What Is Gesha Coffee and Why Does the Gold Label Matter?

Gesha Village sits in Ethiopia's Bench Maji region, surrounded by old forest, and has become a reference point for the variety. The estate grades its crop into Auction, Gold, Red, Green and Chaka tiers. Gold accounts for roughly 3.7 percent of annual production, which is the main reason it is scarce and why competition contestants keep returning to it.

The estate was founded after owners Adam and Rachel met Willem Boot in 2009 while researching the birthplace of the variety, and they returned to Bench Maji in 2011. Eight blocks, different varieties and several processing methods shape the cup. Brewing guidance for the current Gold lot helps buyers get the most from a coffee that rarely appears in quantity.

Located in the Bench Maji region of Ethiopia, Gesha Village has in recent years become a focal point of great attention in the specialty coffee world. The coffee beans produced by this estate have repeatedly been selected by world-class coffee competition contestants, helping Ethiopian coffee return to its peak. Gesha Village grades its coffee into several tiers, including Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka, among which the Gold tier accounts for only about 3.7% of the estate's annual production, making it extremely rare. This article will guide you through an in-depth understanding of Gesha Village's geographical environment, the varieties and flavor characteristics of its eight blocks, its grading system, and Front Street Coffee's brewing recommendations for this season's Gold-tier Gesha, presenting a complete guide to Gesha Village for coffee enthusiasts.

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Located in Ethiopia, Gesha Village has become extremely popular in the specialty coffee circle in recent years. The different grades of Ethiopian Gesha coffee beans produced by the estate have been chosen as competition beans by numerous world-class coffee competition contestants, which has also allowed Ethiopia, this great coffee nation, to stand at the peak once again.

Ethiopia Gesha Village Ethiopia Gesha Village

Gesha Village is located in the Bench Maji region of western Ethiopia, surrounded by dense primeval forest. The estate sits in a place of beautiful scenery and a comfortable climate; from higher ground, one can gaze out at that ancient and vast forest.

In 2007, estate owners Adam and Rachel were commissioned to go to Ethiopia to shoot a coffee documentary. As filming progressed, their contact with this land and its local people deepened, and the idea of establishing their own estate began to sprout. All of this reached a key turning point after the two met Willem Boot; whether it was estate site selection, variety selection, or processing methods, all were inextricably linked to Willem Boot.

In 2009, they were fortunate enough to meet the renowned Mule Estate owner and BOP judge Willem Boot. Willem Boot's vision of "returning to Ethiopia to seek the birthplace of Gesha" also created an opportunity for the couple.

In 2011, they returned to Bench Maji. Several local areas are called Gesha Village and are the zones most likely to yield native Gesha varieties; led by locals, they stepped into the forest that is Gesha's native homeland. Gesha Village covers a total area of about 471 hectares, with about 320 hectares of coffee planting area; the soil is brown-red loamy soil. Planting density is maintained at 7,000 coffee trees per hectare.

These coffee trees are planted in areas above 1,900 meters in elevation. The high altitude slows the growth of the coffee trees, so the fruit has more ample time to accumulate nutrients. Gesha Village is divided into 8 blocks, each planted with a single variety; therefore, at Gesha Village, a single-block lot also means a single variety.

Gesha Village Block Distinctions

Bangi

The Bangi block is located on the eastern side of Gesha Village, at an elevation of 1,911 to 2,001 meters. This block is responsible for planting the Gori Gesha variety, with a planting area of about 54 hectares. The Gesha produced in the Bangi block mostly carries the fragrance of honeysuckle and spices. Rich black chocolate and spice notes are interwoven with the flavors of red fruit, black tea, and blackcurrant.

Dimma

The Dimma block is in the central area of Gesha Village, at an elevation of 1,966 to 2,019 meters, planted with the Illubabor variety, with a block area of 28.7 hectares. The coffee produced in this block often presents coffee floral aromas and stone fruit flavors, blended with fresh citrus notes.

Gaylee

The Gaylee block is located in the southeast of Gesha Village and, like the Dimma block, is responsible for planting the Illubabor variety of coffee, at an elevation of 1,916 to 1,982 meters. The official description says the cup profile of this block has fruit and spice flavors, accompanied by the aromas of lemongrass and jasmine.

