Long before Panama Geisha became a global phenomenon in specialty coffee, it grew wild in the dense rainforests of southwestern Ethiopia. First collected during a 1936 British expedition, seeds from the West Omo region’s Gori Gesha forest began a decades-long journey to Panama, where the variety’s floral, tea-like profile made a dramatic debut at the Best of Panama auction in 2004. Inspired by the rise of this coffee, filmmakers Rachel Samuel and Adam Overton travelled to its birthplace, Ethiopia, to learn more. Captivated by the country, its people, and its coffee heritage, the couple partnered with coffee researcher Willem Boot to cultivate the Gesha variety on Ethiopian soil. After months spent searching for the ideal site, they founded Gesha Village Coffee Estate in 2011, adjacent to the Gori Gesha forest itself.

Located in Ethiopia’s Bench Sheko zone (formerly Bench Maji), Gesha Village sits at over 2,000 metres above sea level and is divided into eight distinct microclimate blocks. Here, wild-selected indigenous Arabica coffees, primarily Gori Gesha, Illubabor Forest, and Gesha 1931 varieties, are cultivated through careful agroforestry practices. The estate partners with the local Meanit people, recognised as “the protectors of Gesha” for safeguarding the native forest, pairing environmental stewardship with direct investment in local infrastructure.

Roasted by the Woodstock duo at Cedar, this reserve E-26 lot features the Gesha 1931 variety from Gesha Village’s prized Rarities collection. Grown on the estate’s Surma block, the harvested cherries underwent anaerobic fermentation to deliver a distinct, nuanced profile in the cup. Read more about this coffee’s lineage, processing, and Winston’s personal connection with Gesha Village in Cedar’s notes below.

Cedar’s notes

“On filter, E-26 opens with lots of citrus and stone fruit, with dried apricot standing out particularly clearly. Orange blossom carries through from start to finish, giving the coffee a gentle but distinctly aromatic character.

“On espresso, the fruit becomes fresher, bringing notes of mandarin and orange alongside the orange blossom. With milk, the coffee becomes softer and more delicate, showing a comforting vanilla cream biscuit character.”

• Cup profile: Dried apricot, orange blossom, citrus & vanilla cream biscuit

Coffee details from Cedar

“Gesha Village has been part of the Cedar story from the very beginning. We've been working with the farm since our early days, and it was one of the first coffees we ever selected for a Cedar Special Release. Winston has also visited Gesha Village and used their coffees in his World Barista Championship preparations. It's a relationship that has continued to mean a lot to us, and one we find ourselves returning to year after year.

“Gesha Village sits in Ethiopia's Bench Maji Zone, just 20 kilometres from the Gori Gesha forest, the birthplace of the Gesha variety. The farm was established using wild Gesha seed collected from this forest, and continues to explore the potential of these genetics across its different growing blocks. 

“Our E-26 comes from the Surma block, grown at 1,900–2,050 metres and made up of the Gesha 1931 variety. The coffee is processed as a Natural Anaerobic, with the cherries undergoing a 56-hour anaerobic fermentation in plastic barrels before being naturally dried for 33 days in full sun.”

• Country: Ethiopia
• Region: Bench Maji, Surma
• Farm: Gesha Village Coffee Estate
• Producers: Adam Overton, Rachel Samuel
• Process: Anaerobic Natural
• Altitude:  1,900 - 2,050m ASL
• Varieties: Gesha 1931