Yemeni Medium
$ 19.95
Intriguing with a Unique Symphony of Citrus and Cocoa
- This is our Founder's favorite coffee.
- Get 2 oz sample
- These beans are grown in Yemen's mountainous west at 1500 - 2100 meters. A network of small holder producers meticulously grow and harvest this heirloom coffee by hand, and dry it in the sun. It is then carefully milled and packaged for export.
- Do you know the etymology of mocha? Why does it refer to a coffee and chocolate blend? Prior to the 20th century, mocha always referred to coffee from Yemen or at times to coffee in general. Then, at the turn of the 20th century, cake recipes combining mocha coffee with chocolate became popular. This baking combination gave birth to the café mocha of today.
- Splurge and upgrade to our Reserve Medium
Veteran-owned small business 
Washington, DC S Stability Certified
Yemeni Dark
$ 19.95
- The preferred coffee of our most loyal customers
- Get 2 oz sample
- These beans are grown in Yemen's mountainous west at 1500 - 2100 meters. A network of small holder producers meticulously grow and harvest this heirloom coffee by hand, and dry it in the sun. It is then carefully milled and packaged for export.
- Why do we call our coffee Mokha? Its named for Yemen's port city of Al Mokha (seen on left)
- In the 16th and 17th century Yemen produced 100% of the world's coffee. Merchants who exported the coffee referred to it as Mokha coffee for its port of origin.
- Splurge and upgrade to our Reserve Dark
Veteran-owned small business Washington, DC S Stability Certified
Yemeni Classic Malala Ismaeli (& Al-Wudiyan)
$ 32.00
Malala Ismaeli: This microlot comes from the small Malala valley in the larger and famous Ismaeli coffee region. (annual production 3 - 5 tons)
From the coffee mill: "This small valley in the well-known Bani Ismail region offers a very unique Yemen coffee. One of the reasons for its uniqueness is the rarity of the predominate varietal in the Malala Valley. It is a sub-varietal of one of the traditional Yemen varieties but throughout the centuries it has adapted to the harsh land and climate of Bani Ismail - and currently it is cultivated exclusively in the Bani Ismail area. At Rayyan we love this coffee not just for its uniqueness and what it offers in the cup but also because we have been exporting Malala since our first year in operation! Annual production is three to five tons."
Veteran-owned small business Washington, DC S Stability Certified
- Our lightly roasted Yemeni Classic showcases a rotating selection of Yemen's best coffees.
- Get 2 oz sample
- We also offer this microlot as a Reserve Med & Dark
- Bright is my first reaction closely followed by this guy is packed with flavor. It's pleasing and feels honest.
- What a well structured coffee. There's a backbone of acidity a bit like a tart cherry; then there's a corrollary of what can only be described as tannins that you would find in a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Yemen is known for their "winey" coffees and this is the best example to discover this.
- This coffee lingers and keeps giving. The initial brightness has an unseen buttress of brown spice and leather notes. But you don't taste it; rather, if it wasn't there you would say something is missing. It's like good design: you don't see it so much as you perceive it.
Al-Wudiyan: This microlot comes from a large, remote valley in the Hajja Governorate. (annual production 15 tons)
From the coffee mill: "We began sourcing this lot from a very large, remote valley in the Hajja mountains this year. We have heard of this valley for two years now but it is quite difficult to access. This year one of the farmers from Al-Ghayoul whose wife is originally from this valley introduced us to their relatives who also farm coffee. Clearly we are just beginning our relationship with the communities in this valley but hope that one day they too will be open to new pruning, harvesting and drying methods. Given the size of the valley and the quality of the coffee throughout, we expect to see production of over 15 tons and hope to break this down into smaller lots in the future. It is the most balanced special lot we offer and we drink it often as a pourover at the mill."
NOTES on former Al-Ghayoul microlot:
View full product detailsAl Ghayoul: Classic citrus complemented by evergreen, tobacco, and nutmeg. This microlot comes from a small tribal community high in the mountains of Hajja (annual production 6 - 7 tons)
The tribesmen in this community are not keen on change but over the last three years our coffee supplier has earned their respect and trust by dealing with them fairly and honestly. The farmers receive upwards of $7/lb for their coffee, which reflects the quality and care of their work. Last year, a few farmers indicated they would like to implement pruning methods new to them as well as raised beds for drying. Your purchase supports this.
Heirloom coffee plants from old stock mean mean these beans are small but bursting with flavor"We buy Al-Ghayoul in dried cherry for $5.46-5.57 USD per Kg directly from the farmers who grow it. The exportable yield on it is around 35% which means that before we pay employees, bills or even the cost of bringing it from their mountain to the mill we are paying $15.60-15.91 USD per Kg to the farmers. While having this information does not make our coffees any less expensive, I think understanding the "why" of our pricing is helpful - especially as you market the coffees."
