Honey Process Taste Notes:
"After grinding, it exudes scents reminiscent of pomelo, citron, and delicate white blossoms. With the first sip, you'll experience the delightful fusion of honey-infused pomelo tea, complemented by notes of white peach and the fragrant essence of jasmine tea in the middle. The finish is marked by a gentle, honeyed sweetness and a velvety, full-bodied texture."
Washed Process Taste notes:
"Upon grounding, it has an aroma of lemon zest, pomelo, bergamot and floral aroma. At first sip, the flavour of lemon zest, orange juice, followed by bergamot, earl grey tea and floral fragrance. The coffee is clean and sweet."
Bench Maji, Boma Plateau, and Eastern Equatoria collectively form an enchanting triangle, where Gesha coffee flourishes amidst the untamed expanse of lush forests. This coffee boasts a naturally vibrant and impeccably clean profile, characterized by its robust acidity.
In 2007, Rachel Samuel and Adam Overton embarked on their coffee journey while producing a documentary about Ethiopian coffee. Their passion for the country, its people, and the coffee industry deepened over time. It was during this journey that they crossed paths with Willem Boot, an educator and processor renowned for his involvement with Panamanian Geisha coffee. Under his mentorship, they became his apprentices. Armed with intensive training, Rachel and Adam returned to Bench Maji with a singular mission: to discover the perfect location for their coffee farm.
After months of exploration, they stumbled upon an unspoiled gem, just a few miles from the birthplace of the famous Panamanian Geisha coffee. In 2011, their mission to revive the legendary Ethiopian Gesha coffee variety commenced.
Today, their farm spans an impressive 471 hectares, with 320 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation. Situated at elevations ranging from 1909 to 2069 meters above sea level, the farm has completed its 12th season and is divided into 8 distinct sub-farms or blocks: Shewa-Jibabu, Dimma, Shaya, Bangi, Narsha, Gaylee, Oma, and Surma.
What we have here today is the Gori Gesha variety, planted in the Shaya and Bangi sub-farms. These two coffees are processed differently; the first one undergoes the honey process at Shaya, while the washed process is applied at Bangi.
Gori Gesha is named after the Gori Gesha Forest, where this heirloom Gesha variety is exclusively found. In 2011, when the Overtons were searching for Geisha coffee, the seeds of Gori Gesha were harvested and cultivated at the Gesha Village estate.
Honey Process:
In this processing method, the skin of the cherries is removed by a pulper without the use of water. After pulping, the coffee passes through the demucilager to retain its mucilage, and it is then dried on African beds until it reaches 11% moisture. The percentage of mucilage is the primary variable for flavor profiling.
Washed Process:
In this process, a mechanical scrubber is used to remove the mucilage from the coffee cherries. The cherries then undergo a full wet fermentation, lasting 12 to 36 hours, followed by channel washing. The coffee is then shade-dried for 2 to 3 days until it reaches 30% moisture, after which it is sun-dried on African beds until it reaches 11% moisture. The entire process takes around 12 to 19 days in total for drying.
Variety : Gori Gesha
Altitude : 2100 masl
Process : Honey or Washed
Origin: Shaya/Bangi, Bench Maji