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Gesha Village — Bringing Gesha Home to Ethiopia — influential farm from Ethiopia, editorial artwork
Editorial illustration for this historical feature.
INFLUENTIAL FARM2011–present

Gesha Village — Ethiopian Coffee and Lot Traceability

Historical milestone, not our tasting review

These profiles describe events, farms, varieties and notable coffees. Numbers reported by competition organizers or other reviewers are not our tasting scores; we do not convert those numbers into five-star ratings. Where a precise historical result cannot be matched to a specific lot, year and primary record, we leave it unscored.

What the evidence cannot establish: Gesha Village is a farm producing different named varieties, blocks and lots across crop years. Published auction bids and outside tasting evaluations, when verified, must be attached to the specific lot and date, not treated as an independent blanket rating for the estate.

Our evidence and rating standards →
Era
2011–present
Country
Ethiopia
Region
West Omo (formerly Bench Maji)
Farm
Gesha Village Coffee Estate
Producer
Adam and Rachel Overton
Variety
Gesha 1931; Gori Gesha; Illubabor Forest
Process
Washed, natural and experimental lots
TagsINFLUENTIAL FARMEthiopiaWest Omo (formerly Bench Maji)Gesha Village Coffee EstateAdam and Rachel OvertonGesha 1931Gori GeshaIllubabor ForestNaturalWashed

What was it?

An Ethiopian coffee estate near the Gori Gesha forest. Its Gesha 1931 and Gori Gesha selections differ and should not be conflated with each other or a particular Panama Gesha lot.

Who grew it?

The estate credits Rachel Samuel, Adam Overton, and coffee educator Willem Boot in its founding story.

Where?

West Omo, southwestern Ethiopia, near the Gori Gesha forest. Earlier sources used the name Bench Maji for this area.

What made it important

Gesha Village is historically significant for its role in identifying and cultivating the original heirloom Gesha varieties in their native Ethiopian habitat. Through extensive research and genetic testing, the farm confirmed that the nearby Gori Gesha forest was the collection site for the seeds that eventually became the world-renowned Panamanian Geisha. By establishing a farm in this remote region, founders Adam Overton and Rachel Samuel created a bridge between the wild, ancestral coffee forests of West Omo and the global specialty coffee market. The estate is recognized for its rigorous commitment to lot traceability, which allows for the separation of specific varieties like Gesha 1931 and Gori Gesha by production block.

How was it processed?

The estate offers several methods, including washed and natural. Each process must be linked to a specific lot and harvest, not assumed for every coffee.

What did reviewers say?

Outside descriptions of jasmine or citrus are tied to particular lots, not all harvests at the estate. This is a history profile, not an original tasting review.

What did it change?

The farm has fundamentally shifted the industry's understanding of the Gesha variety by returning the focus to its Ethiopian birthplace. Its model of high-level traceability and farm-level research has set a new standard for transparency and quality control in the production of heirloom Ethiopian coffees.

Where is that producer today?

The estate reports approximately 471 hectares and eight tracked blocks, and documents several distinct coffee selections. Those figures are producer-reported and may change.

Sources & further reading

External articles and records support specific historical details; a source does not independently verify every statement on this page. Unlinked research notes are identified separately, not presented as citations.

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