Tanzania Leon Christianakis, Acacia Hills - Pacamara
It is a great joy to welcome back, for the second year, this stunning Tanzanian washed pacamara from Leon Christianakis of Acacia Hills. Last year, we mentioned this being one of the very best African coffees we had tried all season, including the many beautiful Ethiopian and Kenyan lots that we’ve gotten our hands on, and that remains true this season. In fact, between last year and and this year’s lot, we find some noticeable improvement in the delicacy and nuanced complexity. We continue to perceive a full, unabashed guava-forward cup, which is complimented beautifully by the note of raspberry—something we love finding in Tanzanian and Kenyan coffees—and a hit of bright lime-like acidity.
Leon Christianakis is the third generation of his family to grow coffee in Tanzania, his ancestors having immigrated from Greece in the early 20th century, with the intention of making a living in coffee production. The land they initially cultivated was not suitable, however, to growing specialty-grade coffee due to its low altitude; consequently, in the early 2000s, Leon began searching for lands at higher altitude that would be more suitable to the cultivation of coffee of exceptional quality. In 2007, Leon, in partnership with Mark Stell, purchased the land on Mount Oldeani that would become Acacia Hills, and planted trees whose varietals have high quality potential at altitude, namely, kent, SL28, geisha, and pacamara, which makes up this lot.
Pacamara was first created in 1958 by the Salvadoran Institute for Coffee Research by crossing the pacas and maragogipe varietals. Pacas, then, is a natural mutation of the bourbon varietal, and maragogipe is a natural mutation of the typica varietal. Pacamara is lauded within the industry for its overall quality and complexity of flavor, typically possessing a medium body and an abundance of citrus, berry, stone fruit, and floral flavor notes.
To maintain the integrity of the delicate flavor-balance present in this coffee, we recommend enjoying it black.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.
It is a great joy to welcome back, for the second year, this stunning Tanzanian washed pacamara from Leon Christianakis of Acacia Hills. Last year, we mentioned this being one of the very best African coffees we had tried all season, including the many beautiful Ethiopian and Kenyan lots that we’ve gotten our hands on, and that remains true this season. In fact, between last year and and this year’s lot, we find some noticeable improvement in the delicacy and nuanced complexity. We continue to perceive a full, unabashed guava-forward cup, which is complimented beautifully by the note of raspberry—something we love finding in Tanzanian and Kenyan coffees—and a hit of bright lime-like acidity.
Leon Christianakis is the third generation of his family to grow coffee in Tanzania, his ancestors having immigrated from Greece in the early 20th century, with the intention of making a living in coffee production. The land they initially cultivated was not suitable, however, to growing specialty-grade coffee due to its low altitude; consequently, in the early 2000s, Leon began searching for lands at higher altitude that would be more suitable to the cultivation of coffee of exceptional quality. In 2007, Leon, in partnership with Mark Stell, purchased the land on Mount Oldeani that would become Acacia Hills, and planted trees whose varietals have high quality potential at altitude, namely, kent, SL28, geisha, and pacamara, which makes up this lot.
Pacamara was first created in 1958 by the Salvadoran Institute for Coffee Research by crossing the pacas and maragogipe varietals. Pacas, then, is a natural mutation of the bourbon varietal, and maragogipe is a natural mutation of the typica varietal. Pacamara is lauded within the industry for its overall quality and complexity of flavor, typically possessing a medium body and an abundance of citrus, berry, stone fruit, and floral flavor notes.
To maintain the integrity of the delicate flavor-balance present in this coffee, we recommend enjoying it black.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.
It is a great joy to welcome back, for the second year, this stunning Tanzanian washed pacamara from Leon Christianakis of Acacia Hills. Last year, we mentioned this being one of the very best African coffees we had tried all season, including the many beautiful Ethiopian and Kenyan lots that we’ve gotten our hands on, and that remains true this season. In fact, between last year and and this year’s lot, we find some noticeable improvement in the delicacy and nuanced complexity. We continue to perceive a full, unabashed guava-forward cup, which is complimented beautifully by the note of raspberry—something we love finding in Tanzanian and Kenyan coffees—and a hit of bright lime-like acidity.
Leon Christianakis is the third generation of his family to grow coffee in Tanzania, his ancestors having immigrated from Greece in the early 20th century, with the intention of making a living in coffee production. The land they initially cultivated was not suitable, however, to growing specialty-grade coffee due to its low altitude; consequently, in the early 2000s, Leon began searching for lands at higher altitude that would be more suitable to the cultivation of coffee of exceptional quality. In 2007, Leon, in partnership with Mark Stell, purchased the land on Mount Oldeani that would become Acacia Hills, and planted trees whose varietals have high quality potential at altitude, namely, kent, SL28, geisha, and pacamara, which makes up this lot.
Pacamara was first created in 1958 by the Salvadoran Institute for Coffee Research by crossing the pacas and maragogipe varietals. Pacas, then, is a natural mutation of the bourbon varietal, and maragogipe is a natural mutation of the typica varietal. Pacamara is lauded within the industry for its overall quality and complexity of flavor, typically possessing a medium body and an abundance of citrus, berry, stone fruit, and floral flavor notes.
To maintain the integrity of the delicate flavor-balance present in this coffee, we recommend enjoying it black.
All coffee is sold whole-bean to reduce oxidization, and increase the longevity of volatile aromatic compounds.
