Pull & Pour Special Release 004 – Yemen NYCA #2288

On August 31 on this year, the Mokha Institute put on the first-ever National Yemen Coffee Auction. I had a chance to cup many of the coffees before the auction and was blown away by their quality. So many of them had the depth and complexity so unique to Yemen (in addition to being absolutely delicious). While I enjoyed the various coffees, I listed my favorites and daydreamed about being able to offer such a special coffee to the coffee club. As the auction approached, I reached out to Ian at Goodman Coffee Roasters about possibly buying a lot together. He was open to the idea, so we strategized which lots we’d want to bid on. In the end, we were able to purchase lot #2288—the lot with the highest average rating in the entire auction. We were the only American roaster to purchase a lot—and there isn’t a ton of it to go around. This truly is the most exclusive and limited coffee I’ve ever offered through the club. This coffee will be available through the coffee club on Monday, December 12. Once it sells out there is no more of the coffee anywhere in the world. Be sure to join the free coffee club before Monday to have a chance to pick up this incredibly special coffee.

Here’s a bit more about my experience with the coffee:

The coffee begins with a strawberry cream fragrance full of complex fruit notes. The flavor profile has so much complexity it is hard to distill down to a few flavor calls. The mandarin citrus and blueberry notes are strongest for me though with underlying sweet spice that reminds me of sweet pipe tobacco. The sweet pipe tobacco is one of my favorite flavor attributes uniquely present in the most special Yemenite coffees. Sometimes smoke/tobacco can be a result of an imperfection or roasting defect, but that isn’t the case here. It is a sweet, layered note that intertwines with the berry notes in a beautiful and complex manner. The finish lingers and ends with subtle tropical notes of passionfruit. As with the best coffees, this one evolves within every sip and as the coffee cools. It’s a complex, immersive drinking experience and I’ve savored every brew of it.

Overall I am so excited to be able to share this rare and outstanding coffee with the club. The coffee is extremely limited with only 70 jars available. To have a chance to pick it up, be sure to join the free Pull & Pour Coffee Club. If you missed this special release, more will be on the way—as well as many other amazing coffees. Be sure to join the coffee club to not miss any future offerings!