Article written: September 25, 2026
How much did Panama’s best coffee sell for this year? Up to $18,004 per kilogram. That was the winning bid for a washed Geisha from Lamastus Family Estates at the 30th Best of Panama auction, which closed on September 24, 2026.
The 15-kilogram lot, Elida Geisha Torre, sold for $270,060 to Chinese e-commerce group JD.com. The full auction of 50 lots brought in $3,041,940.
What Is the Best of Panama Auction?
Best of Panama is the annual competition and online auction run by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP). Farms submit their top lots, which are scored by national and international judges. Only the highest-scoring coffees make it to the auction.
This year’s auction opened at 6:00 p.m. Panama time on September 23 and ran for about 19 and a half hours. It featured 750 kilograms of coffee split into 50 lots of 15 kilograms each:
- 20 washed Geishas, scored between 92.50 and 96.25 points
- 20 natural Geishas, scored between 92.13 and 95.63 points
- 10 other varieties, scored between 89.13 and 93.63 points
For the first time, SCAP used genetic testing to confirm that coffees entered in the non-Geisha category contained no Geisha beans.
Which Coffees Sold for the Highest Prices?
Five Geisha lots topped $10,000 per kilogram:
| Rank | Lot | Producer | Price per kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elida Geisha Torre (washed) | Lamastus Family Estates | $18,004 |
| 2 | Lérida Waterfall Geisha Natural | Finca Lérida | $13,505 |
| 3 | Geisha Natural | Hacienda La Esmeralda | $10,024 |
| 4 | Geisha Washed | Hacienda La Esmeralda | $10,014 |
| 5 | Elida Geisha Vuelta Natural | Lamastus Family Estates | $10,008 |
The Elida Geisha Vuelta Natural went to The Espresso Lab of Dubai. Every one of the 40 Geisha lots sold for more than $1,500 per kilogram.
In the varieties category, prices ranged from $897 to $4,216 per kilogram. The top lot was a Laurina from Hacienda La Esmeralda.
Who Bought Panama’s Coffee?
More than 256 buyers were approved to take part. In the end, 83 bidders from 21 countries placed bids, and 29 buyers from 11 countries won lots.
Asian and Middle Eastern buyers dominated:
| Country | Lots won | Share of total sales |
|---|---|---|
| China | 20 | 38% |
| Japan | 6 | 16% |
| United Arab Emirates | 9 | 13% |
| South Korea | 3 | 10% |
How Does 2026 Compare With Last Year’s Record?
This year’s top price did not match 2025, when a washed Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda set a world record of $30,204 per kilogram, bought by Dubai-based Julith Coffee.
Overall sales, however, were higher. The 2025 auction’s 50 lots generated just over $2.86 million. This year’s 50 lots brought in $3.04 million, an increase of roughly 6%, with a weighted average of $4,055.92 per kilogram.
SCAP officials and producers pointed to that average, rather than the single top bid, as the better measure of how the market values Panamanian coffee.
The Best of Panama auction is separate from Hacienda La Esmeralda’s own auction, held in August, where Boquete Geishas sold at a record average of $5,745 per kilogram.
Why Does Chiriquí Produce the World’s Most Expensive Coffee?
Nearly all of the auction’s top lots come from the highlands of Chiriquí province, on the slopes of Volcán Barú around Boquete, Volcán and Renacimiento. High altitude, volcanic soil and cool, misty conditions slow the ripening of the coffee cherry.
The Geisha variety, originally from Ethiopia, became Panama’s signature after Hacienda La Esmeralda first entered it in Best of Panama in 2004. It is known for floral, tea-like flavors that command premium prices from specialty roasters in Asia and the Middle East.
SCAP president Ricardo Koyner has compared the producers’ model to Silicon Valley: rival farms compete on quality but work together to build the country’s reputation. Panama produces about 200,000 quintals of coffee a year, roughly half of it specialty grade.
The Lamastus family has grown coffee in Boquete since 1918. Its Elida Estate in Alto Quiel sits at roughly 1,700 to 1,950 meters above sea level. Wilford Lamastus described the farm’s track record this way: “We don’t always win, but we’ve been on the podium most.”
A Small Harvest With a Global Reach
Panama’s coffee output is tiny next to Brazil, Colombia or Ethiopia. The whole Best of Panama auction held less than a ton of coffee.
Even so, for 30 years it has put the farms around Boquete in front of roasters and buyers around the world. This year, a single 15-kilogram lot from those mountains sold for more than a quarter of a million dollars.
