About This Coffee
Tracon Trading coffee exporters bought Gesha Farm in 2017. High altitudes of 1,800 to 1,980 meters above sea level are perfect for the delicate Geisha variety, which prefers higher altitudes.
Though one variety of wild Geisha is thought to come from the Western Omo zone, this woreda (zone) is the only one in Western Omo that is suitable for coffee growing. In fact, the locals don’t typically grow coffee but rather sorghum and corn. That being said, wild Geisha does grow in the coffee forests in Bench Maji and outgrowers are sometimes hired to pick wild Geisha and deliver it to nearby farms for processing.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Workers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and deliver it to the on-farm processing mill. Cheryr is floated to remove any underripe or damaged cherry and laid to dry on raised beds. Workers rake cherry frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 20 to 23 days for cherry to dry.
About Geisha
Geisha (also known as Gesha) is known for its exceptional cup quality, especially when grown at high altitudes. The variety comes from Ethiopian landrace coffees and was collected from Ethiopian coffee forests in the 1930s. The name supposedly derives from Ethiopia’s Gori Gesha forest.
There is some confusion with several genetically distinct varieties that have all been called Geisha, but the most famous variety is the Panama one. The variety was brought to Lyamungu research station in Tanzania and from there to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Central America in 1953. At CATIE, the variety was logged as T2722. CATIE distributed T2722 across Panama in the 1960s for its Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) resistance, but its brittle branches meant it was not widely planted.
Panama Geisha reached its modern fame in 2005 when a Geisha lot won the “Best of Panama” competition and broke contemporary records at over $20/pound. DNA analysis has demonstrated that the Panama Geisha descended from T2722 is distinct and uniform. Today, Geisha is known for its delicate florals, jasmine and stone fruit.
Coffee in Ethiopia
While Ethiopia is famous as coffee’s birthplace, today it remains a specialty coffee industry darling for its incredible variety of flavors. While full traceability has been difficult in recent history, new regulations have made direct purchasing possible. We’re partnering directly with farmers to help them produce top quality specialty lots that are now completely traceable, adding value for farmers and roasters, alike.
The exceptional quality of Ethiopian coffee is due to a combination of factors. The genetic diversity of coffee varieties means that we find a diversity of flavor, even between (or within) farms with similar growing conditions and processing. In addition to varieties, processing methods also contribute to end quality. The final key ingredients for excellent coffee in Ethiopia are the producing traditions that have created the genetic diversity, processing infrastructure and great coffee we enjoy today.
Most producers in Ethiopia are smallholders, and the majority continue to cultivate coffee using traditional methods. As a result, most coffee is grown with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide use. Coffee is almost entirely cultivated, harvested and dried using manual systems.