In 2019, Hilary Clark and husband Tamas Christmas, co-owners of Dragonfly Coffee Roasters (based in Boulder, Colorado), would take home the prestigious title of “2019 Roaster of the Year” by “Roast” magazine.
In addition, being listed in “Forbes” list of “12 Best Coffee Roasters in the United States”.
The couple began their business in 2011 and prided itself on sourcing many coffee directly from farmers and producer organizations as possible.
While a small roasting company, believing in paying the top dollar for some of the world’s highest quality or unique green coffees.
In 2017, their roasted coffee from Yemen earned the top spot on CoffeeReview’s “Top 30 Coffees in 2017” and consistently producing high rated coffee since then.
Christman was a chemical engineer with a computer science background said in an interview, “Exposure to exceptional coffee leads to a higher level of consumer appreciation”.
And with his background as a chemical engineer, Christman said, “Coffee undergoes a chemical reaction while being roasted. The way you drive that reaction will affect aromas and taste. You have to understand the bean, which may have different levels of water content”.
The couple provide their customers an experience of the trade partnerships he has with coffee growers and also educating those who want to know about the different cultivars, responsible ways of growing and harvesting to be able to produce high quality coffee beans.
In fact, Dragonfly Coffee Roasters has a roastery tasting room, so coffee lovers can experience rare and unique offerings.
Currently, their 2020 harvest of Panama Geisha – Elida Estate Green Tip, the Best of Panama Winner of 2018 and 2019 (1st place in both Natural & Washed processing categories two consecutive years in a row!) are the best coffee in the world and also one of the most expensive coffees offered in America at $175 for 8 oz.
The coffee scored 98 points on Coffee Review in 2019 and for those who are not familiar with CoffeeReview’s rating system, rarely do you see coffee gets scored more than 95 points. 98 points is a rarity, which shows what makes their Green Tip Geisha quite special.
I first discovered Geisha coffee back in 2016 by the “Godfather of Japanese Coffee”, Kunitomo Eiichi. At the time, he was raving about his Gesha coffee from Ethiopia and it was the most expensive coffee which he offered at his well-known coffee shop in Tokyo. And I became hooked.
Geisha/Gesha is a variety of coffee which was discovered in Gesha, Ethiopia. A coffee known for its floral aroma and discovered in the 1930s i the mountainous Gesha region of southwestern Ethiopia, seeds were collected in 1936 and planted in Tazmania, Costa Rica and cultivation was later brought to Panama in the ’60s.
Gesha gained popularity in 2004 when it was entered in the “Best of Panama” coffee competition and was sold for $21 per pound. In 2019, it was sold for $1029 per pound (unroasted). Currently, Elida Natural Geisha 1029 is the most expensive coffee in the world at $100 for 18 grams, $100 a cup or $2522 per round roasted. At an auction, 100 pounds of Elida Natural Geisha sold for $102,900.
For those not ready to spend that much on the Elida Estate Green Tip coffee can get their affordable Africa/Panama Geisha Highlands Blend. Which is 75% washed bourbon and 25% natural geisha.
This is a new offering from Dragonfly Coffee Roasters who wanted to introduce an affordable introduction to the floral complexity and the profound sensory wonders of the crown jewel cultivar of Arabica – Geisha.
75% are coffee beans from a washed process of Bourbon Arabica – East Africa (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi) and 25% of natural (dry) process Geisha Arabica from Panama and is a light roast.
You will be captivated by its high-toned floral aroma, candied citrus acidity, notes of tea-rose, jasmine, plum and peach candy, leading to a smooth milk chocolate body and soft finish.
Tasting it, I’m hit with the plum and peach (at first, I was thinking rum) and afterward, the smooth milk chocolate finish that is unique in flavor.
I will say this is a delicious blend of the East African Bourbon Arabica and Panama Geisha Arabica. It’s affordable and is worth purchasing if you are a coffee connoisseur and at $22.50 for 12 oz., it’s not expensive at all.
But when it comes to Geisha, there are coffee lovers and those who purchase around their budget that works for them and there are coffee lovers who want to try the best and seek out the best around the world and are adventurous enough that you kind of feel incomplete until you try it.
The Africa/Panama Geisha Highlands Blend is quite delicious, but I know deep in my heart, while I am enjoying this East African/Geisha blend, the Geisha which Dragonfly Coffee Roasters is known for is the Elida Estate 2019 Green Tip Geisha which I need to try…someday.
