What Makes Gesha Coffee From Gesha Village Different?

Gesha coffee from Gesha Village Estate grows in Ethiopia's Bench Maji region, and it is a different variety from the Panama geisha that won the 2003 reliable of Panama. The estate was started by documentary director Adam Overton and photographer Rachel Samuel after they encountered the Gera coffee forest while filming in 2007, and it grades its lots as Gold, Red, and Green labels plus Chaka.

Panama geisha became known through Hacienda La Esmeralda's repeated competition wins, while Gesha Village's trees are unrelated and can be told apart by appearance alone. The estate's Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka lots reflect plot, variety, and processing differences, so the label on the bag signals how the coffee was selected and handled.

In the world of coffee, Geisha is undoubtedly a shining name. Most people first think of the Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, which after being identified for its unique flavor in 2003, went on to win numerous green bean competitions such as the BOP. However, in the Bench Maji region of Ethiopia, there is also a village likewise named Geisha, where the Geisha grown is completely different from Panama Geisha, yet equally stunning. Front Street Coffee will take you into Gesha Village Coffee Estate, from its discovery history and estate overview, to the grading system of Gold, Red, Green labels and Chaka lots, and then to processing methods and plot divisions, comprehensively unraveling the coffee secrets of this legendary estate. Whether you want to understand the flavor differences between Gesha Village Gold and Red labels, or are curious about the blending charm of the Chaka lot, this article will reveal them all for you.

Usually when we mention Geisha, we mostly refer to the variety represented by Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama (geisha, also known as Yirgacheffe). In 2003, it was identified for its unique flavor, and since then it has frequently won championships in green bean competitions such as the BOP. In Front Street Coffee's daily brewing, Panama Geisha displays rose floral aromas and citrus notes, like a cup of floral fruit tea. The reason Hacienda La Esmeralda stands out is, first, it was the earliest to discover Geisha; second, it won the BOP championship year after year; third, it established its own quality system. Several years later, Gesha Village Coffee Estate also adopted its own grading system. Front Street Coffee previously detailed its history in the article on Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha. Compared with Panama Geisha, although Gesha Village's Geisha shares the same name, it is actually a completely unrelated bean variety, and can be clearly distinguished by appearance alone. Front Street will discuss it separately as an Ethiopian Geisha variety.

"What is Gesha Village Coffee Estate?"

In 2007, documentary director Adam Overton and his wife, photographer Rachel Samuel, came into contact with the Gera coffee forest in the Bench-Maji region while filming a coffee documentary for the Ethiopian government. This experience not only gave them a new understanding of this great land, but also sparked the idea of establishing their own coffee estate and brand. In 2009, they met Willem Boot, the owner of Mule Estate and a BOP judge. Willem Boot's idea of returning to Ethiopia to "find the birthplace of Geisha" also provided an opportunity for the couple. In 2011, they returned to Bench-Maji, where several areas are called Gesha Village, and it is also the place most likely to find native Geisha varieties.

Adam followed Willem Boot to explore the surrounding forest, and in a jungle wrapped in dense forest (called Gori Gesha Forest), they discovered multiple wild coffee tree species, and what delighted them most was the native Geisha variety. So they collected seeds from the native Geisha trees, selected them, and planted them in Gesha Village, and decided to build the estate there, naming it Gesha Village Coffee Estate. The estate is located in the Bench Maji region of western Ethiopia, surrounded by dense jungle, with beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate; from high ground one can overlook the ancient, vast forest. Estate owners Adam and Rachel had searched for three years for a suitable estate, and under the guidance of locals went to the forest that is the native hometown of Geisha. It is a two-day drive from the capital Addis Ababa.

Gesha Village Coffee Estate covers about 471 hectares, with a coffee planting area of about 320 hectares, and the soil is brown-red loam. The planting density is maintained at 7,000 coffee trees per hectare. This plot is named after the person "Oma," in memory of a religious leader respected and loved by the people. The coffee beans from Gesha Village have complex and very rare flavors, and are often chosen by baristas for international competitions. The estate focuses on local ecological maintenance, maintains good cooperation with local residents, and has established the Gesha Village Foundation to promote educational development through two schools adjacent to the estate.

"Grading System"

Gesha Village Coffee Estate has a strict internal grading system, namely Auction, Gold Label, Red Label, Green Label, and Chaka lots.

[Auction Lot]

Accounting for only 3.7% of Gesha Village's annual production, it is the estate's top lot after rigorous selection, obtainable only through the 2018 Gesha Village Coffee Estate global auction. The 2018 auction lots scored 88.15-92.67 in cupping, and are further divided into Champion's Reserve and Farm Reserve. For example, Gesha Village 2018 Auction Lot RSV.6 belongs to the auction lot.

