Back in August 2022, Presta Coffee Roasters hosted the SCA 2023 U.S. Championship Preliminaries at its Ninth Street location. Presta’s very own, Manta Coffey, took second place during the event and is set to compete in the next phase of the competition, which is happening in Denver, Colorado next month.

During this stage of the competition, all competitors are able to use their own coffee. With that being said, Presta has something very special brewin’ — a first harvest of a unique coffee project.

Beginning Friday, February 3, Presta will be one of the only roasters releasing the first Yemeni harvest from Al-Khanshali Coffee Estates. The coffee shop will be dropping this new roast three times over the next few weeks in very limited amounts.

“We will only have 50 pounds total to sell, making it super exclusive and unlike any other coffee Tucson has seen before,” said Blair Smith, General Manager at Presta Coffee Roasters. “The continued success of baristas like Manta Coffey will inevitably build up the specialty coffee community in Tucson.

So, be sure to head down to Presta soon because the new Yemen roast is incredibly unique and packed with tasting notes of apricot, vanilla, watermelon, and cognac.

Backstory on Al-Khanshali Coffee Estates

Mokhtar Alkhanshali, who is the founder of Port of Mokha and the subject of Dave Eggers’ 2018 NYT Best Seller “the Monk of Mokha,” spent eight years working with Yemeni coffee farmers and eventually launched Al-Khanshali Coffee Estates.

Al-Khanshali Coffee Estates, specializing in Yemen, operates as a boutique coffee producer and importer and is launching its first four farms this year. One of those farms, Al-Khanshali II, is located in the Outer Hayma district of the province of Sana’a and is considered one of their most prized regions. Outer Hayma grows coffee but they are renowned for their chili peppers — “the hottest in Yemen.” However, their coffee is “a hidden gem.”

The new Yemen roast is available for a limited time, beginning on Friday, February 3. They’ve got bags of it for sale online and at all Presta locations. 

Presta Coffee Roasters is located at 501 E. 9th St., 2502 N. First Ave. #100, and 100 S. Avenida del Convento #180. For more information, visit prestacoffee.com.