What are the Flavor Characteristics of Geisha 1931 Variety? Hand-brewed Geisha Village 1931 Geisha Experience Sharing

About Geisha Village

Geisha Village is the name of a coffee estate, with its English name being Geisha Village Coffee Estate. The founders of Geisha Village Estate are the Overton couple (documentary director Adam Overton and his photographer wife Rachel Samuel).

Unlike most village-based cooperative production in Africa, Geisha Village is a large-scale coffee plantation estate managed by documentary director Adam Overton and his wife Rachel Samuel. In 2007, while filming a coffee documentary for the Ethiopian government, they first encountered the coffee forest where Geisha was discovered. After consulting with some judges and consultants in the Panamanian coffee industry, the couple traveled to the Bench Maji region, the birthplace of Geisha, in 2011, hoping to explore the most original Geisha coffee.

Adam followed Willem Boot, a BOP judge, in searching for native Geisha trees in the Gori Gesha forest. Among a patch of wild coffee trees, they discovered wild Geisha coffee trees, collected seeds, and returned to Geisha Village for screening and began cultivation and planting. The couple established the Geisha Village Coffee Estate, covering nearly 500 hectares, near the Gori Gesha forest.

Most local coffee production in Ethiopia consists of small-scale farming, with relatively small coffee yields and green bean processing facilities. In contrast, Geisha Village Estate is a large-scale farm. Adam and Rachel established their own washed processing plant and laboratory. The estate grows only Geisha varieties. After referencing the standardized cultivation methods of some Geisha-growing estates in Panama, the couple numbered and recorded different planting plots in detail for later organization and flavor traceability.

Through the estate owner's plot division, we can see that the western part of Geisha Village Estate is planted at higher altitudes, especially the OMA, SURMA, and SHEWA-JIBABU plots, with elevations between 1900-2069 meters, with SHEWA-JIBABU having the highest average elevation. The southern side of the estate has a relatively higher shade ratio, while the northern side receives longer sunlight exposure. Among the estate's eight plots, Adam selected the most suitable variety for each plot based on microclimate differences such as altitude, soil conditions, and shade conditions, ensuring that each plot can develop different flavor characteristics.

Geisha Village Varieties

Currently, the estate's coffee varieties come from the Gori Geisha Forest, with three main categories of coffee varieties: one is Gori Geisha, another is Geisha 1931, and the third is the non-Geisha variety Illubabor Forest, as shown in the figure below:

Gori Geisha and Geisha 1931 share the same lineage as Panamanian Geisha varieties but are still not identical varieties. Among them, Geisha 1931 exhibits characteristics very similar to Panamanian Geisha, while Illubabor is a disease-resistant variety provided by the Ethiopian research institute.

Is Geisha 1931 a Geisha?

Before explaining Geisha Village, we need to first talk about the origin history of Geisha. Historically, Geisha was discovered in 1931 on Geisha Mountain in southern Ethiopia (coincidentally sharing the same pronunciation as the Japanese word "geisha") and was exported to Kenya. I believe everyone reading this should now understand why this coffee variety is called "Geisha 1931" - Geisha 1931 is actually Geisha, with the following numbers simply representing that this is the Geisha variety discovered in 1931.

Is Gori Geisha a Geisha?

Geisha Village Estate is located in the Bench-Maji region in southwestern Ethiopia, near South Sudan. Near the estate, there is a forest called Gori Geisha. The estate collected seeds from native Geisha trees, screened them, and then planted and cultivated them within the estate. The varieties planted and cultivated are what later became Geisha 1931 and Gori Geisha. Therefore, in a broad sense, you can consider Gori Geisha to be Geisha, as there is a certain genetic consistency.

However, in a narrow sense, Geisha 1931 is what we generally consider to be the Geisha variety.

Geisha Village Gold Label

Geisha Village Gold Label Geisha is a batch frequently purchased by competition participants worldwide and quality-conscious roasters, accounting for about 10% of the estate's annual production, with detailed traceability information. FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Label Geisha batch exhibits complex and rich flavors. During cupping, one can appreciate the charm of this Geisha batch - whether it's the unique dry aroma or the sipping flavors, mouthfeel, and aftertaste, all leave a lasting impression on the palate.

