A 20-year celebration. A legend returns.

For 20 years, KAFFA has been on the hunt for the world's best coffee experiences. Now, you can experience one of the very best. To mark our anniversary, we've been given a unique opportunity through our 20-year friendship with the Peterson family at the legendary Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama.

They are the farm that changed coffee history. And this autumn, they set another world record when a lot was sold for over 300,000 NOK per kilogram.
We have now secured two exclusive lots from the same farm, solely for this occasion. We are launching 40 unique tasting kits as a tribute to a journey that began when KAFFA, the first in Europe, introduced Geisha coffee to this part of the world.

Order our exclusive Hacienda la Esmeralda anniversary kit here.

In 2005, we started a journey. Driven by a passion for coffee and a dream of sharing the world's best ingredients with Norway, world barista champion Robert Thoresen founded KAFFA. Now, 20 years later, we celebrate two decades of unforgettable taste experiences, strong bonds with coffee farmers, and a burning commitment to quality. 

Hacienda La Esmeralda is the farm that changed the history of specialty coffee.

In 2004, the Peterson family from Hacienda La Esmeralda (HLE) in the Boquete Valley, Panama, shocked the entire coffee industry when, in the national Best of Panama competition, they presented a lot of Geisha from their Jaramillo farm. The profile was intensely floral, with jasmine and bergamot in the aroma, combined with crystal-clear notes of tropical fruit and citrus, which was completely unexpected for coffee from this part of the world. The lot was sold for 21 USD/lb, an unheard-of price at the time. In the years that followed, HLE repeatedly broke its own records, both in quality and auction prices, and in August this year, the farm once again made history when they won all three Geisha categories in Best of Panama, including a washed processed lot from their Cañas Verdes farm that scored 98 points and sold for an incredible 30,204 USD/kg. Another world record set!

From an early visit to Hacienda la Esmeralda in 2008:

This development not only demonstrates Geisha's position as the world's most sought-after coffee species but also how the Peterson family has elevated Panama to a leading nation in precision agriculture for coffee, pioneering processing methods, and achieving quality and price records as a result. Their farms, Jaramillo, Cañas Verdes, and El Velo, bring forth different profiles of Geisha coffee determined by terroir and processing techniques.

KAFFA has been part of this journey from the very beginning. As the first buyer in ALL of Europe, we thus introduced Geisha to this part of the world. Since then, we have maintained a long and close relationship with the Peterson family, as well as with other influential and acclaimed coffee farmers in this region.
For most of KAFFA's 20 years, we have had coffee from Esmeralda on our menu. 

This autumn, especially to commemorate KAFFA's own 20th anniversary, we are proud to continue the story with HLE and have had the opportunity to purchase two different lots from a specific plot on their Cañas Verdes farm:

• Washed Geisha, showcasing the crystal-clear floral notes and layered freshness that made the species famous. 

• Natural Geisha, with a richer spectrum of tropical fruit, remarkable sweetness, and great depth.

Both lots are from the Gigante parcel, located at around 2000 masl, and are processed using HLE's characteristic temperature-controlled fermentation and precise drying protocol, factors that are key to the uniquely clean and clear flavors.

Read more and order here

For KAFFA, this launch is not just about offering a rare and exclusive coffee, but about continuing a nearly 20-year relationship with the Peterson family, and giving the Norwegian public access to taste coffee that has forever changed what coffee can be.

This is not just our celebration – it's a thank you to you who have been part of the journey. Discover the history, taste iconic coffees, and join us as we toast to the next 20 years.

Old man Pierce actually has a PhD in neurochemistry from the USA, but has now, in many ways, run the farm he inherited in Panama for over 50 years:

Order our Hacienda la Esmeralda anniversary kit here.

This is a chance to taste a piece of coffee history. 
Sales start now and only pre-orders will be accepted. 

Read more about the history of Hacienda la Esmeralda here.