Yemen Red Haraaz – Ethica Coffee Roasters

For such an exotic region, I’ve actually had the opportunity to try Yemenis coffee a few times in the past. In general I have been impressed, so I was excited to this Yemenis coffee from Ethica Coffee Roasters, a roaster based in Toronto, Canada.

The coffee begins with a complex fragrance where I smelled notes of dried fruit (specifically apricot), floral (specifically rose) and subtle notes of chocolate. In the flavor the notes of apricot came through incredibly strong (likely the most pronounced apricot notes I’ve ever tasted in a coffee). I also tasted notes of other dried fruits, strawberry and subtle floral notes. It was a beautiful combination of flavors that paired well together and tasted quite wonderful. The sweetness reminded me of raisins and other dried fruit and grew stronger both throughout each sip and as the coffee cooled. The body was light and tea-like and paired with a strong acidity throughout each sip.

The coffee was balanced, clean and complex with a nice layering of flavors in the aroma and flavor. I kept this coffee to various pour over methods, but it was extremely flexible between them and performed well in all of them.

The Bottom Line

Yemen Haraaz Red from Ethica was another great experience with a fairly uncommon origin. It was delicious, complex and incredibly sweet.