Where To Buy Yemen Coffee
Dark Roast / Pearls of Al Qafr: A smooth, harmonic, intensely creamy dark roast, which is both subtle and bold. Buying coffee from Yemen is always a bit of a gamble, and this one definitely paid off.
where to buy yemen coffee
Matari Mountain Light-Med roast: This coffee is not to be missed. Tasting notes: Red grape acidity, sweetly perfumed and syrupy smooth body. It's multi-layered and complex, with notes of raisins, prune, cherries, and more. The complexity comes together and is surprisingly redolent of Crème brûlée.This Light-Med is the perfect roast level.
This coffee is dried under controlled conditions at a central collection center. This processing means more resonant berry flavors and less rustic, fermented notes. It's also more expensive to process.
Peaberry Sunrise Light: This peaberry coffee is from one of our favorite suppliers, Shabbir al-Ezzi. If you have a really good memory, you'll recall a $48/bag Asrar Haraaz coffee from Nov 2017 that had notes of strawberry. We've talked about it ever since, but haven't repeated those notes of strawberry until now. Here's your chance for a mellifluous, syrupy, fruity, floral coffee with elusive strawberry notes.
Peaberry Medium: Wild strawberries, delicate balance, mild Yemeni coffee. This peaberry coffee is so much fun with the small and dare-I-say cute beans. Brew it up, have sip, and imagine those small button strawberries found in the wild, which are delicate in your mouth. Beyond this special tasting note, expect a mild Yemeni coffee, as opposed to the often times more wild and unrestrained ones.
Al Dhi'm Classic Light: This is sourced from one valley over from the Malala valley reserve coffee. Yup, if you go over a mountain ridge and drop into the neighboring valley, you can get some of this Al Dhi'm coffee. In the cup, there are two major differences: notes of orange rind have become more lemony; and the tannic backbone becomes less pronounced and more difficult to pinpoint (much like the Malala Ismaeli). Overall, the Al Dhi'm is a prototypical Yemeni coffee. What a classic.
Malala Medium: Candied sweetness and toasted almonds, plus all of the notes of the Light, but slightly attenuated. Both the medium and light roast defy easy description, as the coffee has so many layers to unpack. It's like three different coffees playing harmony in one cup.
From the coffee mill: "This small valley in the well-known Bani Ismail region offers a very unique Yemen coffee. One of the reasons for its uniqueness is the rarity of the predominate varietal in the Malala Valley. It is a sub-varietal of one of the traditional Yemen varieties but throughout the centuries it has adapted to the harsh land and climate of Bani Ismail - and currently it is cultivated exclusively in the Bani Ismail area. At Rayyan we love this coffee not just for its uniqueness and what it offers in the cup but also because we have been exporting Malala since our first year in operation! Annual production is three to five tons."
Al Wudiyan Classic Light: Wow. Packed with flavor and among the most balanced that we've tasted. Citrus and brown spices. Tart cherry backbone and tannic structure. (1) Bright is my first reaction closely followed by this guy is packed with flavor. It's pleasing and feels honest.(2) What a well structured coffee. There's a backbone of acidity a bit like a tart cherry; then there's a corollary of what can only be described as tannins that you would find in a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Yemen is known for their "winey" coffees and this is the best example to discover this.(3) This coffee lingers and keeps giving. The initial brightness has an unseen buttress of brown spice and leather notes. But you don't taste it; rather, if it wasn't there you would say something is missing. It's like good design: you don't see it so much as you perceive it.
Al Wudiyan Medium: Try this coffee and not only will you taste it across your tongue but also delicately on the roof of your mouth. And what is most remarkable is the flavor just keeps lingering. I'm talking on and on. This is a great medium roast that plays harmony between drier citrus and cherry notes but balanced with a warmer roasty character. It has the complexity of our Yemeni Medium but is restrained, shaped, and in control. It's the heritage of Yemen more precisely cultivated.
