THE FARM: This dry process Yemeni lot is a mix of coffees from small producers near the westerly cities of Sana'a and Ibb. Both regions are home to several highland mountain peaks, the specific regions of origin include Bani Mattar and Al Haima in Sana'a, and Al Qafr and Al Audin in Ibb. Most of the farms in these areas are very small, less than a single hectare with around 700 coffee trees on average, as is the case with most of Yemen. The altitude ranges between 1700 and 2400 meters above sea level, and farmers are cultivating local heirloom varieties on the steep terrain, often with complex irrigation networks that wind down the steep terraced farms delivering water to their trees. Organic farming methods are the norm, and farmers use coffee pulp and compost to fertilize their coffee crop, and smoke wood chips from the ficus shade trees to control pests. This lot was secured through Fatoum Muslot, who took over her family coffee business started by her father back in the 1950s. They've long exported Yemeni coffee, and since Fatoum has started managing the group, she has worked to implement quality-focused initiatives to help improve the coffee quality. Each coffee undergoes intense hand sorting in order to remove common defects like under ripe coffee, and the difference is stark when comparing the green next to your average Yemeni coffee sample.

OUR ROAST: The coffee has a complex scent of spiced Ibarra cocoa powder with earthy sweet accents of organic material like wood pulp. The wet aroma has a sweet smell of molasses on toast with butter, and notes of cooked squash as well, amidst resonant bittersweetness that adds an overall pungent characteristic. The cup unfolds to a complex array of top notes such as toasted pumpkin seed, star anise, aromatic wood, a dusting of cocoa powder, loose leaf tobacco, and a lot more.

*** All prices are per pound ***