Yemeni Reserve Malala Ismaeli
$ 32.00
Malala Ismaeli: This microlot comes from the small Malala valley in the larger and famous Ismaeli coffee region. (annual production 3 - 5 tons)
From the coffee mill: "This small valley in the well-known Bani Ismail region offers a very unique Yemen coffee. One of the reasons for its uniqueness is the rarity of the predominate varietal in the Malala Valley. It is a sub-varietal of one of the traditional Yemen varieties but throughout the centuries it has adapted to the harsh land and climate of Bani Ismail - and currently it is cultivated exclusively in the Bani Ismail area. At Rayyan we love this coffee not just for its uniqueness and what it offers in the cup but also because we have been exporting Malala since our first year in operation! Annual production is three to five tons."
Veteran-owned small business Washington, DC S Stability Certified
Notes on former Al Wudiyan Microlot:
Our Top-Shelf Coffee roasted to an Indulgent Medium and Dark
- What happens when you take our Al-Wudiyan light, reserve coffee and ease the roast profile out longer and hotter? You get a medium-blond and dark coffee that's unlike anything we've offered before. The natural Yemeni brightness is brighter and the boldness is bolder. If you're looking to treat yourself, look no further.
- Get 2 oz sample
- Medium Blond: It's that sweet spot between light and medium. In this roast we turned down the volume on the Al-Wudiyan to make a coffee that's exciting but more restrained. You take a sip and you feel the juicy yet dry & tannic structure spreading left and right across the tongue. There are all the classic Yemeni notes of citrus and fermented fruit, but with a more pronounced and pleasing acidity best described as tart cherry. It's not light, it's not medium. It defies convention.
- Dark: It's indulgent and bold but also warm and inviting. Its richness comes from a harmony of deep caramelized notes running the gamut from cocoa to cedar to slightly candied plum. This is a complex dark with much to discover. Obviously we love it.
Al-Wudiyan: This microlot comes from a large, remote valley in the Hajja Governorate. (annual production 15 tons)
From the coffee mill: "We began sourcing this lot from a very large, remote valley in the Hajja mountains this year. We have heard of this valley for two years now but it is quite difficult to access. This year one of the farmers from Al-Ghayoul whose wife is originally from this valley introduced us to their relatives who also farm coffee. Clearly we are just beginning our relationship with the communities in this valley but hope that one day they too will be open to new pruning, harvesting and drying methods. Given the size of the valley and the quality of the coffee throughout, we expect to see production of over 15 tons and hope to break this down into smaller lots in the future. It is the most balanced special lot we offer and we drink it often as a pourover at the mill."
View full product details
Sample Bag
$ 6.95
Makes four cups of brewed coffee
- Two ounces of heirloom Arabica beans from small-holder producers in Yemen
- Also available in cases of 12
Veteran-owned small business Washington, DC S Stability Certified
Qishr (coffee cherry tea)
$ 4.95
We have four types of Qisher (all 1 oz packages):
- Ground with spices.
- Ground. About twice as strong as the others. (use half amounts in recipes)
- Flakes. One way of milling
- Half and whole husks. You can see where the seeds were.
QISHR is the dried husk of coffee cherries, and is used in Yemen to brew a traditional spiced tea. Find that recipe below. Or it can be brewed straight, giving a fruity, slighty sweet tea that has a body and mouthfeel akin to black tea. But that description does it injustice, and really qishr tastes unlike any other tea. Qishr tastes like qishr. (In Latin America it's called cascara.)
If you really want to understand Yemen's coffee, that you have to know and try qishr. Coffee beans start life as a cherry, which is picked and dried in the sun. This leaves a dried fruit with two green coffee seeds in the middle. Once it makes it to the mill, the seeds are removed and the dried fruit remains. With the hardened fruit, you can make a traditional tea. Thus, qishr is a byproduct of naturally processed coffee. (Conversely, coffee is the waste product of qishr, depending on your perspective.)
When brewing the tea at home, it's like loose leaf tea. One serving can brew 1 cup of tea or 4 cups of tea, depending on your strength preference. Brew time can run from 2 minutes to forever, and you can strain or not strain the tea. My preference is 5 minute brew, send it through a coffee filter, add honey and heavy cream. Tastes AMAZING.
Recipes from the coffee mill:
| Tradition Yemeni Recipe: | Straight Qishr |
|
1 cup water
5 grams qishr (1 tbl sp)
1/2 pod cardamon (crushed, not ground)
1 sliver fresh ginger
1/3 cinnamon stick
Steep in hot water for 6 minutes
|
1 cup water
3 - 4 grams qishr (1 tbl sp)
|
Bulk
$ 79.95
- Orders come with an optional free pair of Al Mokha coffee glassware (in checkout notes specify if you want 3 oz, 8 oz, or one each)
- Takes 5 - 7 business days to process
- Inquire about half-cases of reserve coffee and sample bags in 1 oz size (rather than 2 oz)
Veteran-owned small business Washington, DC S Stability Certified
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Green Yemeni Coffee
$ 18.95
Try you hand at home roasting our Yemeni coffee. While we specialize in selling roasted coffee we are happy to share some of our stock with those of you that like the sound of first crack (and maybe second crack) at home.
- Ships in 1 lb increments with 15 oz of green coffee per unit
- Compare a 2 oz sample roasted by us to your roast
Our Yemeni is our flagship coffee sourced for consistency from year to year
- Heirloom varietals from Yemen's western highlands, 1900 - 2600 meters altitude.
