Introduction to Ethiopian Gesha Coffee Flavor Profile & Characteristics of Gesha Village Coffee

In the past, when coffee enthusiasts wanting to taste Geisha coffee came to FrontStreet Coffee to order Geisha, the barista at FrontStreet Coffee would carefully ask, "Do you mean the Ethiopian Geisha or the Panamanian Geisha?" Most people would be confused about the differences between these two Geishas. Today, Panamanian Geisha has become increasingly famous, and when someone mentions Geisha, they generally refer to Panamanian Geisha. Meanwhile, the Geisha from Gesha Village has been forgotten in a corner. Today, FrontStreet Coffee wants to introduce everyone to the ancestor of Panamanian Geisha—Ethiopian Geisha.

Let's start by telling everyone about the spread history of Geisha. The Geisha variety was first discovered in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia in 1931; in 1932, it was sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya; in 1936, it was transplanted to Tanzania and Uganda; in 1953, it moved to Colombia; and in the 1960s, it was introduced to Panama.

However, as early as 90 years ago when the Geisha variety was discovered, Ethiopian official archives described its flavor as "unpleasant." Even after arriving in Panama, the Geisha variety remained obscure for over 40 years before emerging at the 2003 Best of Panama (BOP) competition. It won the BOP championship in 2004, and only after expert identification was it confirmed to be the Ethiopian Geisha variety.

Origin Introduction

Ethiopia

Speaking of Ethiopia, coffee has been integrated into this country's social structure, culture, and economy for hundreds of years. In Ethiopia, coffee is their culture and also an important source of income for most people. The country is not only the origin of the Geisha variety but also the world's recognized birthplace of coffee. It is highly esteemed in the specialty coffee market—you can find Ethiopian coffee in any specialty coffee shop, and FrontStreet Coffee is no exception.

Ethiopia is mainly divided into nine major coffee-producing regions: Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Limu, Harar, Jimma, Illubabor, Gimbi and Lekempti, Teppi and Bebeka, and the shores of Lake Tana.

Bench Maji Region

The Bench Maji region, also known as the Bebeka region, is easy to explain: Bench Maji Zone is a zone under the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, and Bebeka Town is the capital of Bench Maji Zone. Bench Maji covers an area of 23,442.76 square kilometers, bordered by Sudan to the west, the Gambela Region to the northwest, and the South Omo Region to the east. This region has a renowned estate—Gesha Village Coffee Estate. The Geisha coffee trees at Gesha Village Coffee Estate are said to have been found in the wild forests of Bench Maji.

Gesha Village Estate

In 2007, documentary director Adam Overton and his photographer wife Rachel Samuel were invited by the Ethiopian government to shoot a documentary about Ethiopian coffee. During filming, they came into contact with the Gera forest in Bench Maji, rediscovering this Ethiopian land while conceiving the idea of establishing their own coffee estate and brand.

In 2009, the couple was blessed by fortune when they met the famous Don Pachi Estate owner and BOP judge Willem Boot. Willem Boot's idea of "returning to Ethiopia to find the birthplace of Geisha" provided an opportunity for the couple. In 2011, they returned to Bench Maji, where several areas were called Gesha Village and were the most likely places to find the original Geisha variety.

Adam followed Willem on expeditions into the surrounding forests, discovering multiple wild coffee tree varieties in a jungle surrounded by dense forests. The most exciting discovery was the original Geisha variety. They collected seeds from the original Geisha trees, screened them, and then planted them in Gesha Village. They decided to establish an estate here, naming it Gesha Village Coffee Estate.

Gesha Village Estate covers approximately 471 hectares, with about 320 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation and brown-red loam soil. The planting density is maintained at 7,000 trees per hectare.

Gesha Village Estate is divided into 8 farms:

Bangi (54 hectares, 1911-2001 meters): Most of the estate's staff come from a community called "Bangi-Chichuru" east of the farm. Coffee produced from this lot has aromas of honeysuckle and spices, with rich flavors of dark chocolate, Mexican mole spices, berries, black tea, brown sugar, and black currant.

Dimma (28.7 hectares, 1966-2019 meters): Named after the famous gold mining town of Dimma located north of the farm. Coffee from this lot has vibrant floral and stone fruit aromas, with sharp and refreshing citrus acidity.

Gaylee (34.8 hectares, 1916-1982 meters): Connected to the Kebele community on the southeast, officially named "Gaylee-Gesha," near the Yetgordon River, which is the water source for Gesha Village. Coffee from this lot has tightly integrated fruit and spice flavors, with intense sweetness of almond, lemongrass, and hibiscus, mixed with jasmine and stone fruit aromas.

