Ethiopia Coffee | Gesha Village | Gori Gesha 1931 Natural Auction Lot #26

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Ethiopia Gesha Village Coffee Estate - Gori Gesha Natural Auction Lot #26

Origin Country: Ethiopia

Region: Bench Maji Zone, SNNPR Region

Sub-region: Gori Gesha Forest

Estate: Gesha Village Coffee Estate

Owners: Adam Overton/Rachel Samuel

Altitude: 1900-2100 meters

Variety: Gori Gesha

Annual Rainfall: 1500-2000mm

Processing Method: Natural

Flavor Notes: Strawberry, peach, wine-like notes, sweet sensation

Brewing Recommendation: Various pour-over methods

Brew Ratio: 1:16

Water Temperature: 93-96°C

Extraction Rate: 20-21%

Gesha Village Coffee Estate 2017 International Auction

Only a few estates in the world can host their own auctions, the most famous being Panama's La Esmeralda, Guatemala's Injerto, Brazil's Daterra, Nicaragua's Mierisch, and Ethiopia's Gesha Village.

Gesha Village Coffee Estate is completely different from most Ethiopian farms. It is not a small farm but a large 500-hectare estate with its own washing station and laboratory, located in the southwest near the Sudan border. What is most special is that the entire farm grows only Geisha varieties, not the typical Ethiopian native varieties of uncertain origin. Gesha Village divides the farm into 8 blocks with 3 main Geisha varieties, all sourced from nearby forests rather than from Panama.

Construction of the farm began in October 2011, with the first harvest in 2015. Due to enthusiastic responses from all sides, and with the assistance of Panama coffee estate owner Willem Boot, they held their first international auction on May 31, 2017, offering 21 micro-lots, 19 of which were 120 kilograms each, with a few smaller lots. Bidders from Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia responded with unexpected enthusiasm, with the final winning bid reaching $85 per pound — breaking all previous African coffee auction prices.

Among these 21 micro-lots, 15 were natural processed and the others washed, coming from 7 different micro-blocks. Canada's Hatch also took part in this auction and successfully won the natural processed Gori Gesha variety from Shewa-Jibabu.

The Story of Gesha Village Coffee Estate

Before meeting Willem Boot, Adam Overton had a vague dream of buying a farm in Ethiopia to grow the world's most delicious coffee — Geisha.

Why Ethiopia? Because Ethiopia is said to be the original home of Geisha. In the last century, Geisha seeds were brought from the depths of local primary forests and eventually made their way to Panama. It wasn't until the early 2000s that Geisha became a coffee that amazed the world. Another factor was that his wife, Rachel Samuel, is Ethiopian.

Adam had absolutely no coffee growing experience. His profession was documentary filmmaker, and Rachel was a professional photographer. In 2007, they were commissioned to Ethiopia to shoot a coffee documentary. From then on they fell in love with coffee and became determined to buy a coffee estate.

In 2009, they met Willem Boot. Three years earlier, Willem Boot had bought Panama's La Mula estate to grow Geisha. To learn from his experience, the couple flew from Ethiopia's capital to Panama to visit La Mula and learn from him. At the time, no one knew that this small estate would shine brilliantly in the "Best of Panama" competition five years later.

Learning from Willem Boot was a major turning point for Adam and Rachel's dream, strengthening their determination to establish their own Geisha estate. Since they lived in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, they initially looked for places nearby that would be easier for labor and transportation. However, to meet the conditions for growing Geisha — altitude, microclimate, and every other factor — they found themselves looking farther and farther away, eventually reaching Ethiopia's most remote southwest, bordering Sudan.

This region is Bench-Maji, a two-day drive from Addis Ababa. Nearby are several villages called "Gesha," also considered the most likely original home of Geisha. Bench-Maji was isolated from the world, with few outsiders entering until roads were built a few years ago. The local Meanit indigenous people have their own language, and they call all outsiders "China."

