Yemen Mokha Ismaili (Hirazi)

Sweet Maria's Coffee

Hirazi coffees are the the rarest and most prized Yemeni coffee by the Yemeni people and by the aficionados. This is from Bani Ismail, Bani meaning tribe an Ismail meaning the region... and Ismail actually refers to Ishmail, the son of the prophet Abraham. Ismaili coffee has very small production and is a much more limited growing area( basically, one large mountain in Haraz or Hiraz) than other quality Yemeni coffees like Mattari. (Actually, the area of Hiraz has more coffee than Ismaili too, so you should see more coffee labeled as Hiraz than as Ismaili... in any case you get the idea - Ismaili is rare!). In my mind it is the more pungent, complex and deep Yemen. I really like the fruity Yemens and the brighter notes in a really good Sana'ani, but these deep dark pungent notes are highly desirable: sage, tobacco, leather, dry fruit, cardamom, woody notes. The coffee is a very dense small bean and does not expand much during roasting. Its intensity will reveal itself to you as the aromatics unfold after it has rested for 24 hours after the roast, and they really emerge when you grind the coffee: the aromatics themselves are intoxicating, and in fact there is a sort of "Yemen Syndrome." I think you can experience aromas are so intense that other coffees seem to pale in comparison....And even the resulting cup of Yemeni coffee you drink can't compare to it's very own aroma when you grind it!!! The intensity of Ismaili (and of Yemeni coffees in general) can be a bit of a shock on the first sip. I cupped the Ismaili after doing a table of Kenyas and it tasted rather hay and straw-like in the lighter roast. I didn't know if it was me or the coffee. The next day I returned to the cup (and to a bit darker roast levels too- Full City) and found it much nicer and on the 3rd day it really was coming on - much better body, spice, licorice/anise notes, chamomile flower hints. This lot deserves the Ismaili pedigree, with intoxicating aromatics and fragrance, potent spice, cardomom, husky chocolate flavors, fresh leather aroma, sage and lavender... it smells like a walk through an outdoor marketplace.

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