What Makes Gesha Coffee From Ethiopia Stand Out

Gesha coffee originated in Ethiopia, not Panama, and Ethiopia's Gesha Village in Bench Maji preserves the original germplasm. The estate grows Gesha 1931, Gori Gesha, and Illubabor, and grades lots into Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka. Red and Gold lots typically show bright acidity, floral aromas, and citrus, tea, and berry notes.

Panama Gesha gained fame after Hacienda La Esmeralda won the 2004 reliable of Panama auction, which pushed prices and demand higher. Gesha Village, co-founded by Adam Overton and Rachel Samuel, sits near South Sudan and manages coffee in blocks by variety and grade. Lower grades such as Chaka offer an entry point, while Auction lots sell at the top of the market.

When Gesha is mentioned, most people first think of Panama, but the birthplace of this variety is actually Ethiopia. Today, Ethiopia's most renowned Gesha origin is undoubtedly Gesha Village, which not only preserves the original Gesha germplasm but has also established a unique grading system. This article will walk you through the founding story of Gesha Village, its main planted varieties (Gesha 1931, Gori Gesha, Illubabor), its block management approach, and the differences between the five grades: Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka. As a Gesha enthusiast, Front Street Coffee's Gesha Village Red and Gold are choices not to be missed—both display bright acidity, fresh floral aromas, and citrus, tea-like, and berry notes. At the end, brewing suggestions and flavor descriptions for Front Street Red Natural Gesha are included for daily reference.

When it comes to Gesha, many people's first reaction is Panama. Indeed, this variety was not popular among coffee farmers in its early years because the plants are delicate, labor-intensive to manage, and require long-term careful attention. It wasn't until 2004, when Hacienda La Esmeralda entered Gesha in the Best of Panama (BOP) competition and auction and took first place, that Gesha became famous overnight. So if you want to experience authentic Gesha flavors, Front Street Hacienda La Esmeralda is the top choice: for a high grade, choose Front Street Esmeralda Red; for better value, choose Front Street Esmeralda Green—either way, you'll taste the most classic Gesha characteristics.

However, many people may not realize that the Gesha variety actually originated in Ethiopia. Among current Ethiopian origins, Gesha Village's Gesha coffee is the most well-known. If you're a devoted Gesha fan, Front Street Gesha Village Red and Front Street Gesha Village Gold are two grades absolutely worth trying. Both Geshas carry a distinct African coffee style—bright acidity, fresh floral aromas, and flavors dominated by citrus, tea-like notes, and berries.

Gesha Village

Gesha Village is located in the westernmost part of Ethiopia, just a few kilometers from South Sudan, nestled in the wild jungle of Bench Maji. The estate currently mainly grows Gesha 1931, Gori Gesha, and the disease-resistant variety Illubabor.

Gesha Village was co-founded by documentary filmmaker Adam Overton and his photographer wife Rachel Samuel. In 2007, while filming a coffee documentary for the Ethiopian government, the couple discovered the Gori Gesha Forest in the Bench Maji region, which sparked the idea of establishing their own coffee estate.

In 2009, they met Willem, the owner of Panama's Finca Instituto, and together they returned to Ethiopia to search for the original birthplace of Gesha. They came to a place in Bench Maji called Gesha Village and found the area most likely to be the original Gesha region. After finding wild Gesha, they collected seeds from the native Gesha trees, selected them, and planted them in Gesha Village. They decided to establish an estate here, naming it Gesha Village.

Gesha 1931 / Gori Gesha

Gesha 1931: The Gesha variety was discovered in Ethiopian coffee forests in 1931. Because of its resistance to coffee leaf rust, it was eventually brought to Panama and became famous. This Gesha variety is precisely the native Gesha that the Gesha Village owner found in the Gesha forest. Genetic comparison shows it is very close to Panama Gesha, hence the name Gesha 1931.

Gori Gesha: Gori Gesha was discovered in 2011. After Gesha Village was established, a bean variety that looked very much like Gesha was found in the Gori Forest, 12 miles away, and was named Gori Gesha.

Illubabor Forest 1974: Discovered during a survey in the Illubabor Forest in 1974, it was later cultivated by the Ethiopian research center into a resistant variety. Currently, only Gesha Village grows it.

Block Planting

Gesha Village is divided into multiple blocks, with each block planted with only one variety, so varieties can be identified by block. Blocks oma, surma, and narsha grow Gesha 1931; blocks bangi, shewa-jibabu, and shaya grow Gori Gesha; and finally, blocks gaylee and dimma grow Illubabor. Coffee cherries harvested from each block are labeled to indicate their origin and tracked through an internal system from the factory all the way to export.

Coffee Classification

Gesha Village's current grading borrows some commercial models from Panama and is completely different from Ethiopia's traditional grading system. Gesha Village is currently roughly divided into 5 grades.

Auction Lot: The auction lot selects the estate's very best coffee beans, with cupping scores required to be between 92 and 88, and can only be obtained through Gesha Village Coffee Estate's global auction.

Gold Label Lot: Gold Label is Gesha Village's top coffee outside of the auction and is often chosen by baristas for international competitions.

Red Label Lot: Red Label offers relatively good value, with flavor intensity and complexity slightly weaker than Gold Label, and cupping scores required to be above 88.

Green Label Lot: Green Label only provides block traceability information and has no cupping score requirement.

Chaka Lot: Chaka Lot is a Gesha blend, using three coffee varieties from mixed blocks within the estate, namely Gori Gesha, Gesha 1931, and Illubabor.

Front Street Ethiopia Gesha Village Red Label Coffee Beans

Region: Bench Maji

Estate/Processing Station: Gesha Village

Altitude: 1900-2100 meters

Variety: Gori Gesha

Processing Method: Natural

Flavor: Citrus, Tropical Fruit, Berry, Maple Syrup, Wild Ginger Flower

Front Street Gesha Village Red Label coffee beans are naturally processed. Front Street uses a V60 with a 1:15 ratio at 92°C for brewing, and you'll smell jasmine and ripe fruit aromas. On the palate, there are citrus, grape, and wild ginger flower flavors, with delicate fruit acidity, a fruity sweet finish, and a clean, balanced mouthfeel.

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