Is Gesha losing its grip on coffee competitions?
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes Key takeaways Gesha still dominates coffee competitions, but its lead is narrowing. Competitors increasingly blend Gesha with other coffee varieties....
Varieties
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Recent Articles
July 22, 2026The push for novel varieties is bringing overlooked coffees back into the spotlight
March 5, 2026The rise of exotic and African varieties in El Salvador
October 29, 2024Just how much diversity is there within Gesha in Panama?
April 22, 2024The Papayo variety: Why you might see this coffee at competitions
February 7, 2024Chiroso: An up-and-coming competition coffee?
August 26, 2026
Is Gesha losing its grip on coffee competitions?
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes Key takeaways Gesha still dominates coffee competitions, but its lead is narrowing. Competitors increasingly blend Gesha with other coffee varieties. Non-Gesha varieties now win major competitions, including Global Coffee Awards and Cup of Excellence. Local terroir and careful processing help other varieties beat Gesha. Gesha has dominated global coffee competitions for the past two years. Most finalists used the variety at the 2025 World Barista… read more
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes Key takeaways Gesha still dominates coffee competitions, but its lead is narrowing. Competitors increasingly blend Gesha with other coffee varieties. Non-Gesha varieties now win major competitions, including Global Coffee Awards and Cup of Excellence. Local… read more
The push for novel varieties is bringing overlooked coffees back into the spotlight
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes Key takeaways Gesha has returned to dominance at recent coffee competitions. Price volatility has slowed the wider release of new...
The rise of exotic and African varieties in El Salvador
Key takeaways Bourbon and Pacamara define El Salvador’s coffee identity. Traditional African varieties like Gesha and SL28 are becoming increasingly popular. New high-quality varieties help...
Just how much diversity is there within Gesha in Panama?
The story of Gesha is a remarkable one. According to World Coffee Research, this highly sought-after variety was initially found in the forests of Ethiopia...
The Papayo variety: Why you might see this coffee at competitions
Although it’s still a niche market, interest in rare and exclusive varieties has certainly been growing in recent years. In some cases, it’s the mystery...
Chiroso: An up-and-coming competition coffee?
In recent years, demand for rare and exclusive varieties has increased in specialty coffee – mostly as a result of their presence at high-level coffee...
Panama, Colombia, Ethiopia: There is no “best” origin for Gesha coffee
For 20 years, Gesha has remained one of the most sought-after varieties in the world. After its meteoric rise to specialty coffee fame in 2004,...
Ultra-rare coffee varieties: How they rise and fall
It all started with Gesha. In 2004, Hacienda la Esmeralda entered one of its Gesha varieties into the annual Best of Panama auction. It sold...
Pink Bourbon: a new darling of specialty coffee?
It’s no secret that the specialty coffee sector loves new and exciting arabica varieties – and this is most notable at competitions. During the final...
What is Typica Mejorado & will it become more popular in coffee shops?
Time after time at the World Barista Championship, competitors have been using more exclusive and rare coffee varieties and species. We’ve seen this in 2015...
What is the AC1 coffee variety & could it become more popular?
In recent years, interest in naturally low-caffeine varieties has certainly grown. We have seen more and more low-caf coffees like Laurina and Aramosa available in...
What is Ombligon coffee & could it become more popular?
In recent years, specialty coffee’s fixation with unusual and rare coffees has only been growing. This fascination is particularly noticeable at the World Barista Championship,...
Are single origin coffees actually “better” than blends?
In practically every third wave coffee shop around the world, you’ll find at least one single origin available as espresso or filter. Both coffee professionals...
What is Maragogipe & how big is the market for it in specialty coffee?
Within the specialty coffee market, there are a growing number of more exclusive and highly-prized coffee species and varieties. One of the most notable is...
A guide to the Ruiru 11 coffee variety
According to the International Coffee Organisation, Kenya produced 775,000 60kg bags of coffee in 2020 – making it Africa’s fifth-largest coffee growing country that year....
What is Sidra coffee?
Over the past few years, there has been a growing trend of using rare coffee species and arabica varieties in World Coffee Championship (WCC) routines....