Hello Sideyard Friends,

This week’s coffee blend is inspired by the oldest blend in the books. It was first created more than 500 years ago when trade ships ended up blending coffees together, whether by accident or not, as they made stops at the port of al-Makha in Yemen and the island port of Java in Indonesia. Moka Java as it became known, combines the acidity and chocolate tones of a Yemeni coffee with the earthiness and body of Indonesian coffees for a combination that usually just works.

Today, most blends that use the Moka Java name don’t stick to this original recipe, but instead use the guiding principle of combining a brighter-toned coffee with a deeper-toned coffee. It’s usually the Yemeni coffee that doesn’t make it into the original recipe, due to the premium prices that Yemeni coffees fetch (high quality, low export volume).

I’ve subbed a dry process coffee from neighboring Ethiopia for the Yemeni coffee in this week’s “Moka Java” blend. The Ethiopia brings the acidity and higher toned notes to the party, while the Java brings the chocolate, tobacco, cedar, and overall darker vibes. It’s a party that you might think doesn’t have the right mix—two groups of friends who you could have sworn have nothing in common—but it turns out they go waaaay back.

We have two spares in stock from this week’s blend, and two from last week’s Costa Rica.

The origin track for the week is Adrashash Tèfabegn by the Ethiopian pianist, singer, composer, and band leader Lemma Demissew.

Cheers,

Ryan