Where Does Gesha Coffee Come From Before Panama?

Gesha coffee originates in Ethiopia, not Panama. The variety was first found in 1931 in the Geisha forest, sent to the Kenya Coffee Research Institute in 1932, and reached Tanzania, Uganda, Colombia, and finally Panama by the 1960s. Ethiopian archives initially recorded its flavor as poor in taste, and it stayed obscure in Panama for over forty years.

Gesha Village in the Bench Maji region grows three varieties: Gori Gesha, Gesha 1931, and Illubabor Forest 1974. Its eight farms sit across distinct terroir, and gesha green coffee is sold through a grading system of Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka lots. Panama's 2004 competition win later confirmed the variety's Ethiopian roots.

When people talk about Geisha, most think first of Panama. However, the roots of this legendary variety lie in Ethiopia. Front Street Coffee takes you through the journey of Geisha's spread, from the discovery of the Geisha forest in 1931 to the establishment of the Gesha Village Estate in the Bench Maji region. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the three coffee varieties at Gesha Village—Gori Gesha, Gesha 1931, and Illubabor Forest 1974—and introduce the terroir characteristics and coffee flavors of the estate's eight farms one by one. In addition, Gesha Village's strict grading system of Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka lots will also be presented, helping coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of the unique charm of Ethiopian Geisha.

There was a time when many customers visited Front Street Coffee wanting to try Geisha coffee, and the baristas at Front Street would always patiently ask one more question: "Do you mean Ethiopian Geisha or Panamanian Geisha?" Many people are confused about exactly how Geisha from these two origins differs. Today, the fame of Panamanian Geisha continues to rise. When Geisha is mentioned, most people assume it refers to Panamanian Geisha by default, while the Geisha of Gesha Village has instead been pushed to the margins. Today, Front Street Coffee will introduce you to the source of Panamanian Geisha—Ethiopian Geisha.

First, let us sort out the thread of Geisha's spread. The Geisha variety was initially discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia; in 1932 it was sent to the Kenya Coffee Research Institute; in 1936 it was introduced to Tanzania and Uganda; in 1953 it reached Colombia; and it was not until the 1960s that it was introduced to Panama.

What is striking is that more than ninety years ago, when the Geisha variety was first discovered, the official Ethiopian archives recorded its flavor as "poor in taste." After Geisha was introduced to Panama, it also went through more than forty years of obscurity, only beginning to show its brilliance in 2003 at the Best of Panama (BOP) competition, and in 2004 it won the BOP championship in one fell swoop. Later expert identification confirmed it as the Ethiopian Geisha variety.

Origin Introduction 【Ethiopia】

When Ethiopia is mentioned, coffee has been intertwined with the country's social structure and cultural economy for hundreds of years. In Ethiopia, coffee is not only a culture but also an important source of livelihood for many people. It is both the birthplace of the Geisha variety and the globally recognized birthplace of coffee, enjoying a lofty position in the specialty coffee world. Walking into almost any specialty coffee shop, you can almost always see Ethiopian coffee on the menu, and Front Street is certainly no exception.

Ethiopia is mainly divided into nine major producing regions: Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Limu, Harar, Gimma, Illubabor, Kembata and Tembaro, Teppi and Bebeka, and Lake Tana. 【Bench Maji Region】

The Bench Maji producing region is sometimes also called the Bebeka producing region, and this is not hard to understand: 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 has a total area of 23,442.76 square kilometers, bordered by Sudan to the west, Gambella Region to the northwest, and close to the South Omo area to the east. In this producing region sits a very famous estate—Gesha Village Coffee Estate. It is said that the Geisha coffee trees within the estate were discovered in the wild forests of Bench Maji. 【Gesha Village Estate】

In 2007, documentary director Adam Overton and his wife, photographer Rachel Samuel, were commissioned by the Ethiopian government to shoot a documentary about the country's coffee. During the filming process, they came into contact with the Gera forest in Bench Maji, gained a completely new understanding of this land in Ethiopia, and at the same time developed the idea of establishing their own coffee estate and brand.

In 2009, Adam and his wife were fortunate enough to meet the famous owner of Finca La Mula and BOP judge Willem Boot. Willem Boot's vision of "returning to Ethiopia to find the birthplace of Geisha" also brought an opportunity for the couple. In 2011, they returned to Bench Maji, where several areas are called Gesha Village and are considered the most likely places to find native Geisha varieties.

Adam followed Willem in exploring the surrounding forests and discovered several wild coffee tree species in a dense jungle, among which the most delightful surprise was the native Geisha variety. They collected seeds from the native Geisha trees, selected them, planted them in Gesha Village, and decided to establish an estate there, naming it Gesha Village Coffee Estate.

Gesha Village Coffee Estate covers about 471 hectares, with about 320 hectares of coffee planting area. The soil is brown-red loam. The planting density is maintained at 7,000 trees per hectare.