Leveraging its unique geographical advantages, Geisha Village's primary processing method is natural processing. Because the main harvest season at Geisha Village Estate is from December to March of the following year, which coincides with the dry season in this region with minimal rainfall, the estate can fully utilize this natural drying method for processing coffee beans. Geisha Village's traditional natural processing involves spreading freshly harvested coffee cherries evenly on traditional African drying beds, allowing them to receive equal exposure to sunlight. During this period, the cherries need to be turned periodically to avoid over-fermentation that could impart negative flavors to the coffee. The drying cycle takes approximately 21-40 days until the moisture content reduces to 12%, at which point the dried beans undergo hulling.

FrontStreet Coffee: Geisha Village Estate · Gold Label Geisha Coffee Beans

Origin: Ethiopia, Bench Maji Region

Estate: Geisha Village Estate, Oma Plot

Altitude: 1900-2040 meters

Variety: Geisha 1931

Processing Method: Natural Processing

Flavor Notes: Citrus, Berries, Cream, Caramel, Honeydew Melon, Honey

Gold Label Geisha Brewing Recommendations

Considering that Geisha Village Gold Label is a light-roasted, fruit-acid type coffee, FrontStreet Coffee prioritizes using fast-flowing drippers when brewing. This is because lightly roasted coffee beans have less expansion, harder bean texture, and easily release very fine particles during grinding. During the water pouring stage, these fine particles settle to the bottom first, causing blockages in the later stages. Coffee brewed this way often has flat aroma and cloudy mouthfeel. Therefore, it's best to pair with a fast-flowing dripper, such as the V60 that FrontStreet Coffee most commonly uses. Its spiral rib design allows coffee grounds to better release gas, while maximizing the volatilization and dissolution of acidic aroma compounds. The large filter hole at the bottom further accelerates the water flow rate.

Secondly, the brewing water temperature should not exceed 93°C or be below 90°C. According to FrontStreet Coffee's brewing experience, if you want bright, uplifting acidity and a tea-like aftertaste, you can brew at 90°C-91°C; while if you want full, robust fruit acidity and enhanced body, you can use water temperature of 92°C-93°C.

Furthermore, since the grind size parameter affects total extraction time, FrontStreet Coffee typically determines whether the grind setting is correct by combining extraction time and coffee flavor. It's quite simple: if brewing 15g of coffee using a three-stage pour method takes less than 1 minute 40 seconds, and the taste is sharp, sour, and thin, it indicates the particles are too coarse and the coffee is under-extracted; if it takes more than 2 minutes 20 seconds, and the coffee becomes bitter, astringent, heavy, and dull, it may be ground too fine causing over-extraction.

As for the coffee-to-water ratio, FrontStreet Coffee believes that 1:15 to 1:16 are both acceptable. If you want the coffee to lean towards oolong tea and berry-like richness, use 1:15; if you want to more clearly perceive white floral notes and citrus acidity, you can use 1:16 to allow the flavors to disperse more.

Three-Stage Pour Technique Explanation

For the first stage, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. Start timing as you pour, using a small water stream to pour from the center point outward in a circular motion, ensuring you moisten the entire coffee bed.

After 30 seconds, begin pouring the second stage of 95g water with a slightly larger, steady stream to raise the entire coffee bed. The water stream needs to be poured vertically and evenly. At this point, the timer scale should show 125g, and pouring should be completed in about 55 seconds.

When the water level drops to about halfway, start pouring the third stage of 100g using a small stream in small circles. Try to control the water stream to not be too large, as this can easily disperse the coffee bed and cause under-extraction. The final total pour amount should be 225g, with the drip completion time around 2 minutes.

This brewing technique brings out not only the elegant flavors of blueberry, sweet cherry, honeydew melon, and magnolia in Geisha Village Gold Label, but also bright, clean, and elegant overall fruit acidity. As the temperature slightly decreases, it begins to reveal a unique aftertaste reminiscent of small green tangerine tea.

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