About Y LOT
We're a Yemeni coffee company with one job: bring the best of Yemen's harvest to roasters who know the difference — and stand behind every lot we ship.
What we do
Y LOT sources, verifies, and exports specialty Yemeni green coffee to roasters and importers around the world. Our team and Q graders in Saudi Arabia select each lot for quality and cup character.
We started in Jeddah in 2024, convinced that Yemeni coffee — among the most distinctive and sought-after in the world — deserved a supplier who treated it that way. Two years on, we operate across three countries and source from five of Yemen's great coffee regions.
Why we do this
Yemen gave the world coffee, but its place in specialty has faded. Our goal is to bring it back — growing production at origin and restoring Yemen as one of the world's great specialty origins. And we do it for everyone in the chain: we're committed to fair pay for our farmers and partners, from the mountainside to the final shipment.
Every shipment, verified in Yemen
Before any lot leaves the country, it passes through our own checkpoint in Yemen — where every shipment is verified against the approved sample, checked for moisture and defects, and sealed properly for export. What you cup in the sample is what arrives at your door.
See our full process →The Story of Yemeni Coffee
Discovered in Ethiopia. Made coffee in Yemen.
Legend says coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, where a shepherd noticed his goats dancing with energy after eating the red cherries of a wild tree. But it was in Yemen that those cherries became coffee: a monk was the first to roast and brew the beans, and Sufi devotees drank qahwa to stay awake through long nights of prayer. Yemen became the first place on earth to cultivate coffee as a crop — and the first to export it. Yemen introduced coffee to the world, from the same mountains Y LOT sources from today.
The word the world borrowed.
Every language tells the same story: the Arabic قهوة — qahwa — became kahve in Turkish, koffie in Dutch, caffè in Italian, coffee in English. The Yemeni port of Al-Makha, the world's first coffee trading hub, gave its name to what we still call mocha. When Y LOT exports a lot, it ships from the origin that started it all.
The fade — and the return.
War, famine, and qat pushed Yemeni coffee out of the world's cups. With the coffee trade broken, farmers turned to qat — a crop that paid, where coffee no longer did. Yemen's gift to the world nearly disappeared from it. Y LOT exists to reverse that: founded by young Yemenis abroad who realized almost no one knows Yemeni coffee anymore, we're working to bring coffee farming back to its prime — starting with a standard of fair pay that makes coffee worth planting again.
Built in Two Years
Y LOT founded in Jeddah.
Yemen quality checkpoint established.
Expanded operations to the Eastern Province.
Five-region 2026 harvest released.
Expanded into the United States.
Five Regions of Yemen
Haraz
Western high-altitude terraces rising past 2,100 m, home of the Ja'adi varietal. Wine-like body and complex fruit — our Harazi lots carry notes of pomegranate, raisin, and dark chocolate, with current cupping scores up to 89.25.
Khawlan
Northern highlands around 1,800 m, growing the Udaini varietal. Balanced and chocolate-forward — caramel, honey, and nuts in the cup. A dependable foundation for house blends and everyday single-origin offers.
Bani Matar
Central highlands with some of Yemen's deepest specialty heritage — terraced farms that have grown coffee for centuries. Clean, structured cups that reward careful roasting.
Haimah
A distinctive microclimate west of Sana'a producing layered, aromatic coffees. Smaller harvests with a character of their own — often the surprise of the cupping table.
Sumarah
Southern mountains producing rich, full-bodied lots. Deep sweetness and weight in the cup, well suited to roasters building bolder Yemeni profiles.
Buying Yemeni Coffee — FAQ
What is the minimum order?
Wholesale starts at 50 kg. Limited micro-lots are available from 10 kg.
Do you provide samples?
Yes — free green or roasted samples for qualified roasters and importers, shipping covered, typically within 5–7 business days.
How is quality verified?
Q graders in Saudi Arabia cup and select each lot; our checkpoint in Yemen then verifies every shipment against the approved sample — moisture and defects — and seals it before export.
Where does your coffee come from?
Five Yemeni regions — Haraz, Khawlan, Bani Matar, Haimah, and Sumarah — through direct farmer relationships.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes — we ship worldwide, with operations in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United States.
What cupping scores do your lots have?
Current lots score 80 to 89.25, cupped and scored by licensed Q graders.
Work directly with our team
Questions about lots, pricing, or shipping — talk to us, or taste the harvest first.