- Small-holder farmers
- Naturally processed
Our Al Ghayoul microlot comes from a small community in the mountains of the Hajja Governorate (annual production 6 - 7 tons)
-
The tribesmen in this community are not keen on change but over the last three years our coffee supplier has earned their respect and trust by dealing with them fairly and honestly. The farmers receive upwards of $7/lb for their coffee, which reflects the quality and care of their work. Last year, a few farmers indicated they would like to implement pruning methods new to them as well as raised beds for drying. Your purchase supports this.
Heirloom coffee plants from old stock mean mean these beans are small but bursting with flavor.From the coffee mill: "We buy Al-Ghayoul in dried cherry for $5.46-5.57 USD per Kg directly from the farmers who grow it. The exportable yield on it is around 35% which means that before we pay employees, bills or even the cost of bringing it from their mountain to the mill we are paying $15.60-15.91 USD per Kg to the farmers. While having this information does not make our coffees any less expensive, I think understanding the "why" of our pricing is helpful - especially as you market the coffees."
Our Asrar Haraz microlot comes from a few small communities connected to one another in the famous Haraz mountains. (annual production ~12 tons)
This coffee was scored a 92 by Coffee Review. The coffee mill has since sold out, but we fortunately have one bag in GrainPro to share with you.
- From the coffee mill: "This special lot is sourced from a few small communities connected to one another in the famed Haraz mountains. We found this gem last year but late in the season. Seeing the potential in this coffee we remained in contact with the producers and the quality this year is excellent. Plans for the next few years are to teach pruning, harvesting and drying methods (raised beds) that will not only increase the cup quality but also the income for each farmer who participates. Production is about 12 tons per year and we hope to break this up into even smaller lots upon implementing drying beds. At the mill our favorite prep method for Asrar is the V60 as it really brings out the body."
Our Malala Ismaeli microlot comes from the small Malala valley in the larger and famous Ismaeli coffee region. (annual production 3 - 5 tons)
- From the coffee mill: "This small valley in the well-known Bani Ismail region offers a very unique Yemen coffee. One of the reasons for its uniqueness is the rarity of the predominate varietal in the Malala Valley. It is a sub-varietal of one of the traditional Yemen varieties but throughout the centuries it has adapted to the harsh land and climate of Bani Ismail - and currently it is cultivated exclusively in the Bani Ismail area. At Rayyan we love this coffee not just for its uniqueness and what it offers in the cup but also because we have been exporting Malala since our first year in operation! Annual production is three to five tons."
General Info: As a green coffee, understand that Yemen's is not the typical lot of consistent beans that are identical from shipping container to shipping container. Rather, Yemen's coffee lacks such aesthetic uniformity and instead has a beauty of its own: the beans are smaller and varied in size. This showcases their authenticity, old-world cultivation, and natural processing of 10 - 20 days drying in the sun after harvest.
The magic of Yemen is not the volume of consistent coffee over time but rather the story that each batch and each harvest tells. In Yemen there are 100,000 farmers producing on average 115 kg of coffee annually per farmer. These are backyard, terraced gardens on Yemen's steep mountain slopes. When you roast and enjoy this coffee you will inevitably appreciate and understand the incredible process that brought this coffee from farmer to your cup.
Veteran-owned small business Washington, DC S Stability Certified
Previous microlots:
Our Al-Wudiyan microlot comes from a large, remote valley in the Hajja Governorate. (annual production 15 tons)
-
From the coffee mill: "We began sourcing this lot from a very large, remote valley in the Hajja mountains this year. We have heard of this valley for two years now but it is quite difficult to access. This year one of the farmers from Al-Ghayoul whose wife is originally from this valley introduced us to their relatives who also farm coffee. Clearly we are just beginning our relationship with the communities in this valley but hope that one day they too will be open to new pruning, harvesting and drying methods. Given the size of the valley and the quality of the coffee throughout, we expect to see production of over 15 tons and hope to break this down into smaller lots in the future. It is the most balanced special lot we offer and we drink it often as a pourover at the mill."
Glassware
$ 7.95
Modern and Historic Mingle
- 3 oz Italian glassware demitasse and larger 8 oz mugs
- Al Mokha is beautiful in the cup, which is why we insist on this glassware
- Get a set of four and mingle with friends, discussing politics, religion and culture. You'll be part of coffee tradition stretching back 500 years. Did you know that the Governor of Mecca tried banning coffee in 1511? That's our story.
Veteran-owned small business Washington, DC
Barista Service
$ 295.00
Want the Expertise of Al Mokha Delivered?
Have Al Mokha's staff bring a full-service experience to your wedding, special event, or conference (DC region only). We offer our World's First Coffee brewed to optimal clarity and vibrancy with our Hario V-60 pourovers.
Sample bags for event favors available.
Contact us at info@almokha.com with your event needs.
Details: Barista service covers a four-hour event. Additional hours billed at $50/hour and additional staff billed at $35/hour. Wedding favors priced $5 - $10 each. Coffee bags will be available at wholesale pricing.
Veteran-owned small business Washington, DC