What are the Flavor Characteristics of Ethiopian Geisha Coffee Beans? Origin, Variety, and Grade of Geisha Village Chaka

When it comes to Ethiopia, coffee enthusiasts all know that it is the birthplace of coffee. However, when it comes to Geisha coffee, the first reaction of coffee lovers is inevitably Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. In fact, the origin of Geisha coffee grown in Panama can also be traced back to Gesha Mountain in Ethiopia. Moreover, today there are estates in Ethiopia that specialize in producing Geisha coffee. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will take all coffee enthusiasts to understand Ethiopian Geisha coffee.

The Origin of Gesha Village Estate

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, this estate was established and managed together by documentary director Adam Overton and his photographer wife Rachel Samuel. The reason for establishing this estate stems from their discovery of the Gera coffee forest in the Bench Maji region while filming a documentary about Ethiopian coffee for the Ethiopian government in 2007. During this process, they conceived the idea of creating their own coffee estate and brand.

Against this backdrop, in 2009, they had the privilege of meeting the renowned Don Pachi Estate owner and BOP judge Willem Boot. Willem Boot's ideas provided the Overton couple with an opportunity: return to Ethiopia and find the birthplace of Geisha. It was through this fortuitous coincidence that they arrived at the village called Gesha in Bench Maji, which is also the area most likely to contain the original Geisha.

Subsequently, Adam followed Willem Boot on "adventures" in the surrounding forests, and in a jungle magically wrapped by dense forest, they discovered several wild coffee tree species. To their greatest surprise, they found wild Geisha.

They later learned that this was the Gori Gesha forest, the place where the Geisha variety was first discovered. So they collected seeds from the original Geisha trees, screened them, and then planted them in Gesha Village. They eventually decided to establish the estate here and named it Gesha Village Estate.

At the same time, this estate is also different from most Ethiopian coffee estates. It is not a small-scale farm but a large farm with nearly 500 hectares of land. It is equipped with comprehensive facilities within the estate, and the entire estate only grows Geisha variety coffee.

Gesha Village Geisha Coffee Grading System

Furthermore, according to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Willem Boot also brought Panama's business model to Gesha Village Estate, creating the current Geisha coffee grading system within the estate. This is what appears on FrontStreet Coffee's menu as Gesha Village Auction, Gold Label, Red Label, Green Label, and Chaka Geisha coffee beans. However, these grading standards differ significantly from the Geisha coffee grading at Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will briefly explain the grading standards for these Gesha Village Estate Geisha coffee beans.

Auction Lots: Accounting for only 3.7% of Gesha Village's annual production, these are the most strictly selected top-tier batches from the estate, available only through the 2018 Gesha Village Coffee Estate Global Auction. The cupping scores for the 2018 auction lots ranged from 88.15 to 92.67 points, further divided into Champion's Reserve and Farm Reserve. For example, Gesha Village 2018 Auction Lot RSV.6 belongs to the auction category.

Gold Label Lots: Gold Label accounts for only 5% of Gesha Village's annual production and can almost be considered equivalent to the auction lots. Competitors from around the world typically choose these batches; for instance, at the 2018 WBC World Championship held in the Netherlands, the Australian and Japanese champions selected Gold Label batches for competition. Roasters with high quality requirements also procure these batches. They have complete traceability, with prominent and complex flavors in each batch, making them the second-best grade after the auction lots. FrontStreet Coffee's Gesha Village Gold Label comes from the OMA 059 batch.

Red Label Lots: These are batches with complete traceability and typical Gesha Village flavor characteristics. The flavor intensity and complexity are slightly weaker than Gold Label batches, making them a very cost-effective single-origin option.

Green Label Lots: The official name is SINGLE-TERROIR (single terroir/plot), and these coffee beans come from single farms within Gesha Village. Complete traceability information for each batch number in the Single-Terroir series can be found, including farm name, coffee variety, and processing date.

Chaka Lots: This is a Geisha coffee blend produced by Gesha Village, which includes three varieties: Gori Gesha, Gesha 1931, and Illubabor (an Ethiopian native disease-resistant variety).

Gesha Village Coffee Varieties

As mentioned above, FrontStreet Coffee noted that Gesha Village's Geisha coffee has three varieties: Gesha 1931, Gori Gesha, and Illubabor provided by the Ethiopian Coffee Research Center. Both Gesha 1931 and Gori Gesha are named after the expedition teams that discovered the coffee trees.

Gesha 1931 was confirmed by observing plant morphology, bean shape and size, as well as cupping quality. It is the closest to the parent variety of Panama Geisha. The Gori Gesha native variety was collected by the Gesha Village Estate owner in 2011 through their own expedition from the Gori Gesha wild coffee forest, located about 20 kilometers from the current Gesha Village Estate, and no duplicate samples have been found elsewhere.