[Front Street Gold Label Geisha Coffee]

Gold Label coffee accounts for about 10% of Gesha Village Coffee Estate's annual production, with complex flavors and very rare. This grade is the estate's most top-tier green bean apart from the auction lots. Many baristas choose Gold Label lots as competition beans, and roasters with high quality requirements also purchase them. It has complete traceability, and each lot has prominent flavors and high complexity.

Gesha Village Oma 059 Gesha Village Oma 059 Lot

Grade: Rarities (Gold) label Gold Label

Processing Method: Natural (32 days)

Variety: Gesha 1931

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Bench Maji

Altitude: 1,931-2,040 meters

Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15 Grind size: medium-coarse grind, 80% pass rate through No. 20 sieve Water temperature: 91°C Brewing equipment: v60

Method: 30ml water for blooming 30s, pour in stages to 125ml taking 1 minute, then pour to 225ml taking 1 minute 50 seconds; total extraction time after brewing is 2 minutes 10 seconds.

Front Street Gold Label Geisha flavor description: Fermented wine aroma, citrus kumquat acidity, full-bodied berry juice.

[Front Street Red Label Geisha Coffee]

Red Label coffee beans account for about 15% of Gesha Village Coffee Estate's annual production, and are lots with complete traceability, with cupping scores above 88 (SCA standard). Front Street Gesha Village Red Label has typical Gesha Village flavors, with flavor intensity and complexity slightly weaker than Gold Label, making it a very cost-effective single-origin lot.

Gesha Village Coffee Estate Grower Reserve

Front Street Gesha Village Red Label Geisha Coffee Beans

Region: Bench Maji

Altitude: 1909-2069m

Variety: Gori Gesha

Processing Method: Natural

Front Street barista brewing suggestions:

Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15

Grind size: fine sugar grind (EK43s setting 10)

Water temperature: 91°C

Brewing equipment: v60

Method: 30ml water for blooming 35s, pour in stages to 125ml taking 1'00, then pour to 225ml taking 1'50; total extraction time after brewing is 2'10.

Front Street Gesha Village Red Label Geisha flavor: coconut, licorice, cream, chocolate, toffee, citrus, almond, strawberry, with a fermented aroma on the nose. The overall flavor is relatively balanced, with a rich mouthfeel and prominent nutty flavors.

[Gesha Village Green Label Lot]

Green Label lots come from a single plot of Gesha Village Coffee Estate and are single-variety lots. Each lot number in the Green Label provides complete traceability information, including the farm plot name, coffee variety, and processing date.

[Front Street Gesha Village CHAKA Lot Coffee]

Front Street Chaka lot blends coffee from all plots of the estate and the entire production season. Chaka lot coffee has two processing methods: natural and washed, and includes three coffee varieties from Gesha Village Coffee Estate: Gesha 1931, Gori Gesha, and Illubabor.

Gori Gesha (GG)

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

Gesha 1931 (G31)

Possesses a combination of various forest varieties, very similar to Panama Geisha, selected by observing plant morphology, bean appearance, screen size, and cupping flavor.

Illubabor Forest 1974 (IF)

Discovered during an expedition to the Illubabor forest in 1974, and later developed by the Ethiopian research center into a variety with resistance.

Gesha Village CoffeeEstate CHAKA

Front Street Gesha Village Chaka Geisha Blend Coffee Beans

Region: Bench Maji

Altitude: 1900-2100m

Variety: Gori Gesha, Gesha 1931, Illubabor

Processing Method: Natural

Front Street barista brewing suggestions:

Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15

Grind size: fine sugar (EK43s setting 10)

Water temperature: 91°C

Brewing equipment: hario v60

Method: 30g water for blooming 35s, pour in stages to 125g taking 1'00, then pour to 225ml taking 1'50; total extraction time after brewing is 2'10.

Front Street Gesha Village Chaka flavor: a faint fermented aroma on the nose; on the palate, citrus and grapefruit acidity, with cream, chocolate, and caramel flavors, and a soft overall profile.

"Processing Methods"

Gold Label, Red Label, and CHAKA are all natural processed. First, floating impurities are removed, then they are sun-dried in thin layers on African raised beds covered with plastic sheeting; when drying on the drying beds, they are sorted again to remove insect-damaged beans and greenish beans. Total drying time is 18-30 days.

"Gesha Village Coffee Estate Plot Divisions"

The owner of Gesha Village Coffee Estate numbers the plots in great detail, which facilitates later management and flavor traceability.

"Areas and Planted Varieties of Different Plots in Gesha Village"

The western side of the estate is relatively higher in terrain, so the three plots OMA, SURMA, and SHEWA-JIBABU are slightly higher in altitude, while the southern side has a relatively higher shade ratio, and the northern side has longer sunlight exposure. Among the eight plots, the estate managers select the most suitable variety for each plot based on microclimate differences such as altitude, soil conditions, and shade conditions (as shown in the figure above), ensuring that each major plot develops distinct characteristics.

