Return to the Land of Origin: Gesha Village

The allure of Gesha coffee is undeniable, rooted in an ancient strain that predates its international fame in Panama. This twist of fate mirrors the broader story of coffee and the issues we at Corvus Coffee are striving to address.

Gesha, a treasured variety, began as an orphan, adopted and rising to fame in Panama. Its arrival on the market shifted the coffee world perceptibly, forever altering our expectations. For those of us in the industry for decades, Gesha provided a second "Aha" moment, surpassing expectations and reframing our understanding of coffee, much like our first encounter with an Ethiopian Natural coffee. As this transformation unfolded, Africa, the mother of this orphan, stood by. She is accustomed to seeing her treasures benefit others while remaining outside her shores. As this coffee and its revolution spread, it left her, like all mothers, struggling to find her place within her creation’s life.

Gesha Village represents Ethiopia’s resounding response to the overseas capture of Gesha’s value—the mother reclaiming her adopted child. In 2007, Rachel Samuel, an Ethiopian woman, and her husband embarked on a journey through Ethiopia to make a documentary about its coffee industry. This experience ignited their passion for the country and its coffee, leading them to establish the Gesha Village project.

Their quest for the perfect land led them to the wild, dense forests of the Bench Maji zone, near the Gori Gesha forest—the birthplace of the Gesha variety. Here, they leased a 471-hectare plot in 2011 and began the laborious process of building a coffee farm from the ground up. This remote land, lacking basic infrastructure, became their canvas. Over time, they brought in materials, built facilities, and planted coffee trees alongside native shade trees, fostering biodiversity and honoring the natural environment.

The Gesha Village project embodies a revival, merging the original Ethiopian Gesha strains with innovations learned from Panama. Rachel and Adam’s dedication to preserving the indigenous environment while producing world-class coffee has created a thriving community, providing income to hundreds of local families and protecting the ancient forest.

For coffee aficionados, tasting Gesha from Ethiopia is a special moment in their journey of exploring coffee. It’s rare to find reserve-level coffees from Ethiopia, which is particularly odd given how exceptional Ethiopian coffees are and their immense potential. We treasure Gesha Village coffees for their elegant, floral, and complex vibrancy, witnessing the power of a story brought to life. This narrative is embedded within the ideals of specialty coffee: enabling producers to capture the value of their labor as we in developed countries expect when we master our craft. This reunification allows us to appreciate Gesha in its most accurate light and context—not just through its story but through excellent cups of beautiful coffee.

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