from the source
Blog
Notes from the Chiriquí highlands — on Geisha, the farms we work with, and how to get the most out of an exceptional cup.
Featured reads
All articles
- From the Source7 min read
Why We Roast Geisha Light (And What Over-Roasting Destroys)
Yes, our roasts look pale next to supermarket coffee. That's not timidity. It's the whole point. The chemistry of what dark roasting destroys, and why we refuse to do it to Geisha.
- From the Source6 min read
Harvest Season in Tierras Altas: December to March on a Panama Farm
From the first ripe cherries of December to the last drying beds of April: the month-by-month rhythm of a Chiriquí coffee harvest, told from inside the season.
- Education6 min read
Geisha or Gesha? The Coffee Spelling Debate Explained
Two spellings, one variety, decades of arguments. Where 'Geisha' actually came from, what each camp defends, and why the letter 'i' has nothing to do with authenticity.
- Buying Guide6 min read
Is Panama Geisha Worth the Price? An Honest Take From the Source
We sell this coffee, so you'd expect a yes. Here's the more useful answer: who Geisha genuinely rewards, who it will disappoint, and how to find out cheaply which one you are.
- Buying Guide6 min read
What Is SL-28? Why a Kenyan Varietal Is Growing in Panama
Born in a 1930s Kenyan research lab, famous for blackcurrant and wine, and now thriving on Panamanian volcano slopes. The story of SL-28, the other varietal worth knowing.
- Education6 min read
What Is the Best of Panama? The Competition That Changed Coffee
One national coffee competition rewired the economics of an entire industry. How Best of Panama works, from blind judging to auction records, and why it matters.
- Buying Guide6 min read
Washed vs. Natural Geisha: Which Should You Try First?
Same variety, same farm, radically different cups. Washed or natural Geisha: an honest comparison of the two processes and a straight answer on where to start.
- Education7 min read
The Complete History of Panama Geisha: Forest to $13,705/lb
How did a forgotten Ethiopian forest variety become the most expensive coffee on earth? The full Panama Geisha history, told from the highlands where it grows.
- Education6 min read
What Does MASL Mean? Why Altitude Changes Everything in Coffee
That little number on the coffee bag (1,400 MASL, 1,800 MASL) predicts more about your cup than almost anything else printed there. Here's what it means and why it works.
- Brewing6 min read
How to Brew Panama Geisha at Home: Pour-Over Guide
You bought an expensive bag; now don't waste it. A calm, step-by-step pour-over guide for Panama Geisha: exact ratios, temperatures, and the mistakes that cost the most.