Lot GW-01 at the Best of Panama coffee auction has sold for a record US$30,204 per kilogram, with Dubai’s Julith Coffee securing the record-breaking lot.
The Washed Geisha was grown by Hacienda La Esmerelda in Boquete, Chiriquí. The total price for the 20-kilogram lot was US$604,080.
The amount paid dwarfs that of the last record-breaking Washed Geisha lot price, set in 2024 by the Lamastus Family Estate’s Elida Geisha Natural Vuelta for US$10,013 per kilogram.
Lot GW-01 is the highest scoring Washed Geisha in Panama’s history with a score of 98/100 and was harvested on 7 April 2025. It underwent a 48-hour cold-temperature fermentation followed by climate-controlled drying.
The auction winner, Julith Coffee, won after a total of 549 bids were made on the coffee.
Julith Coffee only opened its doors on 1 August 2025 in Al Quoz, Dubai. It is described as a roastery, brew lounge, concept store, and social space. Three-time Turkish Barista Champion and former Turkish Coffee Roasting Champion Serkan Sağsöz is Julith’s Head Roaster.
The second-highest scoring coffee in the a Washed Geisha category was produced by Finca Sophia Olympus. It scored 96.25/100 and sold for $7163 per kilogram to Shanghai XULV International Trading Company for Alto Coffee.
Lot GW-01 was not the only success at auction for Hacienda La Esmerelda, however. The esteemed estate also sold a 20-kilogram lot Natural Geisha with a score of 97/100, lot GN-01, to JD.com for US$23,608 per kilogram.
It also sold the most expensive coffee in the Varietals category, with its Laurina lot V-01 fetching US$8040 per kilogram from Beijing Specialty Drink Co., Ltd.
The total value of the 2025 Best of Panama auction finished at more than US$2.8 million with a weighted average price of US$2861.20.
The Best of Panama is an annual competition for specialty coffee growers, where producers must submit coffees for evaluation by a national and international jury. The top-scoring coffees are then auctioned off each year. It is organised by the Specialty Coffee Association.
