This lot was grown in and sourced from the water-scarce, isolated Bani Ofair village cluster in western Yemen, which remains largely inaccessible due to its rugged and challenging terrain. The Ofairi are skilled farmers; it is believed that farming in the wider Ans belt is a time-honoured occupation dating back 7 millennia!
Experience the flavourful union of Yemeni coffee farmers' resilience and state-of-the-art, in-house proprietary advanced post-harvest processing in Al Ofairi XI: a competition-grade expression of western Yemeni terroir.
PROCESS : ALCHEMY
Alchemy processing, Qima’s proprietary in-house advanced PHP, is the culmination of over 1,300 meticulous experiments, redefining coffee processing with a precise, data-driven approach. The Alchemy series integrates pressure (up to 10 bar/145 psi), temperature control, gas regulation, and managed drying. By combining advanced fermentations, carbonic maceration, and innovative drying techniques, it achieves unparalleled flavour complexity while preserving the coffee's terroir and genetic heritage. Rooted in chemical engineering, Alchemy delivers a truly unique sensory experience, setting new standards in the coffee industry and becoming a staple in top-tier competitions.
GENETICS : YEMENIA
Yemenia is a newly identified mother population within the species Coffea arabica, found exclusively in Yemen. This discovery represents a vast reservoir of untapped genetic diversity and future varieties with the potential to redefine the world of Arabica coffee for centuries. Yemenia was unveiled as part of Qima Coffee's R&D programme in collaboration with Dr. Christophe Montagnon, which included Yemen's largest-ever genetic coffee survey, spanning over 25,000 square kilometres.
The discovery was detailed in the scientific paper "Unveiling a Unique Genetic Diversity of Cultivated Coffea Arabica L. in Its Main Domestication Center: Yemen." Yemen’s extreme coffee-growing conditions—marked by low rainfall and drastic temperature swings—have undoubtedly shaped resilient landraces over 600 years, from the introduction of coffee in the 1400s to today. Yemenia, not observed anywhere else in the world, offers a transformative opportunity for global coffee, unlocking uncharted genetic potential. Further research is ongoing to identify new varieties within the Yemenia group.
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