How Does Traditional Yemeni Sun-Dried Coffee Taste When Pour-Over Brewed? An Introduction to Yemeni Coffee Brewing Techniques

The condition of the coffee bed in pour-over brewing cannot be overlooked, and this point deserves emphasis. The bed plays a subtle but important role, one of which is to provide resistance, holding the hot water in the dripper long enough to ensure the flavor components are fully extracted.

A medium-roast coffee bed also needs a certain structural integrity to block the flow effectively. To keep that structure from breaking down, you have to master the intensity of the water column, the pouring position, and a stable circular pouring technique. Only then do you have a complete set of pouring skills.

Brewing Parameters

1. Filter: V60
2. Water temperature: 88°C
3. Grind size: Fuji Royal grind setting 4
4. Roast level: medium roast
5. Bloom time: 25 seconds

Flavor Profile

Balanced, with chocolate notes and a persistent caramel sweetness in the finish.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method

15 g of coffee grounds, a Fuji Royal "ghost tooth" burr grinder at setting 4, a V60 filter, and water at 88-89°C. First pour 30 g of water and bloom for 25 s, then pour to 104 g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to half, then pour slowly until you reach 220 g in total. Avoid the last 5 g. The coffee-to-water ratio is 1:15, and extraction time is around 2:00, counted from the end of the bloom pour.

Related Reading

What is Mocha coffee? Yemen Mocha, the Mattari sun-dried beans, is the truly authentic Yemeni Mocha coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the chocolate and caramel character of a Yemen Mocha is what you enjoy, the FrontStreet Brazil Queen's Estate covers similar ground with an easier, sweeter profile. It comes from Mogiana, near South Minas in Brazil, where rich red volcanic soil gives the fruit plenty of nutrients and produces a full aroma. The variety is the uncommon yellow Bourbon, a natural mutation of red Bourbon with a cleaner fruit character, and it brings a sugarcane sweetness found in few other regions, along with fruit and chocolate notes. It works in a pour-over, a moka pot, or a home espresso machine.

For a bolder, low-acid cup in the same vein, try the FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling. Sourced from PWN in Indonesia under strict standards, it requires beans of 18 mesh or larger and fewer than 3 defects in every 300 g green bean sample to meet the top G1 grade, plus three rounds of hand sorting. It is even and plump with a low defect rate, and after a medium-dark roast it carries a rich roasted aroma and a clean, full-bodied cup that suits anyone who does not care for sour coffee.