About the coffee:

The Gesha Village Coffee Estate was established in 2007 in the far western part of Ethiopia, near the South Sudanese border, within the West Omo zone. The 471-hectare farm was built with a passion for producing high-quality coffee by Rachel Samuel, Adam Overton and Willem Boot, with the help of the local Meanit peoples who are the inhabitants and protectors of Gesha.

The founders chose the land in West Omo for its ideal coffee-growing conditions and close proximity to the Gori Gesha forest, the birthplace of the famed Gesha variety. They harvested wild Gesha seeds and developed the land into a world-class coffee farm, contributing to the revival of the local coffee industry. Their efforts have helped bring Western Ethiopia into the global specialty-coffee market, with a focus on innovation and community.

This 026 lot is part of the Growers Reserve collection and accounts for 15% of the total production on the farm. These microlots are selected for their superior flavor attributes and cup qualities over 88 points by SCA standards.

The Gesha Village Estate is divided into eight “blocks” which are individually monitored and managed, specifically for the needs and profiles of the coffee grown.

This Illubabor Forest Gesha was grown on the Dimma block, named after a famous mining town North of the farm. Coffees from Dimma tend to have a more lively profile with notes of coffee blossom, stone fruit and citrus.

Bahilu Tamirat oversees production and quality control at Gesha Village and has implemented a classic honey process for this Illubabor Forest Gesha.

Gesha Village Coffee Estate focuses on sustainability through community development, environmental conservation, and eco-friendly practices.

They built the area's first high school and host annual workshops for farmers to share knowledge. Environmental sustainability efforts include planting native trees in deforested land and maintaining biodiversity within the farm. Water-saving coffee processing methods are implemented and waste is treated or composted to be used again. Additionally, Gesha Village has launched a beekeeping program to produce honey and support pollination on the farm. Their initiatives reflect a strong commitment to both the community and the environment.