Tanzania — Leon Christianakis Acacia Hills Pacamara (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍇 Jammy Raspberry • 🍋 Candied Lime • 🍈 Soursop

DETAILS

• Producer: Leon Christianakis
• Farm: Acacia Hills
• Region: Mount Oldeani, Tanzania
• Varietal: Pacamara
• Process: Washed

INTRO Leon Christianakis's washed Pacamara returns for a third year, and it's as bright as ever — jammy raspberry and candied lime citric acidity up front, with the round sweetness of ripe soursop rounding things out. In the cup: jammy raspberry, candied lime, and soursop.

THE PRODUCER Leon Christianakis is the third generation of his family to grow coffee in Tanzania, descended from Greek immigrants who arrived in the early 20th century to build a life in coffee production. The land they first cultivated sat too low in altitude for specialty-grade quality, so in the early 2000s Leon began searching for higher ground. In 2007, together with partner Mark Stell, he purchased land on Mount Oldeani that would become Acacia Hills, planting varieties suited to quality at altitude — Kent, SL28, Pacamara, and Geisha.

Pacamara was created in 1958 by the Salvadoran Institute for Coffee Research, crossing Pacas (a natural Bourbon mutation) with Maragogipe (a natural Typica mutation). It's prized industry-wide for its overall quality and flavour complexity, typically showing a medium body alongside an abundance of citrus, berry, stone fruit, and floral notes.

THE PROCESS This lot is Washed, a method that removes the fruit before fermentation and drying — letting Pacamara's naturally bright acidity and berry-forward complexity come through cleanly, building the raspberry, lime, and soursop character that define this cup.

THE CUP Bright and jammy — raspberry sweetness up front, a candied lime citric acidity through the middle, and a round, ripe soursop finish. A consistently excellent Pacamara from one of Tanzania's most dedicated growers.

Flavour Notes 🍇 Jammy Raspberry 🍋 Candied Lime 🍈 Soursop