Yemen Mokha Matari – My Friend’s Coffee

The coffees Gary is roasting over at My Friend’s Coffee have quickly become some of my favorite over the past few months. They are all unique, vibrant and excellent expressions of whatever origin, processing or style of coffee they represent. Coffee from Yemen is always a special treat, but this Mokha Matari was truly special. Its rustic, complex profile made this likely one of the most unique, yet delicious coffees I’ve had yet this year.

The coffee began with an earthy, chocolatey fragrance. The flavor was rich, complex and unique. It had a rustic earthiness to it that was incredibly unique and paired with notes of chocolate and dried fig. The acidity was balanced and steady and supported an incredibly rich and full body. There was an earthy sweetness to the cup that reminded me of raw sugar mixed with sweet pipe tobacco, which lingered into the aftertaste. This coffee was so complicated and eccentric; it really was “untamed.” I didn’t have a ton of the coffee to explore various brew methods, but I did brew it in a few different pour over brewers and pulled a few shots of espresso with it. The results were quite unique between the brew methods, but all equally delicious.

The Bottom Line

Exploring exotic coffees like this are one of the most fun things to do. Yemen Mokha Matari was so complex and layered and continued to evolve with every brew. I’ll be buying more of it as soon as it becomes available.