"2018 Gesha Village Auction Lots"

Gesha Village auctions began in 2017. Due to the phenomenon of auction lots and non-auction lots sharing the same lot numbers on the market, Gesha Village made major reforms this year, and all 2018 auction lots are independent lots. The screening of auction lots lasted nearly 3 months, and after multiple rounds of repeated cupping, 31 auction lots were finally determined.

>Multiple rounds of rigorous selection for auction lots

The first round of screening began at the end of January, with estate owners Adam and Rachel in Ethiopia, together with their quality control team and Willem Boot's consulting team in the United States, simultaneously starting to cup each lot that had been harvested and rested for more than 6 weeks. During cupping, to prevent different ordering from causing different cupping results, each batch of beans had to undergo at least two rounds of cupping in different orders to ensure accurate results;

>2018 Gesha Village auction lots added screen size indicators

In the end, the estate owners and team selected the best 31 lots from 117 lots, but to further enhance the flavors of these 31 lots, the team conducted a new series of tests. By comparing different screen sizes, they found that beans with larger screen sizes performed better in cupping. So they decided that in the auction lots, Gesha 1931 would be 17 screen and above, while Gori Gesha and Illubabor would be 16 screen and above. However, because the existing screen sizing equipment in Ethiopia can only screen beans of 14 screen and above, estate owner Adam also bought back dozens of drying screens used in coffee labs from the United States, and hired a large number of workers to manually screen the auction lot beans by screen.

>After rounds of manual screening of coffee beans and repeated cupping, the 2018 Gesha Village auction lots were finally determined, divided into Champion's Reserve (7 lots, each only 90kg) and Farm Reserve (24 lots, each only 120kg), totaling 31 lots; among them 26 natural lots, 4 washed lots, and 1 honey-processed lot.

>Proportion of different plots in auction lots

In the auction lots, the proportion of Gesha Village's existing three coffee varieties is Gesha 1931 at 69.1%, Gori Gesha at 27.5%, and Illubabor at 3.4%.

"2019 Gesha Village Auction Lots"

The 2019 Gesha Village global auction kicked off in June. According to Willem Boot, auction manager of Gesha Village Coffee Estate, in 2019 the Gesha Village quality control team evaluated more than 130 lots and selected high-quality lots scoring above 88 for auction. They are: Champion Reserve, with 7 lots having the highest cupping scores; Farm Reserve, with 13 outstanding-performing lots; and Innovators Reserve, with only 6 experimental lots of special processing methods.

Champion Reserve (7 lots / 14 batches)

The Champion Reserve collection brings together the best lots of the 2019 harvest season at Gesha Village. Each Champion Reserve lot scored above 90 and showed extraordinary characteristics in cupping, from stunning jasmine aromas to captivating refined and complex fruit flavors of strawberry, peach, papaya, and more.

Farm Reserve (13 lots / 13 batches)

Farm Reserve is the estate's high-end product with outstanding flavor, with cupping scores of 88 and above. Rich fruit flavors and expressive aromas are the hallmarks of this lot, bringing an unforgettable flavor experience.

Innovators Reserve (6 lots / 6 batches)

The Innovators Reserve adopts signature special processing methods, using innovative techniques in fermentation and drying, introducing extremely complex flavors to the coffee and providing coffee lovers with a profound sensory experience.

Front Street Gesha Village Gold Label Roast Profile

Apart from the auction lots, which are obtained by bidding (price uncertain), the best product of Gesha Village is the Gold Label series. Front Street also purchased Gesha Village's Gold Label lot, and Front Street used a medium-light roast when roasting. Below is Front Street's roast profile:

Front Street Gesha Village Gold Label Cupping Flavor

Within 8-24 hours after roasting ends, Front Street conducts cupping to determine the flavor profile of the Gold Label Geisha. Below is Front Street's flavor description from cupping this Gold Label coffee bean: white floral, lemon, honey, citrus, juicy, apricot.

Front Street Gesha Village Gold Label Brewing Parameters

Coffee powder amount: 15 grams

Ratio: 1:15

Water temperature: 90°C

Grind size: 0.85mm, 80% pass rate through No. 20 sieve

Filter: Hario v60 #01 filter

Front Street recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans for brewing , so you can experience the coffee's rich flavors to the greatest extent . The coffee beans shipped by Front Street Coffee are all within 5 days of the roasting date , because Front Street deeply understands that the freshness of coffee beans has a great impact on flavor . Front Street's roasting philosophy is " freshly roasted good coffee ," so that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee . The resting period of coffee is about 4-7 days , so when customers receive it, it is exactly at its best flavor .

Brewing process: First pour 30g water for blooming 30 seconds, second pour 95g water (electronic scale shows 125g), finished in about 1 minute, third pour 100g water (electronic scale shows 225g), finished in about 1 minute 30 seconds

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

Flavor description: citrus, floral, berry, cream, smooth, medium acidity, medium sweetness, moderate aftertaste

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.