TECHNICAL DETAILS
Origin: Tanzania, Oldeani Region , Karatu ( exactly here )
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1,750-1,850 meters above sea level
Varietal: Geisha
Producer: Leon Christianakis
Harvest: 2023
Tasting notes: White flower, mandarin orange, maple syrup
WHY WE LIKE IT
This geisha from Acacia Hills is elegant, with a complexity of nuances that marvels us. We find floral and delicate notes of jasmine, and a soft citrus acidity that reminds us of mandarin. It has a sweet finish that balances it, reminiscent of maple syrup. The body is round and very balanced. It is a coffee of exceptional quality.
RECIPE
We use 18 grams of ground coffee and 300 grams of water at 92 ºC, in a total time of 2'25"-2'40". We make five pours:
- Pour 50 gr of water in 30"
- Pouring 100 gr of water up to 1'15"
- Pouring 150 gr of water up to 1'45"
- Pouring 230 gr of water up to 2'15"
- Pouring 300 gr of water up to 2'25"-2'40"
| EXPERIMENTATION VARIABLES | |
| Rest : 2 weeks (15-20 days) | |
| Method: V60 | |
| Mill : EK43 | |
| Water : Pentair Everpure 70ppm |
HISTORY
The history of coffee in the northern region of Tanzania dates back to the 19th century. At that time, the current Tanzania was a German colony. It was then that German settlers moved coffee trees from the island of Réunion, an island close to the island of Madagascar, to the northern part of Tanzania, with which they developed the industry.
Most of the coffee plantations in the northern region of Tanzania were created in the 1920s, after the First World War. Nearly 80 families of German immigrants founded these small coffee plantations.
León's father and mother were also immigrants who arrived from Greece to Tanzania in the 1900s and decided to make coffee production their livelihood. León is the third generation of this coffee family. Their ancestors grew coffee on the land near their home, however, the altitude of this land was not high enough to produce high-quality coffee. León discovered specialty coffee in the 2000s, and began looking for land where he could produce higher quality coffee.
León brought life back to that coffee plantation that was in poor condition, and began planting high-quality coffee trees of different varieties such as Kent, SL 28, Geisha or Pacamara. It has been thanks to León's conscientious efforts and the wonderful natural environment that has driven the growth of these varietals and the quality of the coffee.
The lands around Acacia Hills border the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, inhabited by free-ranging animals such as elephants and buffaloes. “In marketing aspects this might sound very good, but the truth is that it is delicate to deal with these animals. León has even seen with his own eyes how the animals completely destroy his coffee trees. There is no doubt that even after finishing the construction of its coffee plantation, León has experienced innumerable difficulties typical of its location.
During the founding of Acacia Hills, León and his team always asked the staff working on the coffee plantation the following question, “If there was something that could change your life, what would it be?”
When asking this question I always got “education” or “water” as the first answer. As there are schools in almost all areas of Tanzania, water surely has greater importance. There were even people who made a journey of about 4 kilometers carrying 20 liters of water extracted from the ditches.
It was then that León decided to build water supply infrastructure in Oldeani, with the help of his partner Mark and an Australian roaster. He installed water supply equipment in his two coffee plantations, and prepared a water transportation system to the village's water supply tank, using pipes that take advantage of gravity. The towns in this area are very poor, so much so that until about 15 years ago, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) distributed corn as a basic food to its population. In addition to this type of social projects, the fact that León has achieved some commercial success in Oldeani has also had a positive impact on its environment.
For the specialty coffee sector, where sustainability is the most difficult problem, Leon's practice will be a valuable teaching tool.
VARIETY AND PROCESS
The variety of this coffee is Geisha . This variety is associated with extremely high cup quality, which improves when the plant is grown at higher altitudes, and is known for its delicate floral, jasmine and peach aromas.
The cherry selection process begins in the field and continues at the washing station, where pulping takes place in the afternoon. The coffee then undergoes an open fermentation process for a period of 12 to 13 hours. During this time, the coffee is periodically checked to monitor the level of fermentation. Once the fermentation process is complete, the coffee is washed and classified to separate P1, P2 and floats. The drying process, which usually lasts between 13 and 16 days depending on weather conditions, continues until the parchment reaches a moisture content of 12% in the beds. The dried parchment is then moved to a dry warehouse.