Gesha Village Coffee Estate has eight farms under its management:

Bangi (54 hectares, altitude 1911-2001 meters). Most of the estate's workers come from a community east of the farm called "Bangi-Chichuru." The coffee produced from this plot has aromas of honeysuckle and spices, as well as rich flavors of dark chocolate, Mexican mole spices, berries, black tea, black sugar, and blackcurrant.

Dimma (28.7 hectares, altitude 1966-2019 meters), named after the famous gold-mining town of Dimma north of the farm. The coffee from this plot presents vivid floral and stone fruit aromas, as well as sharp and awakening citrus acidity.

Gaylee (34.8 hectares, altitude 1916-1982 meters), bordering the Kebele community to the southeast, officially named "Gaylee-Gesha," adjacent to the Yetgordon River, and is the water source for Gesha Village. The coffee from this plot closely blends fruity and spicy notes, with strong sweetness of almond, lemongrass, and hibiscus, mixed with aromas of jasmine and stone fruit.

Oma (67.6 hectares, altitude 1931-2040 meters), named after a respected and beloved religious leader in the Meanit area. The coffee from this plot has striking aromas of redcurrant and jasmine, showing fruit characteristics of peach, apricot, candied fruit, melon, and satsuma mandarin, with a honey-like sweetness in the aftertaste.

Narsha (5.3 hectares, altitude 1963-1977 meters), located in the southern part of Gesha Village Coffee Estate, named after a fruitful tree on the farm. The coffee from this plot has flavors of honeysuckle, yellow fruits, lime, dark chocolate, peach, apricot, and rose, with refreshing acidity and a long bergamot finish.

Surma (45.9 hectares, altitude 1909-2063 meters), overlooking a valley scenery like a hidden paradise, named after the "Surma" pastoral people living in the southwestern lowlands. The coffee from this plot has delicate jasmine and damask rose aromas, fruity notes of strawberry, ripe watermelon, and apple, as well as a slight spiciness.

Shewa-Jibabu (48.5 hectares, altitude 1973-2069 meters), located in the northern part of the estate, named after a mountain near the farm and the kebele community from which some employees come. The coffee from this plot has flavors of spices, strawberry, ripe peach, papaya, florals, dark chocolate, tamarind, orange, and bergamot.

Shaya (36.5 hectares, altitude 1926-2069 meters), named after the leader of the Meanit area. The coffee from this plot exudes aromas of jasmine, bergamot, and orange, and carries rich flavors of dark chocolate, orange juice, frozen cherry, molasses, lemon, and berries, as well as the sweetness of red apple.

Coffee Bean Varieties

Although the Geisha of Panama and the Geisha of Gesha Village share the same name, the Geisha varieties in the two places are actually significantly different. The Geisha of Gesha Village mainly includes three varieties: Gori Gesha (GG), Gesha 1931 (G31), and Illubabor Forest 1974 (IF).

Gori Gesha (GG) This variety replicates the genetic diversity within the Gori Gesha coffee forest.

Gesha 1931 (G31) It brings together varieties from different forests and is extremely similar to Panamanian Geisha. It was selected by observing plant morphology, bean appearance, screen size, and cup profile.

Illubabor Forest 1974 (IF) It was discovered during an expedition to the Illubabor forest in 1974 and was later developed by the Ethiopian research center into a variety with resistance.

Grading System

Gesha Village Coffee Estate implements a strict internal grading system, in order: Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka lots.

【Auction Lot】 It accounts for only 3.7% of Gesha Village's annual production and is the estate's top-tier lot after rigorous selection, available only through the 2018 Gesha Village Coffee Estate global auction. The 2018 auction lots scored 88.15-92.67 points in cupping, and are further divided into Champion's Reserve and Farm Reserve. 【Gold Lot】 Gold Lot coffee accounts for about 10% of Gesha Village's annual production, with complex flavors and extreme rarity. These rare coffees are the estate's top coffees apart from the auction lots. Many baristas choose Gold Lot as competition beans, and roasters with high quality demands also purchase them. They have complete traceability, and each lot has outstanding flavor and high complexity. Front Street Coffee's Gesha Village Gold comes from Oma plot lot 059.

【Red Lot】 Red Lot coffee beans account for about 15% of Gesha Village's annual production. They are lots with complete traceability, scoring over 88 points in cupping (SCA standard), and have typical Gesha Village flavors. Their flavor intensity and complexity are slightly weaker than Gold Lots, making them single-origin lots with very high value for money.

【Green Lot】 Green Lots come from a single plot of Gesha Village Coffee Estate and are of a single variety. Each lot number provides complete traceability information, including farm plot name, coffee variety, and processing date.

【CHAKA Lot】 The 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.

Front Street Coffee Brewing Parameters Coffee dose: 15 grams Ratio: 1:15 Water temperature: 90°C Grind size: 80% passing a 0.85 mm sieve Dripper: Hario V60 #01

Brewing process: First pour 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom, second pour 95 grams of water (scale shows 125 grams), completed in about 1 minute, third pour 100 grams of water (scale shows 225 grams), completed in about 1 minute 30 seconds Extraction time: 2 minutes, remove the dripper to finish brewing

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

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