Why Pink Bourbon Coffee Seeds Are Rare in Colombia
Pink Bourbon is a rare variety grown in Colombia, generally considered a cross between Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. Its cherries turn pink when ripe, but the trait is unstable, so quantity stays very limited. Colombian regulations allow only Arabica cultivation, and Pink Bourbon falls within that group.
Colombia ranks as the world's third-largest coffee producer and the largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans. Cauca Department, in the southwest, sits at an average altitude of 1,758 meters with volcanic soil, rainfall, and temperatures suited to coffee growth. Together with Narino and Huila, it forms one of Colombia's key specialty coffee regions.
Pink Bourbon is a particularly eye-catching rare variety on Colombia's coffee map. It is a cross between Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon and is named for the unstable pink color of its ripe cherries, with extremely limited production. This article starts from the origin story of Pink Bourbon, reviews the history of coffee's introduction to Colombia and the industry's position, takes a deeper look at the terroir conditions and microclimate characteristics of Cauca Department, and, through a comparative cupping and brewing of two Colombian beans from Front Street Coffee, presents the unique flavor expression of Pink Bourbon. Whether for variety understanding or brewing reference, it can provide coffee lovers with a complete tasting guide.
Colombia is the world's third-largest coffee-producing country, and on this land grows a variety that can be called a national treasure—Pink Bourbon—whose romantic character can move even seasoned coffee enthusiasts. Colombian regulations only allow the cultivation of Arabica coffee, and Pink Bourbon belongs to Arabica. It is generally believed to be a cross between Yellow Bourbon and Red Bourbon. When the fruit ripens, it turns pink, hence the name Pink Bourbon, but the pink trait is unstable, making it very rare in quantity. Today Front Street will talk about this appealing-looking coffee variety.
In 1808, a priest brought coffee into Colombia for the first time by way of the French Antilles and Venezuela. Today Colombia is the second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans, and also the largest exporter of washed coffee beans.
Colombian coffee is often described as having a silky-smooth mouthfeel, with the best balance among all kinds of coffee, a soft and smooth texture, and suitability for drinking at any time, thus earning praise that other coffees find hard to match—"green gold."
| Cauca Department
Cauca Department is named after the Cauca River. It is located in southwestern Colombia and, together with Narino Department and Huila Department, is one of Colombia's important specialty coffee regions.
Cauca Department is a certified Colombian coffee origin region, with an average altitude of 1,758 meters and a maximum of 2,100 meters. The local terrain, rainfall, temperature, and volcanic soil provide suitable conditions for coffee cultivation. Eighty percent of the department is mountainous, with parallel mountain ranges in the east and center that are part of the Andes. The central range includes two major volcanoes, Sotara and Petacas. Similar to other southwestern production areas, Cauca Department has a clearly monomodal rainfall distribution, with the dry season mainly from August to September each year, followed by a rainy season that brings a concentrated coffee flowering period, and then a concentrated coffee harvest the following year.
If one were to name the biggest climatic difference between Cauca and other production areas, it would probably be the relatively large temperature difference: the average daily temperature is 11°C, and the average daytime temperature is 18°C. The day-night temperature difference is an important factor in forming high-quality coffee. Low nighttime temperatures, combined with relatively higher altitude, slow the pace of coffee growth, allowing the coffee seeds and beans to absorb nutrients from the coffee fruit more fully, and also creating Cauca coffee's more outstanding acidity and much-praised distinctive sweetness.
| Coffee Beans
Product name: Front Street Coffee Colombia · Cauca
Region: Cauca Department
Micro-region: Suarez micro-region
Soil: Volcanic clay
Altitude: 1,758-2,100 meters
Variety: Caturra
Processing: Washed process
Flavor: Nuts, chocolate, soft fruit acidity
Cupping chart
Product name: Front Street Coffee Colombia · Pink Bourbon
Region: Cauca Department
Estate: El Paraiso Estate
Variety: Pink Bourbon
Processing method: Washed process
Altitude: 1,930 meters
Flavor: Citrus, cocoa, caramel, toasted almond
Cupping chart
1. Flavor descriptions vary from person to person and are also affected by water temperature and brewing method. This cupping report provides descriptions defined according to the flavor wheel under the same brewing equipment and parameters, for reference purposes;
2. The content will be promptly revised in response to new information, with the latest update taking precedence.
| Brewing
Recommended brewing method: Pour-over
Dripper: V60
Water temperature: 88-90°C
Grind size: Medium-fine grind (BG 5R: 58% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve), that is, the coarseness of granulated sugar
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Extraction method: 15 g coffee powder, bloom with 30 g water for 30 seconds, pour in stages when the water reaches 118 g, and when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 227 g and stop; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Extraction time is 2 minutes.
Flavor
[Front Street Colombia · Cauca] The lime-like acidity is quite obvious on entry, with floral notes, nuts, and chocolate; the mouthfeel is smooth and balanced.
[Front Street Colombia · Pink Bourbon] Flavors of peach, plum, grapefruit, cream, toasted almond, and cocoa, with a lingering finish of tea and floral notes. The mouthfeel is light and smooth.
Summary
From the flavor comparison, it is clear that the two coffees differ considerably in mouthfeel. In fact, coffee flavor should not be assumed to be the same just because the coffees come from the same production area—different processing methods and different varieties often bring very obvious differences. For example, the Catuai variety used in [Front Street Colombia · Cauca] performs well in both sweetness and body; while the Pink Bourbon in [Front Street Colombia · Pink Bourbon] is a very rare new variety cultivated by crossing Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. The editor thinks its flavor leans more toward fruit notes, and its mouthfeel is relatively light.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
