The pros: Trader Joe's Geisha Coffee is fancy looking from the outside and super limited in production.
The cons: Expensive for Trader Joe's standards. Trader Joe's Geisha Coffee is close to $40 per pound. If you end up liking this coffee, you might find yourself out of luck finding it. This is a very perfumed coffee from the time you open to the can, to the time you grind, to when you brew which literally might not be everyone's cup of tea coffee.
The verdict: For $19.99 you are getting an 8 ounce can of Trader Joe's Geisha Coffee. While not cheap and is a completely different experience than most coffees I've tried. . However, I'd say save your money. The can is very pretty with its gold details. It should be for its price too. To add an air of exclusivity a label has been placed across the top to let you know that you are the lucky owner of one of only 48 cans allotted to your local Trader Joe's. The Perfect Daily Grind describes a different brand of Geisha coffee and what makes Geisha coffee what it is, but certain things remain constant between the Geisha varieties.
Out of the can, the smell was not like most other coffees. For the first time I took a deep breath of the freshly opened canned and did not like what was going up my nostrils. I brewed some of my regular coffee just in case this coffee was going to be a fail. What was so different about the smell? The coffee smelled of more floral notes than a spring day. Unfortunately, I did not care for the smell at all and braced myself. I ground the coffee and the smell was more of a mix of floral and citrus notes. Still, I was unimpressed.
While the can recommends a french press, I'm old school. I have a glass pyrex coffee pot that I use for my daily cup of coffee. I brewed the aromatic brew. The coffee brewed to the color of the cap of the container which would indicate a solid medium roast. After brewing the smell shifted into almost an orange peel scent and the floral notes had (thankfully) vanished. This coffee is clearly is like a stinky cheese. Once the pungent aromas dissipate, the tastes no longer matches the aroma. There is a good amount of acidity here to remind you that its coffee. My brew did have a distinct citrus element with a hint of sweetness (without adding sugar). I enjoyed this most when it was just warmer than room temperature.
All in all, you are getting an expensive coffee. When you pay a premium price, your expectations are much higher. I did not know what to expect when I first tried this product. But truthfully, for $20 I would have preferred spending that same money on a different floral product: Stew Leonard's Rainbow Roses had the same nose, but brought me far more joy for the same price. I can say I tried it, but I can't say it wowed me or would make me want to hunt this variety down. If you see it (or if you don't), I don't think you will be missing much.
If I had my choice I'd reach for Trader Joe's Tarrazu over this as Trader Joe's Geisha only made a just ok cup of coffee.
The can of Trader Joe's Geisha Coffee:
How to prepare:
How Trader Joe's describes this product:
This product is super limited:
On the inside of the can it appeared to be mostly air:
The coffee next to the container:
Would I buy this again? Each can is numbered. Each store according to the can only gets a total delivery of 48 cans. I got can #40. I'm pretty sure by the weekend at my local Trader Joe's this product will no longer be on the shelves. However, I'm not impressed by Trader Joe's Geisha Coffee. Sadly, it had a lot of nose and I'm happy to stick my nose up at it.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
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