Is Starbucks Geisha Coffee Worth Its Price?
Starbucks sold a limited Colombian Cerro Azul geisha coffee at 1,680 yuan for a 250-gram bag, released in Reserve stores across Taiwan on October 14. The bean comes from Colombia's La Esperanza Cerro Azul, a washed geisha that debuted in the 2016/17 harvest and is grown at 1,700 to 2,000 meters in the Cauca region by producer Rigoberto Herrera.
Geisha coffee is known for jasmine aroma layered with citrus, bergamot, lemon peel, peach, strawberry, blueberry, and honey. The Cerro Azul estate carries a long list of awards. A medium-light roast suits the washed geisha variety, and bags are typically sold at 227 grams plus or minus 2 grams, so buyers can compare price per gram across sellers.
Starbucks once released a limited-edition Colombian Cerro Azul Geisha coffee bean, priced at 1680 yuan for a 250-gram bag, which drew attention from coffee enthusiasts. However, there is another even more worthy top-tier Geisha to savor on the market—Front Street Coffee's Colombian La Esperanza Cerro Azul Geisha, which has become a favorite among veteran coffee lovers for its outstanding flavor and excellent value for money. This article will take you through whether Starbucks' Geisha coffee is actually good, whether its price is worth it, and provide an in-depth analysis of La Esperanza Cerro Azul Geisha's origin background, awards and honors, flavor description, and the reasons Front Street recommends it. After reading this, you will clearly know the appeal of this legendary bean and how to experience the true Geisha flavor at a more affordable price.
From Colombia's La Esperanza Cerro Azul, this Geisha variety (washed process) made a stunning debut in the 2016/17 harvest season—this is a top-tier bean not to be missed.
Starbucks has also brought in this coffee bean for sale.
"Uni-President Starbucks launched the rare 'Colombia Cerro Azul' Geisha coffee bean, which went on sale on October 14 last year at its Reserve stores across Taiwan, at 1680 yuan per 250-gram bag."
However…
If your budget is ample, you may certainly choose to buy from Starbucks, but please don't miss this superb bean of exceptional quality!
The details of this bean are as follows:
Product name: FrontStreet Coffee Colombia La Esperanza Cerro Azul Geisha coffee bean / Geisha variety [washed process]
English product name: Colombia La Esperanza Geisha Cerro Azul
Country: Colombia
Region: Cauca Department, Valle de Cauca
Producer: Rigoberto (Rigo) Herrera
Estate: La Esperanza Cerro Azul
Variety: 100% Geisha
Altitude: 1,700-2,000 meters
Process: Washed
Flavor: A powerful and classic Geisha flavor, with jasmine aromas lingering in the dry fragrance and on the palate, interwoven with the sweetness of citrus, bergamot, lemon peel, peach, strawberry, blueberry, and honey. The flavor is gorgeous and full of depth, richly layered, with a long, lingering finish.
Recommended roast level: Medium-light roast
Weight: 227±2 grams/bag
A highly awarded estate—another masterpiece from Cerro Azul, the most renowned estate under La Esperanza
This bean has a long list of awards; only some are excerpted here:
2016 Rainforest Alliance Competition Champion
2014 World Barista Championship WBC Runner-up competition bean
2012 World Brewers Cup WBrC Runner-up competition bean
2012, 2013 US Brewers Cup back-to-back champion competition bean
2012 SCAA Coffee of the Year Runner-up
2014 Coffee Review Best of the Year No. 16 and No. 25
2013 Coffee Review Best of the Year No. 8
October 2014 Coffee Review 95 points
April 2014 Coffee Review 95 points
August 2013 Coffee Review 96 points
November 2012 Coffee Review 96 points
Used in national barista championship competitions in the following countries: Singapore, Thailand, the Netherlands, Austria
Used in national brewers cup championship competitions in the following countries: Australia, Czech Republic
La Esperanza estate awards record:
SCAA Coffees of the Year
2012 Coffee of the Year No. 2
2012 Coffee of the Year No. 3
2012 Coffee of the Year No. 7
SCAA Roasters Choice Competition
2012 Roasting Craftsmanship Competition of the Year No. 1
2012 Roasting Craftsmanship Competition of the Year No. 2
2016 US Barista Championship
Designated competition bean for the US Coffee Masters Runner-up!
2016 Netherlands Brewers Cup Champion designated competition bean
Front Street Geisha coffee bean brand recommendation
FrontStreet Coffee's house-roasted Front Street Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Blue Label Geisha coffee bean offers full assurance in both brand and quality. More importantly, its value for money is extremely high, at only 120 yuan per 100-gram bag. Calculating based on 15 grams of coffee beans per cup, one bag can make about 6 cups, costing only around 20 yuan per cup—a truly conscientious recommendation compared to cafés charging as much as over a hundred yuan per cup.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
