Gesha Village Geisha Red LabelCoffee Bean Intro:

Preacher Coffee: Ethiopia Gesha Village Geisha Red Label

Region: Bench Maji, Ethiopia

Farm: Gesha Village Shewa-Jibabu plot

Elevation: 1973-2069 meters

Variety: Gori Geisha

Processing: Natural

Flavor: Lemon, plum, citrus, tropical fruit, floral tea 

|   Gesha Village

In 2007, documentary director Adam Overton and his photographer wife Rachel Samuel were filming a documentary about Ethiopian coffee for the Ethiopian government when they encountered the Gera Coffee Forest in the Bench Maji region. During this process, they not only rediscovered this great land of Ethiopia but also conceived the idea of establishing their own coffee farm and brand.

In 2009, they had the fortune to meet the renowned mule farm owner and BOP judge Willem Boot, whose ideas provided an opportunity for the Overton couple: to return to Ethiopia to find the birthplace of Geisha.

Eventually, they arrived in Bench Maji, a region in southwestern Ethiopia near South Sudan, where many areas are called Geisha villages, making it the most likely place to find the original Geisha. When they went there in 2011, the farm was empty.

Adam, following Willem Boot, began “exploring” the forests around the farm. In a jungle magically enveloped by dense forests, they discovered various wild tree species, and the most surprising find was wild Geisha. Later, they learned that this was the Gori Geisha forest, the place where the Geisha variety was first discovered. They then collected seeds from the native Geisha trees, selected among them, and planted them in Gesha Village. They decided to establish the farm here and named it Geisha Village Coffee Estate, a 475-hectare coffee farm located about 12 miles from the Gori Gesha forest.

Geisha Village (GeishaVillage Coffee Estate) is entirely different from most Ethiopian farms. It is not a small farm but a large 500-hectare farm with its own washing station and laboratory. Located near the southwestern border of Sudan, the most unique aspect is that the entire farm grows only the Geisha variety, rather than the generally undetermined Ethiopian native varieties. Gesha Village divides the farm into 8 blocks, featuring 3 main Geisha varieties, all of which have seeds collected from nearby forests.

Construction of the farm began in October 2011, with the first harvest in 2015. Due to the enthusiastic response, with the assistance of Panamanian coffee farm owner Willem Boot, they held their first international auction on May 31, 2017, offering 21 micro-lots. Of these, 19 were 120 kg lots, with some smaller batches. Bidders from Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia responded unexpectedly enthusiastically. The final top lot was sold for $85 per pound, breaking all previous auction prices for African beans.

|   Red Label Geisha

Gesha Village grows three Geisha varieties: Gori Geisha, Geisha 1931, and Illubabor Forest. To ensure the quality of coffee produced at Gesha Village, farm owner Adam has established a unique grading system, categorizing Geisha into different grades: Gold Label, Red Label, Green Label, CHAKA, and auction lots.

Through the farm owner’s plot division, we can see that the western part of Gesha Village is planted at higher elevations, especially the OMA, SURMA, and SHEWA-JIBABU plots, with elevations ranging from 1900-2069 meters, among which SHEWA-JIBABU has the highest average elevation. The southern part of the farm has relatively more shade, while the northern part receives longer sunlight. Among the eight plots, Adam selects the most suitable variety for each plot based on differences in elevation, soil conditions, shade, and other microclimates, aiming to ensure that each plot develops distinct coffee flavor characteristics.

The western part of Gesha Village is relatively higher in elevation, with the SHEWA-JIBABU plot slightly higher, while the southern part has relatively more shade, and the northern part receives longer sunlight. Among the eight plots, the farm managers select the most suitable variety for each plot based on differences in elevation, soil conditions, shade, and other microclimates, ensuring that each major plot can form a distinct characteristic.

Gesha Village Red Label accounts for 15% of the annual total production. It selects the Gori Geisha variety and is high-quality Geisha coffee with a SCA standard cupping score of 88 or above. Although the intensity and complexity of the flavors are not as strong as the Gold Label and auction lots, the Red Label still has a very classic Gesha Village flavor profile. Preacher believes this is a highly cost-effective Geisha batch and is worth trying for Geisha enthusiasts.

|   Processing Method

The Ethiopian Red Label Geisha green beans purchased by Preacher are processed using the natural method. Farmers first remove floating impurities, then sun-dry them in thin layers on African-style raised beds covered with plastic sheeting. During the drying process on the sun beds, they perform additional sorting to remove insect-damaged beans and greenish coffee beans. The total drying time is 18-30 days.