Accompanied by locals, Adam and Rachel climbed high into the mountains. The moment they saw that place, they immediately fell in love with the land — an extremely high altitude of 1900-2100 meters, abundant rainfall, suitable temperature patterns, fertile undeveloped primary forest soil, and a long-standing coffee-growing ecosystem with ancient coffee trees. After three years of searching, they finally found a foothold on this dreamland. They gave it a simple name: "Gesha Village Coffee Estate."

In October 2011, the farm broke ground. Willem Boot served as their consultant and flew to the estate. What he saw looked less like a thriving farm than camping on grassland. To guard against approaching lions, watchtowers were built on the farm for early warning. To explore the forest, they needed to carry AK-47 rifles for protection against fierce wild animals, accompanied by indigenous people carrying spears.

Almost simultaneously, however, there was a breakthrough in finding suitable Geisha varieties for planting. Willem Boot and Adam discovered wild Geisha in a primary forest not far from the estate that was very similar in form to Panama Geisha — whether in cherry shape or branch growth pattern, they were comparable. The growing environment was deeply shaded, with thousands of coffee shrubs growing in clusters and coffee flowers blooming profusely. The air was filled with an unbelievably strong jasmine fragrance. Willem Boot recalled feeling as if he were "in heaven."

The forest they discovered was called Gori Gesha Wild Coffee Forest, only 20 kilometers from the estate. Adam believes this forest is the same source from which the famous 1930 Panama Geisha was collected. Willem Boot also believed these trees were very similar to the Geisha he planted at La Mula, with Geisha beans having both green and bronze tips. In February 2012, Willem Boot returned to the estate again, and the estate's Geisha varieties were finally determined.

In 2015, Gesha Village Ethiopia had its first harvest. With anxious hearts, they took the first batch of processed green beans to Willem Boot for cupping. The cupping result turned out to be the best cup Willem Boot had tasted all year.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online shop services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For anyone captivated by Gesha Village's story, FrontStreet Coffee carries two bottlings from this rare Ethiopian estate, both graded by the estate's own system. The Gesha Village Gold Label belongs to the Gesha 1931 variety, which makes up 10% of the village's total production and represents its top coffee outside the auction — often chosen by internationally competing baristas. Naturally processed with great care, it offers complex, layered flavors and a standout dry aroma, leaving a lasting impression on the palate and in the finish. The Gesha Village Red Label belongs to the Gori Gesha variety, accounts for 15% of production, scores 88 or above on the SCA 100-point scale, and is part of the estate's single-terroir series, so every lot carries full traceability including block name, variety, and processing date.

Ethiopia has other excellent Geisha options too. The FrontStreet Granada Estate Geisha comes from a single-variety farm at the border of Ethiopia's Kochere and Genlana Abaya producing areas; it is hand-picked from fully ripe cherries and dried on raised beds for 14-20 days depending on the weather, then roasted medium-light to reveal bright citrus acidity, elegant ginger-flower aromas, and ripe-fruit sweetness with a fine, silky finish and Geisha's signature refined aftertaste. Meanwhile, at the entry level, the FrontStreet Boquete Geisha from Panama lets newcomers taste the archetypal Geisha profile — orange-blossom honey, an oolong-tea body, and delicate fruit acidity — at a very reasonable price.

To get the most from any Geisha, FrontStreet suggests treating it as a medium-light, floral-fruity coffee with dense, hard beans that can sink and clog the dripper. Grind to about 78% passing a China standard #20 sieve (roughly fine caster sugar) and brew at 91°C with 15 g of coffee and a 1:16 ratio in a small Hario V60 using a three-pour method: a 30 g bloom for 30 seconds, a second gentle circular pour to 125 g, then a final pour to 225 g once the bed has dropped halfway, for a total extraction of about 2:10-2:20. FrontStreet also offers the Strawberry Candy blend, pairing Costa Rican honey-process coffee with Panama Geisha for delicate florals and sweet fruit, which suits pour-over, moka pot, espresso machine, and cold brew.