Oma (67.6 hectares, 1931-2040 meters): Named after a respected and beloved religious leader from the Meanit area. Coffee from this lot has extraordinary red currant and jasmine aromas, with fruit characteristics of peach, apricot, candied fruit, melon, and satsuma mandarin, with a honey-like sweet aftertaste.

Narsha (5.3 hectares, 1963-1977 meters): Located in the southern part of Gesha Village Estate, named after a fruitful tree within the farm. Coffee from this lot has honeysuckle, yellow fruits, lime, dark chocolate, peach, apricot, and rose notes, with refreshing acidity and a long bergamot aftertaste.

Surma (45.9 hectares, 1909-2063 meters): Overlooking a paradise-like valley landscape, named after the pastoral people "Surma" who live in the southwestern lowlands. Coffee from this lot has delicate jasmine and damask rose aromas, with fruit notes of strawberry, ripe watermelon, and apple, as well as subtle spice flavors.

Shewa-Jibabu (48.5 hectares, 1973-2069 meters): Located in the northern part of the estate, named after a mountain near the farm and the kebele community where some staff come from. Coffee from this lot has flavors of spices, strawberries, ripe peaches, papaya, floral notes, dark chocolate, tamarind, orange, and bergamot.

Shaya (36.5 hectares, 1926-2069 meters): Named after the name of a leader from the Meanit area. Coffee from this lot exudes aromas of jasmine, bergamot, and orange. It has rich dark chocolate, orange juice, iced cherry, molasses, lemon, and berry flavors, with the sweetness of red apples.

Coffee Varieties

Panamanian Geisha and Gesha Village's Geisha are both called Geisha, but the Geisha varieties from these two places are quite different. The Geisha at Gesha Village mainly consists of three varieties: Gori Gesha (GG), Gesha 1931 (G31), and Illubabor Forest 1974 (IF).

Gori Gesha (GG)

This variety replicates the genetic diversity found within the Gori Gesha coffee forest.

Gesha 1931 (G31)

Possesses combinations of various forest varieties, very similar to Panamanian Geisha, selected through observation of plant morphology, bean appearance, screen size, and cupping quality.

Illubabor Forest 1974 (IF)

Discovered during a 1974 expedition to the Illubabor forest, later developed by the Ethiopian Research Center into a disease-resistant variety.

Grading System

Gesha Village Estate has a strict internal grading system, consisting of Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka lots.

Auction Lots

Accounting for only 3.7% of Gesha Village's annual production, these are the most strictly selected top-tier lots from the estate, available only through the 2018 Gesha Village Coffee Estate Global Auction. The 2018 auction lots scored between 88.15-92.67 points in cupping, and are further divided into Champion's Reserve and Farm Reserve.

Gold Label Lots

Gold label coffees account for about 10% of Gesha Village Estate's annual production, with complex flavors and are very rare. These rare coffees are the most premium at Gesha Village Estate after the auction lots. Many baristas choose Gold label lots for their competition beans, and roasters with high quality requirements also purchase them. They have complete traceability, with outstanding flavor complexity in each lot. FrontStreet Coffee's Gesha Village Gold label comes from lot 059 of the Oma block.

Red Label Lots

Red label coffee beans account for about 15% of Gesha Village Estate's annual production. These are lots with complete traceability, cupping scores exceeding 88 points (SCA standard), and typical Gesha Village flavor. The flavor intensity and complexity are slightly weaker than Gold label lots, making them single-origin lots with excellent value for money.

Green Label Lots

Green label lots come from single blocks and single varieties at Gesha Village Estate. Green label lots provide complete traceability information for each batch number, including farm block name, coffee variety, and processing date.

CHAKA Lots

Chaka lots blend coffee from all blocks of the estate and the entire production season. Chaka lot coffees have two processing methods: natural and washed, containing three coffee varieties from Gesha Village Estate: Gesha 1931, Gori Gesha, and Illubabor.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters

Coffee dose: 15 grams | Ratio: 1:15 | Water temperature: 90°C | Grind size: 80% pass-through rate on 0.85mm sieve | Dripper: Hario V60 #01

Brewing process: First pour 30g of water for bloom for 30 seconds, second pour to 95g of water (scale shows 125g), completed in about 1 minute, third pour to 100g of water (scale shows 225g), completed in about 1 minute 30 seconds

Extraction time: 2 minutes, remove the dripper to complete brewing

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