From the coffee mill regarding Al Wudiyan: "We began sourcing this lot from a very large, remote valley in the Hajja mountains this year. We have heard of this valley for two years now but it is quite difficult to access. This year one of the farmers from Al-Ghayoul whose wife is originally from this valley introduced us to their relatives who also farm coffee. Clearly we are just beginning our relationship with the communities in this valley but hope that one day they too will be open to new pruning, harvesting and drying methods. Given the size of the valley and the quality of the coffee throughout, we expect to see production of over 15 tons and hope to break this down into smaller lots in the future. It is the most balanced special lot we offer and we drink it often as a pourover at the mill."
Haraaz Sunrise Light: In one word, this coffee is stunning. This is a smooth, well-rounded, bright and juicy light roast with natural Yemeni vibrancy and honey-like sweetness. It comes from a coffee cooperative high in Yemen's Haraaz mountains.
Haraaz High Noon Medium: From one of Yemen's most storied origins, hailing from the cloudswept coffee terraces of the Haraaz mountains (cooperative coffee). Expect an exceptionally balanced, flowing mouthfeel with seasonal orange zest, lemon citrus, tart cherry, deep chocolate, and a lightly tannic finish. This coffee tells a story of enduring history and wide open Yemeni skies.
Haraaz Sunset Dark: The cloudswept terraces of the Haraaz mountains are the home of this special coffee cooperative. This is one of Yemen's most storied origins. This dark roast is indulgent and full-bodied, with notes of cocoa mirrored by spice and equal parts richness. Citrus and nuts peak through. It has a rounded, flowing, and balanced profile.
Asrar Haraaz Classic Light: This microlot is mind-numbingly delicious and is the best coffee we have ever carried. (It is also the best cup of Yemeni coffee I personally have ever had in my life. -Anda/Owner)
Open the bag and out wafts an intoxicating strawberry ambrosia. It's so heady and speaks of what is to come. Brew it. I am speechless. I've never had a coffee like this. It's syrupy, potent, and compact. It tastes like it's brewed double strength. Compared to other Yemeni coffees it has a similar profile but way more concentrated. Plus notes of strawberry and an enduring syrupy mouthfeel. Literally, incredible coffee. Now we have to find more of it.
Al Wudiyan Light: It's back! This is the newest crop of a very well-liked microlot from Hajja, Yemen. Compared to the previous Al Wudiyan, this batch is brighter and less restrained. In the mouth, it's particularly dry, with pleasing notes of orange rind, tart cherry, and a sprinkling of tannins. This is an excellent, wild Yemen coffee.
From the coffee mill: "We began sourcing this lot from a very large, remote valley in the Hajja mountains this year. We have heard of this valley for two years now but it is quite difficult to access. This year one of the farmers from Al-Ghayoul whose wife is originally from this valley introduced us to their relatives who also farm coffee. Clearly we are just beginning our relationship with the communities in this valley but hope that one day they too will be open to new pruning, harvesting and drying methods. Given the size of the valley and the quality of the coffee throughout, we expect to see production of over 15 tons and hope to break this down into smaller lots in the future. It is the most balanced special lot we offer and we drink it often as a pourover at the mill."
From the coffee mill: The tribesmen in this community are not keen on change but over the last three years our coffee supplier has earned their respect and trust by dealing with them fairly and honestly. The farmers receive upwards of $7/lb for their coffee, which reflects the quality and care of their work. Last year, a few farmers indicated they would like to implement pruning methods new to them as well as raised beds for drying. Your purchase supports this
"We buy Al-Ghayoulin dried cherry for $5.46-5.57 USD per Kg directly from the farmers who grow it. The exportable yield on it is around 35% which means that before we pay employees, bills or even the cost of bringing it from their mountain to the mill we are paying $15.60-15.91 USD per Kg to the farmers. While having this information does not make our coffees any less expensive, I think understanding the "why" of our pricing is helpful - especially as you market the coffees." 041b061a72