Why Does Gesha Village Geisha Coffee Confuse Buyers?
Geisha coffee from Ethiopia's Gesha Village Coffee Estate is often mixed up with Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. The estate began in 2007, when documentary director Adam Overton and photographer Rachel Samuel conceived it while filming in Bench Maji, then found native varieties in the Gori Gesha forest with guidance from Willem Boot.
The estate grades its lots across five tiers: Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka, each tied to different blocks and microclimates at roughly 1,700 to 2,100 meters. Roasting and brewing comparisons of the Red, Green, and Chaka beans show how those tiers differ in the cup, which makes the estate system easier to read.
Geisha coffee's popularity in the specialty coffee world shows no sign of fading, but many enthusiasts easily confuse products from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda with those from Ethiopia's Gesha Village Coffee Estate. Starting from historical origins, this article traces how documentary director Adam Overton and his wife Rachel Samuel conceived the idea in 2007 while filming, and how, under Willem Boot's guidance, they found the native variety in the Gori Gesha forest of Bench Maji. The article explains in detail the estate's five-tier grading system—Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka—along with the microclimates and variety differences of each block, and includes Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing flavor comparison of the Red, Green, and Chaka beans, helping readers understand the Gesha Village system at a glance.
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After Geisha rose to fame in the specialty coffee world, its following has only grown. At Front Street's shop, newcomers often ask which Geisha we can recommend. In terms of fame, Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha is undoubtedly the most renowned, and its pricing is determined by the estate's internal grading. But among the beans Front Street currently sells, there is also a Geisha from Ethiopia's Gesha Village Coffee Estate, which likewise uses an internal estate grading system. The two origins are easy to mix up, so below Front Street lays out the relevant background on Gesha Village.
The Origin of Gesha Village Coffee Estate
The story begins in 2007. Documentary director Adam Overton and his photographer wife Rachel Samuel were then filming a coffee-themed documentary for the Ethiopian government, and during that time they walked into the Gera coffee forest in Bench Maji, which sparked the idea of building their own estate and brand.
In 2009, the couple met Willem Boot, owner of Finca La Mula and a BOP judge. Willem's advice gave them a new direction: return to Ethiopia and trace Geisha's place of origin. So they came to the country's region closest to South Sudan—Bench Maji, at an altitude of about 1,700 to 2,100 meters. This place is called Gesha Village by many, and it is also the area with the highest possibility of finding original Geisha. Adam followed Willem Boot to explore the forests around the estate, and deep in a dense forest they discovered many wild tree varieties, among which the most exciting find was wild Geisha.
Only later did they learn that this was precisely the Gori Gesha forest—the place where the Geisha variety was first recorded. The team collected seeds from native Geisha trees, selected them, then transplanted them to Gesha Village for cultivation and established a coffee estate locally, naming it Gesha Village Coffee Estate. The Ethiopian Gesha Village coffee beans currently on Front Street's coffee list come from here.
Gesha Village Coffee Estate Front Street's Ethiopian Gesha Village coffee beans have performed actively in the specialty market in recent years and earned a solid reputation, so Front Street brought them in for coffee fans to taste. According to Front Street's understanding, Gesha Village is not a small estate; it covers a total area of 471 hectares, and the coffee it produces is known for a bright and clean flavor.
The estate is also divided into 8 blocks, each with unique microclimate and soil conditions. From initially continuously screening varieties, to determining suitable seeds, planting, and cupping, the owner gradually established a grading system for Gesha Village coffee beans—that is, the Gesha Village Gold, Red, and Green labels seen at Front Street.
How does Gesha Village grade its coffee beans?
As Front Street mentioned above, Gesha Village is vast, and different microclimates give the coffee beans from each plot subtle differences. In order not to let down Gesha Village's famous flavor reputation, the estate implements a strict internal grading system.
It includes Auction, Gold, Red, Green, and Chaka lots. Below, Front Street briefly explains the characteristics of each grade.
