Gesha Village is more than a household name (assuming those households include a specialty coffee drinker or two); it's a force. Coffee from Rachel's and Adam's farm in the jungle of western Ethiopia has found its way to the world stage numerous times, and for good reason. It is considered a "bucket list" coffee offering for many roasters around the world. And we here at Black & White have had the tremendous privilege of roasting coffee from Gesha Village Estate on numerous occasions, both for world barista competitors AND for all of you at home - and we do not take that privilege lightly.

MEET THE PRODUCER | Many of you probably already know their story, but a short synopsis still bears repeating here: the Gesha Village project started as an effort by Rachel Samuel and Adam Overton to document native, wild coffee species growing in the Gori Gesha Forest in the Bench Maji zone, where the Gesha variety originated.

Fast forward eight years, and the couple found themselves searching for the perfect piece of land on which to build the coffee farm of their dreams. They found that dream realized not far from that renown Gori Gesha forest they first visited in 2007. Today, the estate has grown to over 700,000 coffee trees and 30,000 native shade trees. With the partnership of the local Meanit Shasha Woreda people, the Gesha Village project has returned the value surrounding the name, "Gesha" back to the forests where the coffee first descended.

TRUST THE PROCESS | This naturally processed coffee first underwent rigorous hand-sorting to ensure that only the ripest, highest quality cherries remained. Then, the whole cherries were placed on raised beds to dry in the sun until they reached 11% moisture content. During this time, the cherries were consistently turned to ensure even drying.

TAKE A SIP | You'll normally find Gesha Village coffees under our black label releases, so we are thrilled to offer this particular lot at a price point which makes it accessible to more folks! Although still very Ethiopian and very Gesha-like, this coffee is slightly less intense than what we might expect coming out of Gesha Village. It's still very floral and pleasantly acidic, like bergamot. The fruit notes are understated and lovely, like peaches and pears. And, like any good Gesha, it's still balanced and sweet, notably reminiscent of sipping black tea that's been sweetened with honey.

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Origin | Bench Maji Zone, Gesha, Ethiopia

Producer | Adam Overton, Rachel Samuel, & Willem Boot

Farm | Gesha Village

Process | Natural

Variety | Gesha 1931 

Elevation | 1909 - 2063 masl