$80 for a pot of coffee? Campos claims this blend is worth the hype
The Australian coffee roaster is selling 200 tins of the world’s finest Panamanian coffee. But what makes the brew so valuable?
What makes a good coffee? It’s a very subjective question, depending on how you like to drink it. But Campos is banking on “the best coffee they’ve released all year” winning over flat white and long black drinkers alike.
The coffee, which the company picked up at the most recent ‘Best of Panama’ competition, is grown in the highlands of Candela, Panama and is characterised by a “dizzying array of wild tropical fruits like ripe passionfruit” and “balanced by intense layers of pineapple-like sweetness and acidity.” According to the roaster, it’s one of the best coffees ever produced in the world.
Campos, the speciality coffee roaster that’s been keeping Australians caffeinated since 1997, will be selling 50 gram tins of this special ‘Catalina Natural Geisha’ blend for $80 a pop.
If you make your own coffee, you’ll know that 50 grams is a little bit more than what goes into a standard-sized plunger, or French press. A standard plunger yields about three to four cups, depending on the size of your mug, which brings each cup of the ‘Catalina Natural Geisha’ to about $25 each.
Such is the demand for the blend, Campos will be opening it up for pre-sale on Saturday December 5, before it’s made fully available online from December 11. Only 200 tins of this Geisha will be available, and Will Young, Campos’ CEO and founder, is expecting it to sell out quick.
“If you’re into coffee, this is one you want to get your hands on. Many times you might buy an expensive coffee and it won’t blow you away—this one will. It’s one that you can put in front of anyone and they will recognise it as a big and impactful coffee,” says Young. “If we are going to spend big money on big coffees we want them to be big.
“We don’t want a coffee that only experts can discern greatness in. This is an outrageously powerful coffee.”
Apart from its alleged deliciousness, the unique climate the ‘Catalina Natural Geisha’ blend is grown in also contributes to its value. The beans are grown on a small Panamanian farm of 30 hectares, of which only 14.5 hectares is planted coffee. According to Campos, the rest is maintained as undisturbed tropical forest, which promotes a harmonious, regenerative ecosystem.
The section of the crop the $80 beans are picked from is grown beneath the shade of the forest, which means they grow slower (and are therefore harder to mass produce). Shade growth is also thought to enhance the flavour of beans, because the maturation of the cherries takes longer than it would if they were grown in the sun.
Given Young has sampled his fair share of espressos (he’s been the head judge at the Best of Panama competition for the last three years), we’re not about to question his judgment when it comes to a crowd-pleasing coffee. If you’ve got $80 to spend on a quality pot, then, why not treat yourself — or the caffeine addict in your life — to a luxurious drop this Christmas?