Yemen Mocha Matari Special Reserve

MATARI SPECIAL RESERVE / Bani Matar, Sana’a

Altitude : 2,000 - 2,200 masl / Natural Process / Flavor notes : Cocoa Nibs, Blackberries, Vanilla, Green Apple, Sweet Tobacco

Soon after the discovery of coffee in Ethiopia, the coffee shrub made its way to Yemen where it was written about by the mystic Sufis as far back as the 15th century. As the cultivation of coffee increased in Yemen exporting began from the ancient port of Al-Makha (it is to this port the modern term “Mocha” traces its origin.) Soon raw beans were smuggled out of Yemen and these Yemen coffee beans gave birth to what we see today as multiple varietals of coffee grown all over the world. But Yemen coffee has remained unique... The uniqueness of Yemen coffee can be attributed to the uniqueness of Yemen itself. Yemen coffee developed through the centuries isolated from the offspring of those smuggled beans that gave birth to coffee in the rest of the world. In Yemen coffee is traditionally grown at high elevations in harsh environments receiving little rainfall. As a result the varietals that developed in Yemen had to survive a harsh climate. They are the result of centuries of adaptation to these unique conditions - thus the varietals themselves are unique to Yemen. In addition the added stress of these conditions on the plants increases the amount of nutrients and sugars pushed to the cherries which ultimately increases cup complexity. Due to the lack of rainfall, Yemen coffee has always been sun-dried (natural) further increasing the sweetness of the cup. Ultimately Yemen coffee and its history are much like Yemen itself: mysterious, intriguing and complex.

This 2022 lot of Mocha Matari Special Reserve was sourced through a partnership of Qima Coffee and Benchmark Coffee Traders.