ETHIOPIA - Gesha Village
Ethiopian coffee season is one of our favorite times of the year. This year however, it’s been a little delayed. We talk a lot around here about how the roots of the coffee tree run deep over the globe, but fact is that we are still far removed from the early stages of the supply chain and it can be easily taken for granted. Fresh crops of coffee from Africa and many other goods for trade rely on a shipping route through the Red Sea, which from late 2023 through 2024 was under attack from the Houthi movement in response to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Even in our small coffee obsessed universe, we are impacted by the sociopolitical crises of our times. Shipping was rerouted around South Africa, adding delays, costs, bottlenecks, and a host of additional problems for the shipping industry. The delays have sinced eased and these coffees are beginning to land, but we took this as an opportunity to try something different with our Ethiopian release this year. This lot from the prestigious Gesha Village producers is actually from the 2022 crop year and was already in country and available from our friends at Forward Coffee. This speaks to another problem that importers need to be prepared for, which is what to do with older lots that don’t sell? This lot, however, was packaged and stored well enough that out collective minds are blown at how good it is.
To move the conversation firmly back into our wheelhouse, this coffee is past crop and it’s still a banger. It’s plump and juicy. At times it’s like biting into fresh stone fruit. Which is timely because it is fresh peach season around here after all. The sweetness has high and almost candy like intensity. Adding to the complexity are subtle background notes of honey and marigold. That these flavors have remained so intact since harvest is a testament to both the quality produced by Gesha Village and the ability of Forward to properly store the greens. Everyone take note that you may have to grind a little coarser than usual for these beans. But once your grind is sorted out, you’ll have nothing but good times ahead.
FARM: GESHA VILLAGE - GAYLEE
VARIETY: ILLUBABOR FOREST
PROCESS: NATURAL
TASTING NOTES: PEACH TEA, MARIGOLD, PLUM
(250 grams whole bean)
Ethiopian coffee season is one of our favorite times of the year. This year however, it’s been a little delayed. We talk a lot around here about how the roots of the coffee tree run deep over the globe, but fact is that we are still far removed from the early stages of the supply chain and it can be easily taken for granted. Fresh crops of coffee from Africa and many other goods for trade rely on a shipping route through the Red Sea, which from late 2023 through 2024 was under attack from the Houthi movement in response to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Even in our small coffee obsessed universe, we are impacted by the sociopolitical crises of our times. Shipping was rerouted around South Africa, adding delays, costs, bottlenecks, and a host of additional problems for the shipping industry. The delays have sinced eased and these coffees are beginning to land, but we took this as an opportunity to try something different with our Ethiopian release this year. This lot from the prestigious Gesha Village producers is actually from the 2022 crop year and was already in country and available from our friends at Forward Coffee. This speaks to another problem that importers need to be prepared for, which is what to do with older lots that don’t sell? This lot, however, was packaged and stored well enough that out collective minds are blown at how good it is.
To move the conversation firmly back into our wheelhouse, this coffee is past crop and it’s still a banger. It’s plump and juicy. At times it’s like biting into fresh stone fruit. Which is timely because it is fresh peach season around here after all. The sweetness has high and almost candy like intensity. Adding to the complexity are subtle background notes of honey and marigold. That these flavors have remained so intact since harvest is a testament to both the quality produced by Gesha Village and the ability of Forward to properly store the greens. Everyone take note that you may have to grind a little coarser than usual for these beans. But once your grind is sorted out, you’ll have nothing but good times ahead.
FARM: GESHA VILLAGE - GAYLEE
VARIETY: ILLUBABOR FOREST
PROCESS: NATURAL
TASTING NOTES: PEACH TEA, MARIGOLD, PLUM
(250 grams whole bean)
Ethiopian coffee season is one of our favorite times of the year. This year however, it’s been a little delayed. We talk a lot around here about how the roots of the coffee tree run deep over the globe, but fact is that we are still far removed from the early stages of the supply chain and it can be easily taken for granted. Fresh crops of coffee from Africa and many other goods for trade rely on a shipping route through the Red Sea, which from late 2023 through 2024 was under attack from the Houthi movement in response to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Even in our small coffee obsessed universe, we are impacted by the sociopolitical crises of our times. Shipping was rerouted around South Africa, adding delays, costs, bottlenecks, and a host of additional problems for the shipping industry. The delays have sinced eased and these coffees are beginning to land, but we took this as an opportunity to try something different with our Ethiopian release this year. This lot from the prestigious Gesha Village producers is actually from the 2022 crop year and was already in country and available from our friends at Forward Coffee. This speaks to another problem that importers need to be prepared for, which is what to do with older lots that don’t sell? This lot, however, was packaged and stored well enough that out collective minds are blown at how good it is.
To move the conversation firmly back into our wheelhouse, this coffee is past crop and it’s still a banger. It’s plump and juicy. At times it’s like biting into fresh stone fruit. Which is timely because it is fresh peach season around here after all. The sweetness has high and almost candy like intensity. Adding to the complexity are subtle background notes of honey and marigold. That these flavors have remained so intact since harvest is a testament to both the quality produced by Gesha Village and the ability of Forward to properly store the greens. Everyone take note that you may have to grind a little coarser than usual for these beans. But once your grind is sorted out, you’ll have nothing but good times ahead.
FARM: GESHA VILLAGE - GAYLEE
VARIETY: ILLUBABOR FOREST
PROCESS: NATURAL
TASTING NOTES: PEACH TEA, MARIGOLD, PLUM
(250 grams whole bean)