LRR 026 - Ethiopia/Yemen Blend

This limited release explores the shared history of two of coffee’s most important origins. Arabica is widely believed to have originated in the forests of Ethiopia before crossing the Red Sea into Yemen, where coffee first became a cultivated and widely traded crop. From the port of Mocha, coffee spread across the world, shaping the global coffee culture that exists today.

Although its roots lie in Ethiopia, near the village that gave the varietal its name, Gesha rose to prominence through producers in Panama, whose terroir helped reveal its exceptional potential for complexity and aromatics. Today, it remains one of the most celebrated varietals in specialty coffee and continues to fetch some of the highest prices at auctions across the world. Producers at Gesha Village have sought to reclaim and showcase Gesha within its original terroir, offering a different perspective on a varietal that has largely been defined by its success in Latin America.

For decades, Yemeni coffee was largely absent from the international specialty market due to conflict and instability restricting exports. Its gradual return has revealed a coffee culture unlike anywhere else in the world. It is shaped by isolated mountain farming on sloped terraces, naturally evolving local varietals, and severe water scarcity, which means producers rely almost exclusively on natural processing. These conditions have helped preserve unique varietals and distinctive winey flavour profiles that remain relatively unexplored compared to more heavily researched coffee-producing countries.