Auction Lot Geisha
Accounting for only 3.7% of Gesha Village's annual output, it is the estate's top lot after rigorous selection and can only be obtained through the 2018 Gesha Village Coffee Estate global auction. The 2018 auction lot scored 88.15 to 92.67 in cupping, and is internally divided into Champion's Reserve and Farm Reserve. For example, Gesha Village 2018 Auction Lot RSV.6 belongs to the auction lot. Gold Label Lot Geisha Accounting for only 5% of Gesha Village's annual output, it is a lot often chosen by competitors around the world, and roasters who demand quality also purchase it. It is fully traceable, and each lot has prominent flavor and high complexity, making it the estate's excellent grade second only to the auction lot;
Red Label Lot Geisha Fully traceable, presenting the typical Gesha Village flavor. Its intensity and complexity are slightly inferior to Gold Label, making it a single-origin lot with very high value for money;
Green Label Lot Geisha
A lot from a single plot and of a single variety, with the typical Gesha Village flavor, and intensity and complexity slightly weaker than Red Label;
Chaka Lot A Geisha blend produced by Gesha Village, containing three varieties: Gori Gesha, Gesha 1931, and Illubabor (a native Ethiopian disease-resistant variety).
The Area and Planted Varieties of Different Plots in Gesha Village
According to Front Street's understanding, the owner keeps very detailed records of plot numbering, which facilitates later management and flavor traceability; the image below shows the area and planted varieties of different plots in Gesha Village.
As can be seen from the image, the western side of the estate is relatively higher in elevation, with the three plots OMA, SURMA, and SHEWA-JIBABU at slightly higher altitudes; the southern side has a higher shade ratio, while the northern side has longer sunlight hours. Among the eight plots, managers select the most suitable variety for each plot based on differences in microclimate such as altitude, soil, and shade, ensuring that each plot develops distinct characteristics.
The above is the information Front Street has compiled about Gesha Village Geisha coffee beans. Front Street conducts cupping and brewing tests whenever it lists a new bean. Next, Front Street will share a brewing flavor comparison of Gesha Village Red Label, Green Label, and Chaka coffee beans.
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Ethiopian Gesha Village Red Label Coffee Beans
Country: Ethiopia Region: Bench Maji (Gesha Village Coffee Estate) Altitude: 1909-2069m Variety: Gori Gesha Processing Method: Natural Process
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Gesha Village Green Label Geisha Coffee Beans
Country: Ethiopia Region: Bench Maji (Gesha Village Coffee Estate) Altitude: 1911-2001 meters Variety: Gori Gesha Processing Method: Natural Process
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Gesha Village Chaka Geisha Coffee Beans
Country: Ethiopia Region: Bench Maji (Gesha Village Coffee Estate) Altitude: 1900-2100 meters Variety: Gori Gesha, Gesha 1921, Illubabor Processing Method: Natural Process
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Roasting Analysis
For this roast, Front Street selected the newly arrived Gesha Village Green Label coffee beans. Since this batch of Green Label is coffee from the new 2020 crop and has a higher moisture content, the dehydration time was extended. The final roast level was determined to be medium-light, to highlight fruity sweetness.
Yangjia 800N, charge weight 500g: charged at a drum temperature of 175°C, heat 130, airflow opened to 3; turning point at 1'36", when the drum temperature was 92.8°C, at 3 minutes the airflow was opened to 4 and the heat raised to 140; when the drum temperature was 152.6°C, the bean surface turned yellow, the grassy smell completely disappeared, and it entered the dehydration stage, with heat lowered to 100; at 8'20", ugly wrinkles and dark patches appeared on the bean surface, and the toast aroma clearly turned into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, one should listen clearly for the sound of first crack. First crack began at 9'55", airflow was opened to 5, development after first crack was 1'30, and the beans were dropped at 193.5°C. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Cupping Report
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Pour-Over Data Sharing
Front Street recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans for brewing, as this allows you to experience the coffee's rich flavors to the greatest extent. The coffee beans shipped by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are all within 5 days of roasting, because Front Street deeply understands the great impact of coffee bean freshness on flavor. Front Street's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted good coffee," so that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee. Coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive it, it is exactly at its best flavor.
Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15 Grind size: medium-coarse (80% passing a No. 20 sieve) Water temperature: 91°C Brewing equipment: Hario V60
Brewing method: Bloom with 30g water for 35s, pour in stages to 125g taking 1'00, then pour to 225ml taking until 1'50, and the time after coffee extraction is complete is 2'10.
Gesha Village Red Label Flavor Description: Fermented wine aroma, citrus and kumquat acidity, full-bodied berry juice.
Gesha Village Green Label Flavor Description: Coconut, licorice, cream, chocolate, toffee, citrus, almond, strawberry, with a fermented aroma on the nose. The overall flavor is relatively balanced, the mouthfeel is mellow, and the nutty flavor is quite prominent.
Gesha Village Chaka Flavor Description: It smells of a light fermented aroma, and on the palate there is citrus and grapefruit acidity, with flavors of cream, chocolate, and caramel, and a soft flavor.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
