Coffee Association<\/a> of Panama (SCAP), generated $3,041,940 in total sales across 50 lots. Buyers from 11 countries secured coffee, with Chinese bidders leading the pack by purchasing 20 lots and accounting for 38 percent of total revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The results reinforce Panama’s position as the world’s premier source for luxury coffee, with Geisha varietals continuing to shatter price records year after year. Geisha Panama cata by Coffe alliance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Panama Geisha<\/a> Prices Hit Historic Thresholds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All 40 Geisha lots in the auction commanded prices above $1,500 per kilogram, a benchmark that underscores the varietal’s rarefied status among global coffee buyers. The second-highest bid went to L\u00e9rida Waterfall Geisha Natural from L\u00e9rida Estate, produced by Mar\u00eda Antonela Amoruso, which sold for $13,505 per kilogram. That lot had earned the top score among natural Geishas at the recent international cupping competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hacienda La Esmeralda also crossed the $10,000 per kilogram mark with two lots. Its Geisha Washed sold for $10,014 per kilogram, while the Geisha Natural reached $10,024. The Elida Geisha Vuelta Natural, another Lamastus Family Estates production, sold for $10,008 per kilogram to The Espresso Lab in Dubai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The auction attracted 83 bidders from 21 countries, with 29 buyers ultimately securing lots. Beyond China’s dominant presence, Japanese buyers acquired six lots representing 16 percent of total value. By Alliance Coffe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

International Buyers Drive Competitive Bidding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The auction attracted 83 bidders from 21 countries, with 29 buyers ultimately securing lots. Beyond China’s dominant presence, Japanese buyers acquired six lots representing 16 percent of total value. Buyers from the United Arab Emirates purchased nine lots for 13 percent of sales, while South Korea took three lots accounting for 10 percent of the total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other winning bidders came from Taiwan, the United States, Panama, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Canada. The geographic spread reflects growing demand for Panama Geisha across both established and emerging specialty coffee markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rachel Peterson, marketing manager at Hacienda La Esmeralda, emphasized the significance of the average price across the entire auction rather than individual record-breaking lots. By EF.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Varietals Category Shows Strong Growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 10 non-Geisha lots, classified as varietals, sold for between $897 and $4,216 per kilogram. The top varietal was Hacienda La Esmeralda’s Laurina lot. SCAP noted that varietal prices exceeded the average achieved in the 2025 auction, signaling broader appreciation for Panama’s specialty coffee beyond the flagship Geisha variety<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Peterson, vice president of SCAP, said the results demonstrate international confidence in Panamanian production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“All producers received very good offers for their lots” [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Rachel Peterson, marketing manager at Hacienda La Esmeralda, emphasized the significance of the average price across the entire auction rather than individual record-breaking lots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The value of the auction is in the average price” [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 edition marked the 30th anniversary of the Best of Panama competition. Each of the 50 lots offered contained 15 kilograms of green coffee. The auction began at 6:00 p.m. on September 23 and concluded at 1:30 p.m. the following day, Panama time. The results reinforce Panama’s position as the world’s premier source for luxury coffee, with Geisha varietals continuing to shatter price records year after year. High-quality Geisha coffee is a truly exceptional, proudly Panamanian product cultivated in rich volcanic soils of our stunning highlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n