Where did geisha coffee beans come from before Panama?
Geisha coffee was first found in 1931 in the Geisha forests of Ethiopia, not Panama. It traveled through several countries before reaching Panama, where Hacienda La Esmeralda brought it to the specialty stage in 2004. Gesha Village in Ethiopia still produces the variety today, and its green label natural lot is a direct link to that origin.
Gesha Village sits in Bench Maji at 1,911 to 2,001 meters and grows the Gori Gesha variety, processed as natural. The estate began when Adam Overton and Rachel Samuel met Willem Boot in 2009, returning to the Gera coffee forest to build their own farm and brand around these geisha coffee beans.
Where exactly is the birthplace of Geisha coffee? Many would answer without hesitation: Panama. However, this variety was first discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forests of Ethiopia, then traveled through many countries before reaching Panama, and it wasn't until 2004 that Hacienda La Esmeralda propelled it onto the specialty coffee stage. So, does the Geisha forest still produce coffee? Front Street Coffee recently purchased a green-label natural-process coffee bean from Gesha Village in Ethiopia and conducted a cupping. This article will discuss the history of Gesha Village, its variety composition, product line divisions, natural processing methods, roasting curve, and cupping and brewing performance in detail, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the flavor characteristics of this green-label Geisha.
Where is the original birthplace of Geisha coffee? Many people's first reaction might be Panama. But in fact, this variety was discovered as early as 1931 in the Geisha forests of Ethiopia, and only after decades of travel through multiple countries did it finally reach Panama. In 2004, the owner of Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda noticed this "treasure" with intense floral aromas, sent it to a competition, and only then did Geisha rise to the forefront of the specialty coffee market. So, does the Geisha forest still have coffee beans today? The answer is yes. Front Street Coffee recently obtained a green-label coffee bean from Gesha Village in Ethiopia and conducted a cupping. Below, Front Street will discuss the flavor characteristics of this natural-process Gesha Village green-label coffee bean.
Front Street Coffee — Ethiopia Gesha Village Green-Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Region: Bench Maji, Ethiopia
Estate: Gesha Village Coffee Estate
Altitude: 1,911–2,001 meters
Variety: Gori Gesha
Processing Method: Natural
The Legend of Gesha Village Coffee Estate
In 2007, documentary filmmaker Adam Overton and his photographer wife Rachel Samuel, while filming a coffee-themed documentary for the Ethiopian government, came into contact with the Gera coffee forest in the Bench Maji region, sparking the idea of creating their own coffee estate and brand.
In 2009, the couple had the good fortune to meet Willem Boot, owner of Finca La Mula and a BOP judge. Willem Boot's vision brought a turning point for the Overton couple: return to Ethiopia and search for the original home of Geisha. They eventually settled in Bench Maji — an area in southwestern Ethiopia near South Sudan, where multiple locations are called Gesha Village and which is the most likely zone to find the original Geisha.
Adam followed Willem Boot on an "expedition" in the forests around the estate. In a jungle magically enveloped by dense forest, they discovered many wild tree species, and most excitingly, 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 native Geisha trees, selected among them, and planted them at Gesha Village.
They decided to build the estate there, naming it Gesha Village Coffee Estate, located about 12 miles from the Gori Gesha forest and covering 475 hectares. Completely different from the vast majority of Ethiopian farms, Gesha Village is not a small farm but a large 500-hectare farm equipped with its own washing station and laboratory. The entire farm grows only Geisha varieties, rather than the usual Ethiopian heirloom varieties whose specific varieties are difficult to determine.
The Coffee Varieties of Gesha Village
Gesha Village has three varieties, all named after the expedition teams that discovered the coffee: Gesha 1931, Gori Gesha, and Illubabor, which was provided by the Ethiopian Coffee Research Center.
Gesha 1931 was confirmed based on plant morphology, bean shape, bean size, and cupping performance, and is considered the closest to the mother plant of Panama Geisha. The Gori Gesha variety, on the other hand, was collected by the owner of Gesha Village in 2011 through his own expedition from the wild Gori Gesha coffee forest 20 kilometers from the current Gesha Village farm, and no duplicate samples have been found in other regions.
Gesha Village Green-Label Geisha Coffee
Gesha Village Coffee Estate adopts a product line structure similar to that of Hacienda La Esmeralda, divided into RARITIES (Gold Label), GROWERS RESERVE (Red Label), SINGLE-TERROIR (Green Label), and CHAKA.
Front Street has previously tested the Gold Label, Red Label, and Chaka lots separately, all leaving a good impression. This time, the official name of this green-label Geisha is SINGLE-TERROIR, and the beans come from a single farm within Gesha Village. In the Single-Terroir series, each lot number has complete traceable information, covering the farm name, coffee variety, and processing date. Gesha Village Coffee Estate has strict plot divisions, with different coffee varieties planted in each area. This green-label Geisha comes from Bangi, located northwest of Gesha Village, and the planted variety is Gori Gesha.
The Estate's Exquisite Natural Processing
Front Street Coffee's Gesha Village coffee uses natural processing. First, floating matter and impurities are removed, then the cherries are placed on African-style raised drying beds in thin layers covered with plastic sheeting for sun drying. During the drying process on the beds, they are sorted again to pick out insect-damaged beans and green-colored coffee beans. The total drying time is 18 to 30 days. Front Street believes that naturally processed coffee has prominent sweetness and soft acidity, with a flavor profile showing complex fruity notes.
Front Street Coffee Roasting Analysis
Since this batch is coffee from the new 2020 crop season, its moisture content is relatively high, so the dehydration time is extended during roasting. The final roast level was determined to be medium-light to highlight the fruity sweetness.
Yangjia 800N, 500g bean charge: charged at 175°C, heat 130, airflow 3; turning point at 1'36", when the temperature was 92.8°C, at 3 minutes airflow was opened to 4 and heat increased to 140; when the temperature was 152.6°C (6'26''), the bean surface turned yellow, the grassy smell completely disappeared, and the dehydration stage began, with heat and airflow lowered to 100; at 8'20", the bean surface showed ugly wrinkles and dark streaks, and the toast aroma clearly turned into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack began at 9'55", airflow was opened to 5, developed for 1'30'' after first crack, and dropped at 193.5°C.
Front Street Coffee Cupping Report
Gesha Village Natural Green Label Flavor Characteristics
Through cupping, Front Street found that Gesha Village Green Label Geisha is not very similar to the Panama Green Label Geisha we are familiar with. Panama-grown Geisha coffee beans carry a captivating floral aroma whether in dry fragrance, wet aroma, or on the palate; while Geisha grown at Gesha Village features berry juice notes in its dry fragrance, wet aroma, and on the palate, continuing the berry juice character of coffees from the Ethiopian region.
Front Street Coffee Brewing Sharing
Dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: fine pour-over grind (78% passing through a No. 20 standard sieve)
Water temperature: 90°C
Front Street brewing method: First rinse the filter paper and preheat the dripper and carafe. Use 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour in a slow circular motion until reaching 125 grams for a staged pour. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring in a circular motion until reaching 225 grams and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the beginning of the bloom.) Total extraction time is exactly 2 minutes.
Gesha Village Green Label coffee bean brewing flavor: sweet berry aroma, full and mellow body, with hints of cherry, red berry, and honey flavors. The finish carries a fermented aroma.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
