Yemen Mokha Matari

Always a favorite Yemeni coffee, Mokha Matari has complex bittersweetness and big rustic tones, flanked by notes of dried fruit and spices, and so much more. The fragrance covered a lot of ground, with notes of date syrup, toasted sesame, halva laced with cinnamon, and malted chocolate. The wet aroma had a bittersweet cocoa scent, brown sugar and caramel, tanned leather, and woody whole spices. Matari's cup profile shape-shifted across different roast levels and coffee temperatures. There was nice roast intensity and balanced caramel/chocolate notes at both City+ and Full City roast levels, which brought a nice base flavor to the brew. The flavors we picked up on reminded us of baked goods as the coffee cooled, like date bar, pumpkin and zucchini breads, with savory accents of pistachio, and toasted pumpkin seed. Fragrant spice notes unfold in the aroma and add to the savory-sweet aspects; Garam Masala, Chai spice, and saffron. Rustic raw sugar notes draw out the sweetness in the finish, like palm sugar and sorghum syrup. Full City roasts brewed inky cocoa flavors are offset by notes of date sugar, barley malt, along with aromatic hints of cumin, and a note of scorched cedar. These dark roasts carried a fruited accent of dried fig, with hints of pipe tobacco and pepper cask that left a lasting impression in the finish. Yemeni coffees need rest after roasting, which allows the coffee time to off-gas. We find the depth of flavor really comes out in these Yemeni coffees after a minimum of 72 hours rest.