“Most expensive coffee to try in Singapore”
Renowned bean fanatics, the folk at Geisha Coffee brew a seriously good cup of coffee in a trendy district of Bencoolen Street, one of the many favourite hangout spots for students of LASELLE, since it’s located right opposite the school.
This is where I drank the most expensive black coffee in my life, at SGD $15 a cup. The shop is also named after the Esmeralda Geisha, a variety of coffee originating from Panama.
Celebrated for its cozy, casual vibe, this intimate café is an all-in-one coffee shop and roastery. Considering coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, the people here take their beans very seriously, this is the place to indulge in true artisanal coffee.
Geisha uses a small Japanese bean roaster, which is part manual and part automatic.
Panama Esmeralda Geisha Coffee ($15). Considered one of the world’s most expensive and sought after coffees, the Esmeralda Special is sold only through a privately held, international auction for roasters. Price this cup is sold at adjusts yearly according to how much they win the auction price at. The Esmeralda Geisha has won multiple first place awards in Specialty Coffee Of America Roaster’s Guild competitions, and the Best of Panama competitions.
Intense, complex with aromatic fruity notes in the aroma, the coffee is very smooth to drink. The finish was slightly dry but very flavoured with a sweet-potato aftertaste.
It tasted more like tea to me than coffee, and even though it’s the most expensive black coffee I’ve ever drank, I can scarcely appreciate the subtleties of it. Get the barista to explain it and you can appreciate it that bit more.
Indonesia Mandheling Sumatra Tiger 19 ($6). Featuring an unusual flavour profile and very low acidity, the Sumatra coffee is very easy on the nose, yet robust in taste. There is a slight hint of herbs present, and an overall earthy aftertaste.
Latte ($4.5). Made from a blend, the crema to coffee ratio to Geisha’s latte has been honestly one of the best I’ve had. Slight cocoa notes will be in the initial taste, very low acidity overall. The milk might be slightly overwhelming to some, however it subsides upon entering the mouth.
If you consider yourself a coffee connoisseur, you won’t want to miss out on Geisha Specialty Coffee and their exceptional brews. Geisha coffee’s true business is back-end coffee bean supplying though, so the shop is decidedly small. More for showcasing their coffee beans rather than to act as a cafe. This is the kind of true indie hipster cafe not much people have heard of yet.
The cafe is also kind of elusive located at the back of Burlington Square as if it didn’t want to be found.
