Close to the birth-place of Gesha, we’ve been working with Acacia Hills in Tanzania for numerous years. The dramatic landscape on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater and the surrounding micro-climate has resulted in a unique expression of the Gesha varietal. Tanzania is known for its vast wilderness and famous landscapes and coffees here are grown with elegant acidity. Coupling the natural terroir that Tanzania offers with Gesha yields a unique and unmistakable flavour profile of pure elegance. Rigorous hard work, diligence and the leadership of Leon and Aideen Christianakis have resulted in this beautiful multi-dimensional coffee. Experience a flavour profile of creamy peach, makrut lime and fragrant jasmine.
1800 masl
Gesha
Washed
Elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetah and hyenas are all found here — to name just a few! Acacia Hills Estate has been in existence for over 50 years, but it was only five years ago that Mark Stell from Portland Roasting Company and Leon and Aideen Christianakis (local Tanzanian coffee farmers) decided to purchase and re-invigorate the Estate with a new 'speciality' approach.
Now things like variety, processing, soil analysis, sides of the mountain etc. matter and are taken into account over the whole growing process.
What had become an old, disused farm is now thriving and green and is finally producing the abundant crops of beautiful coffee which they always knew this region was capable of. It's a real testament to their hard work and effort — and also their passionate belief that they could make their little place on the top of the ridge into something special. The farm currently harvests Bourbon and Kent varieties and is in the process of experimenting with Geisha, Pacamara and Castillo.
The farm house looks over the lush coffee trees with an unobstructed view of the mountains and Lake Eyasi.
The farm itself is the highest altitude farm in the region and they have planted the Geisha and Pacamara varieties at the very top at 1900masl. This small estate has its own purpose-built cupping lab with everything required to analyse coffees onsite. They use a brand new Penogas wet mill and specialise in micro-lots and honey milled coffees; all the coffees are dried on raised beds. It's all about the small details here and we consider this estate a bit of a diamond in the rough.