Panama Coffee Auction
A Panamanian coffee smashed world records this month as a 20-kilogram lot of Washed Geisha beans sold for $604,080 — over $30,000 per kilogram — at the 2025 Best of Panama auction. The winning lot, grown by Hacienda La Esmeralda, earned a competition score of 98/100, the highest ever in the auction’s history. Judges praised its clarity and complex flavor, attributes tied to its 48-hour cold fermentation and precise drying methods.
Panama’s Hacienda La Esmeralda set a $30,204/kg coffee record at Best of Panama 2025, scoring 98/100 for clarity and complex fermentation-driven flavors.
Bidding strategies drove prices skyward as Dubai’s Julith Coffee secured the record-setting lot after 549 bids, nearly triple the number in past years.
The auction saw total sales of $2.86 million, over double 2024’s total, with an average price of $2,861.20 per kilogram. Fifty lots were offered, split between Washed Geisha, Natural Geisha, and experimental varietals. Thirty lots sold for over $1,000 per kilogram, reflecting fierce competition.
The next-highest price went to a Natural Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda, bought by China’s JD.com for $23,608 per kilogram. A Beijing firm claimed the top Laurina varietal at $8,040 per kilogram.
Coffee quality dominated buyer decisions, with judges citing flavor profiles and processing as key factors. Hacienda La Esmeralda produced three of the highest-priced lots, cementing Panama’s reputation for elite specialty beans. Meanwhile, new buyers from the Middle East and Asia fueled bidding wars. Julith Coffee, a Dubai-based roastery opened in August 2025, highlighted demand from luxury markets. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino celebrated the achievement, attributing the results to the country’s focus on innovation and terroir-driven cultivation practices.
Over 18,988 bids poured in globally, setting a participation record.
The auction’s shift to online formats since 2004 has widened its reach, with prices now setting global benchmarks. This year’s winning $30,204 per kilogram shattered 2024’s record of $10,013 for a Natural Geisha.
Analysts note rising averages and totals signal tightening competition for rare coffees. While enthusiasts celebrated the milestone, industry critics questioned whether such extreme prices distort perceptions of coffee’s inherent value, expressing concerns about market sustainability. As climate and fermentation techniques push quality higher, Panama’s auctions remain a critical window into luxury coffee’s future — one sip at a time.
