How to Enjoy Gesha Village Gold Label Gesha Coffee Beans & Flavor Characteristics of Ethiopian Gesha Varieties

When it comes to specialty coffee, Gesha is a variety that cannot be overlooked. Not only is it often hailed as "the Hermès of the coffee world," but at FrontStreet Coffee, each Gesha variety consistently captures the attention of customers. Many newcomers to the coffee world have heard of Gesha beans before tasting them, sitting at the bar counter and engaging with FrontStreet Coffee's baristas to understand the characteristics of FrontStreet Coffee's Gesha beans. The baristas at FrontStreet Coffee patiently answer every customer's questions. Among the coffee beans offered by FrontStreet Coffee, there are FrontStreet Coffee's Gesha coffee beans from Gesha Village in Ethiopia.

Customers often ask why higher altitude leads to better coffee quality, and looking at Gesha coffee beans provides the answer. Gesha is particularly picky about its growing environment, requiring high altitudes, and the higher the altitude, the better the quality. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss the flavor characteristics of FrontStreet Coffee's Gesha Village coffee.

Gesha: The Ethiopian Coffee Heritage

Gesha is part of the Ethiopian coffee lineage. It was discovered in the Gesha forest of Ethiopia in 1931 and then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania. In 1953, Costa Rica introduced it, and Panama began growing Gesha coffee in the 1970s when Mr. Francisco Serracin from the Tumbaco farm obtained seeds from CATIE in Costa Rica. After nearly half a century, it made a stunning debut, defeating perennial champions like Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and Typica, sweeping the top prize in the Panama National Coffee Cupping Competition for three consecutive years.

FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian Gesha Village Gesha Coffee

Ethiopia is said to be the birthplace of Gesha. Last century, Gesha seeds were brought out from the depths of local primary forests, eventually making their way to Panama, where they became the coffee that amazed the world in 2000.

Gesha Village Estate is located in western Ethiopia, in the Bench Maji region, surrounded by dense jungle. The location of Gesha Village boasts beautiful scenery and pleasant climate, with ancient and vast forests visible from high vantage points. The estate owners, Adam and Rachel, spent three years searching for the perfect estate, guided by locals to the forest where Gesha originated. It's a two-day drive from the capital, Addis Ababa.

Gesha Village Estate covers approximately 471 hectares, with about 320 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation on reddish-brown loam soil. The planting density is maintained at about 7,000 coffee trees per hectare. The plot is named "Oma" after a respected and beloved religious leader. The coffee beans from Gesha Village are full of complex flavors and are extremely rare, often selected by international competing baristas for competitions. Due to their commitment to maintaining the local ecological environment and establishing good relationships with local residents, they established the Gesha Village Foundation to give back to the local community, promoting educational development through two schools near the estate.

Gesha Village Grading System

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

Auction Batches

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

Gold Label Batches

Gold Label batches account for about 10% of Gesha Village Estate's annual production. They feature complex flavors and are extremely rare. These rare coffees are the finest at Gesha Village Estate after the auction batches. Many baristas choose Gold Label batches for competition use, while roasters with high quality standards also procure them. They have complete traceability, with each batch featuring prominent flavors and high complexity.

FrontStreet Coffee · Gesha Village Oma 059 Batch

Grade: Rarities (Gold) Label
Processing Method: Natural (32 days)
Variety: Gesha 1931
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Bench Maji
Altitude: 1,931-2,040 meters
Brewing Flavor: Fermented wine aroma, citrus and kumquat acidity, full-bodied berry fruit juice

Red Label Batches

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

FrontStreet Coffee · Gesha Village · Red Label Gesha

Region: Bench Maji
Altitude: 1909-2069m
Variety: Gori Gesha
Processing: Natural
Brewing Flavor: Coconut, licorice, cream, chocolate, toffee, citrus, almond, strawberry, with a fermented aroma. Overall flavor is relatively balanced, with rich mouthfeel and prominent nutty flavors.

Green Label Batches

Green Label batches come from single plots and single varieties at Gesha Village Estate. Green Label batches provide complete traceability information for each batch number, including the farm plot name, coffee variety, and processing date.

CHAKA Batches

Chaka batches mix coffee from all plots and throughout the entire production season of the estate. Chaka batch coffees come in both natural and washed processing methods, containing three coffee varieties from Gesha Village: Gesha 1931, Gori Gesha, and Illubabor.

Gori Gesha (GG)

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

Gesha 1931 (G31)

Featuring combinations of different forest varieties, very similar to Panama Gesha, selected by observing plant morphology, bean appearance, screen size, and cupping flavor.

Illubabor Forest 1974 (IF)

Discovered during a 1974 expedition to the Illubabor Forest, later developed by the Ethiopian Research Center into a variety with antibodies.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters

Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Grind Size: BG#6m (fine sugar size)
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Coffee Dose: 15 grams

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Technique

First infusion: Pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. Then pour 95g (scale shows approximately 125g), completing the pour in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (scale shows approximately 225g), completing the pour in about 1 minute 40 seconds. The drip filtration completes between 1'55''-2'00'', remove the filter cone, and extraction is complete.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473