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will briefly describe the characteristics of these three Gesha Village Geisha coffee varieties.

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

Gesha 1931: Possesses a combination of various forest varieties, very similar to Panama Geisha, selected by observing its plant morphology, bean appearance, sieve size, and cupping flavors.

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

Area and Planting Varieties of Different Gesha Village Plots

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, the Gesha Village Estate owner has implemented very detailed plot numbering to facilitate later management and flavor traceability. The following image shows the area and planting varieties of different Gesha Village plots.

From this image, it can be concluded that the western part of the estate has relatively higher terrain, so the OMA, SURMA, and SHEWA-JIBABU plots have slightly higher altitudes. The southern part has a relatively higher shade ratio, while the northern part receives longer sunlight exposure. Among the eight plots, the estate manager selects the most suitable variety for each plot based on microclimate differences such as altitude, soil conditions, and shade conditions, ensuring that each major plot can form distinct characteristics.

Currently, FrontStreet Coffee's shop offers Gesha Village Gold Label Geisha, Gesha Village Red Label Geisha, and Gesha Village Chaka Geisha coffee beans. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will briefly share information about these coffee beans and provide brewing data.

FrontStreet Coffee: Ethiopia Gesha Village Estate Gold Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Ethiopia, Bench Maji
Estate: Gesha Village Estate, Oma Plot
Altitude: 1900-2040 meters
Variety: Gesha 1931
Processing: Natural
Flavor: Citrus, lemon, tropical fruits, cream, nuts, tea-like sensation

FrontStreet Coffee: Ethiopia Gesha Village Estate Red Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Ethiopia, Bench Maji
Estate: Gesha Village Estate
Altitude: 1909-2069 meters
Variety: Gori Gesha
Processing: Natural
Flavor: Coconut, licorice, cream, chocolate, toffee, citrus, almond, strawberry

FrontStreet Coffee: Ethiopia Gesha Village Estate Chaka Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Ethiopia, Bench Maji
Estate: Gesha Village Estate
Altitude: 1909-2069 meters
Variety: Gori Gesha
Processing: Natural
Flavor: Citrus, grapefruit, cream, chocolate caramel

Gesha Village Geisha Coffee Bean Processing Methods

As mentioned above, FrontStreet Coffee's Gesha Village Geisha coffee beans are all processed using the natural method. Therefore, the aroma in flavor expression will be relatively strong, and there will be a fermented sensation when tasting.

Natural Processing Method

First, floating impurities are removed, then the beans are dried in thin layers covered with plastic sheets on African raised beds. During drying on the beds, further screening is conducted to select out insect-damaged beans and green-colored coffee beans. The total drying time is 18-30 days. FrontStreet Coffee believes that naturally processed coffee has noticeable sweetness, soft acidity, and produces complex fruity notes in flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

FrontStreet Coffee's roasting demonstration this time uses Gesha Village Red Label coffee beans. Since this batch is from the 2022 new harvest season with higher moisture content, the dehydration time will be extended during roasting. The final roasting degree is determined to be medium-light to highlight the fruity sweetness.

Yangjia 800N, bean input 500g: Drum temperature 175°C, heat 130, damper opening 3; Return to temperature point at 1'36", drum temperature 92.8°C, at 3 minutes open damper to 4, increase heat to 140; At drum temperature 152.6°C (6'26), bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, entering dehydration stage, reduce heat to 100; At 8'20", ugly wrinkles and black markings appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack, which begins at 9'55", open damper to 5, develop for 1'30 after first crack, discharge at 193.5°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Pour-Over Brewing

If you want to experience the rich flavors of coffee, FrontStreet Coffee suggests using freshly roasted coffee beans, grinding and brewing immediately. Generally, for light-roasted coffee beans, letting them rest for 4-7 days after roasting will yield richer flavors. Freshly ground coffee has better flavor than pre-ground coffee powder because after coffee beans are ground, aroma and flavors will volatilize by half within half an hour, leaving little aroma and flavor when consumed later. Although FrontStreet Coffee provides grinding services, if you have your own grinder, it's best to purchase whole bean coffee.

Brewing Parameters:
Coffee amount: 15 grams
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: Fine pour-over grind (78% retention on #20 standard sieve)
Water temperature: 90°C

Brewing Method:

First, wet the filter paper and preheat the dripper and coffee pot. Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue circular pouring to 125g in stages. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue circular pouring to 225g and stop pouring. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper (timing starts from the bloom). The extraction time is exactly 2 minutes.

Brewing Flavor: Rich jasmine fragrance. Flavors of peach, apricot, candied fruit, melon, and honey tangerine, combined with honey sweetness.

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Important Notice :

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