Bench Sheko, formerly known as Bench Maji, is a wet, green zone in the far south-west of Ethiopia. It is the land of the country’s large coffee estates, something unusual in Ethiopia, and the place where the famous Gesha coffee comes from.
Zone: Bench Sheko · South West Ethiopia
Altitude: 1,100 – 2,200 m
Farming: Estates, forest and semi-forest
Processes: Washed and natural
Capital: Mizan Teferi
Typical profile: Floral, fruit, lime (Gesha)
Where is Bench Sheko?
Since 2021 the zone has belonged to the South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region and its capital is Mizan Teferi. Its highest point is Mount Guraferda, almost 2,500 metres. Coffee is its main cash crop.
In the trade, “Bench Maji”, “Tepi” and “Bebeka” are often grouped as a single south-western origin of large estates, although Tepi is in the neighbouring Sheka zone.
The large estates
- Bebeka: a historic plantation of more than 10,000 hectares, half of it coffee, between 1,100 and 1,370 metres. It is one of the lowest estates in Ethiopian export coffee.
- Tepi (Sheka zone): a plantation privatised in 2015, producing more than 6,000 tonnes a year.
- Gesha Village: an estate founded in 2011 about 20 km from the Gori Gesha forest, now the benchmark for Ethiopian Gesha.
Gesha coffee
The Gesha (or Geisha) variety takes its name from the Gesha area, in the forests of south-west Ethiopia. The seeds that, decades later, made Panama’s Geisha famous came from there.
Gesha Village grows several selections: Gori Forest Geisha (rose, strawberry, red berries), Gesha 1931 (honeysuckle, yellow fruit, lime), very similar to Panama’s, and Illubabor Forest 1974 (spice, dried fruit, chocolate).
How it tastes
Washed Geshas are very floral, with bright acidity and a light body; naturals are sweeter and fruitier. Few tasting notes have been published for the coffee of the large plantations. A washed Bench Maji is described with red apple, caramel, medium body and subtle acidity.
Frequently asked questions
Is Geisha coffee from Ethiopia or Panama?
It was born in the forests of south-west Ethiopia. Panama made it famous from seeds collected in that area.
What is Gesha 1931?
A selection grown at Gesha Village. The name refers to the year of the first seed collection near the village of Gesha; the estate believes its plants come from that same material.
Are Bench Maji and Bench Sheko the same?
Yes. Bench Sheko is the current name of the former Bench Maji zone.
Is Tepi in Bench Sheko?
No. Tepi is the capital of the neighbouring Sheka zone, although they are grouped together in the trade.