Oma

The Oma block is located in the south of Gesha Village, at an elevation of 1,931 to 2,040 meters, and is responsible for planting the Gesha 1931 variety, with a total area of 67.6 hectares. The Oma block carries a rich jasmine aroma. Subtle notes of peach, apricot, candied fruit, melon, and mandarin, along with a honeyed sweetness.

Narsha

The Narsha block leans toward the eastern side of Gesha Village and is adjacent to the west side of the Gaylee block. Its planting area is relatively small, only 5.3 hectares, and the planted variety is Gesha 1931. The official description of this block includes honeysuckle, yellow fruit, lime, black chocolate, white peach, apricot, and rose, with clean acidity and a bergamot finish.

Surma

The Surma block is located in the southwest of Gesha Village, at an elevation of 1,909 to 2,063 meters, with a planting area of 45.9 hectares. This block is responsible for planting the Gesha 1931 variety. The coffee produced in the Surma block has the aromas of jasmine and rose, and its flavors call to mind strawberry, watermelon, apple, and delicate spices.

Jibabu

The Shewa-Jibabu block is located in the northwest of Gesha Village, at an elevation of 1,973 to 2,069 meters, with a planting area of 48.5 hectares, planted with the Gori Gesha variety. The Gesha produced in this block often carries flavors such as spices, strawberry, ripe peach, papaya, florals, black chocolate, orange, and bergamot.

Shaya

The Shaya block is located in the north of Gesha Village, with a planting area of 36.5 hectares, and is responsible for producing Gesha Village's Gori Gesha. The official description says the Gesha coffee produced in this block has subtle aromas of jasmine, bergamot, and orange. At the same time, rich notes of black chocolate, cherry, molasses, lemon, berries, and apple.

Gesha Village Grading System

At Gesha Village, every step of planting and processing strives for uncompromising quality. In their coffee laboratory in Addis Ababa, following official SCA standards and through a rigorous cupping process, they carefully select each lot and implement strict grading to ensure the highest-quality coffee beans are delivered to buyers.

Since the founding of Gesha Village, its every move has consistently drawn the industry's attention. The coffee within the estate is divided into several grades: AUCTION, RARITIES Gold, GROWERS RESERVE Red, SINGLE-TERROIR Green, and CHAKA.

Definition of Gesha Village Gold Tier

Gold-tier lots account for about 10% of Gesha Village's annual production, with complex flavors and extreme rarity. These rare coffees are Gesha Village's highest-grade coffees apart from the Auction lots.

Many baristas use Gold-tier lots as competition beans, and roasters with strict quality requirements also purchase them; they have complete traceability, and each lot has prominent flavors and high complexity.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s Gold-tier Gesha coffee beans from this year's new harvest season come from the Oma block, processed by a natural process with a drying time of up to 32 days, and the variety is Gesha 1931, exclusive to the Oma block.

What Variety Is Gesha 1931?

Gesha 1931 was confirmed by observing plant morphology, bean shape, size, and cupping performance; it is the mother stock closest to Panama Gesha.

Through Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s cupping comparison, it was found that the new-season Gesha Village Gold-tier coffee beans display rich berry aromas, the fullness of muskmelon, citrus-like fresh acidity, chamomile-like floral notes, and a tea-like sweet aftertaste.

How to Brew Gesha Village Gold?

In order to preserve the unique bright acidity of Ethiopian coffee beans, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) adopted a medium-light roast for the coffee beans. Coffee beans from high-altitude regions are themselves less dense in structure; because the roasting time is relatively short, the bean structure does not change much, and the substances in the coffee are not easy to extract.

Therefore, when brewing medium-light roasted coffee beans, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) recommends using a medium-fine grind / fine granulated sugar coarseness (80% passing through China's No. 20 standard sieve). Use 15 grams of coffee grounds, then pair with a V60 dripper, 90-91°C water temperature, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a three-stage pouring method for brewing.

First rinse the filter paper and preheat the dripper and coffee pot. Use 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour in a slow circular stream until 125 grams for the stage break; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring in a circular motion until 225 grams and stop pouring; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Start timing from the beginning of the bloom.) The extraction time is about 2 minutes.

Brewed flavor of Gesha Village Gold-tier coffee beans: the sweet aroma of berries, a full and mellow mouthfeel, with a touch of chamomile and red berry flavors, and a finish carrying muskmelon notes and a tea-like sensation.

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