How Does Bourbon Fit Into the C. Arabica Family?

Bourbon is one of the oldest varieties in the Arabica family, a mutation of Typica that got its name after French growers moved round beans from Yemen Mocha to Bourbon Island in 1715. It is known for wine-like acidity, a sweet aftertaste, and nutty chocolate notes. Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, and the French Mission strain differ in fruit color, yield, and cup quality.

As a branch of C. arabica, Bourbon spread to Brazil and Central and South America from 1727 and later to Africa. Trees are often pruned to about 150 cm for easier picking, and the beans are large, uniform, and glossy. Yellow Bourbon yields less but generally cups better, while the French Mission line reached Africa through missionaries.

Bourbon is one of the oldest varieties in the Arabica family, equally renowned as Typica. It got its name after being transplanted from Yemen Mocha round beans to Bourbon Island, and subsequently spread to Brazil, Central and South America, and various parts of Africa. It includes distinctions based on fruit color, such as Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon, as well as a unique branch spread by French missionaries in Africa. Bourbon is known for its wine-like acidity, sweet aftertaste, and nutty chocolate notes. This article systematically reviews the origin and spread of Bourbon, details the flavor differences among Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, and French Mission Bourbon, and combines the roasting parameters and tasting records of three Bourbon beans from Front Street Coffee to help readers fully understand this classic variety's performance under different terroirs.

Early on (pre-coffee history), Typica was transplanted to Yemen and mutated, with bean shape changing from slender and pointed to round. In 1715, the French transplanted round beans from Yemen Mocha to Bourbon Island off the east coast of Africa (renamed Reunion Island after the French Revolution), and it was then named Bourbon. The round Bourbon beans were subsequently spread to Brazil and Central and South America in 1727, and in 1732, the British transplanted Yemen Mocha to St. Helena Island (later the place of Napoleon's imprisonment), which were also round Bourbon beans.

Simply put, Bourbon is a coffee tree species belonging to a branch of the Arabica species. It typically produces red fruit, called Red Bourbon, and there are also Yellow Bourbon and Orange Bourbon. Yellow Bourbon has relatively lower yield but better quality.

Bourbon is a secondary species resulting from a mutation of Typica, and together with Typica, it is one of the oldest existing coffee varieties. The green fruit turns bright red when ripe.

Compared to Typica, Bourbon has broader leaves and denser growth. Although its yield is higher than Typica, its harvest period is also two years, making it a low-yield variety, but it offers high-quality taste with wine-like acidity and a sweet aftertaste. The coffee beans are larger in size, uniform, and glossy. For easier harvesting, farmers prune the trees to no more than 150 cm.

The Spread Route of Bourbon

Since the Typica introduced to Brazil in 1727 had low yield and was susceptible to diseases, Bourbon was introduced to Brazil around 1860 via Campinas in the south and quickly spread north to other regions in South and Central America. Today in Latin America, although Bourbon has mostly been replaced by its variants (especially Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo), it is still cultivated in countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Peru.

[Red Bourbon]

After Red Bourbon coffee trees flower and bear fruit, the color of the coffee cherries changes as follows: green > slightly yellow > slightly orange > ripe red > darker red. Therefore, some call it [Red Bourbon]. In fact, Red Bourbon is what we generally refer to as Bourbon. Bourbon grown at high altitudes usually has better aroma, brighter acidity, and even a flavor similar to red wine.

[Yellow Bourbon]

Yellow Bourbon is a hybrid of Bourbon and other varieties. Due to its lower yield and less resistance to wind and rain, it is not widely planted. However, when grown in high-altitude areas, it exhibits excellent flavor and has become more common in recent years.

Yellow Bourbon, with yellow fruit when ripe, was first discovered in Brazil and is currently mainly grown there. It is generally believed to have originated from a cross between red-fruited Bourbon and a yellow-fruited Typica variant called 'Amerelo de Botocatu', followed by a mutation.

[French Mission Bourbon]

In Africa, French missionaries known as Spiritans (from the Congregation of the Holy Spirit) played an important role in spreading Bourbon. In 1841, the first church was established in Reunion, and a branch was set up in Zanzibar in 1859; from Zanzibar, branches were established in Bagamoyo (coastal Tanzania, then Tanganyika) and St. Augustine (Kikuyu, Kenya) in 1862, and another in Bura (Taita Hills, Kenya) in 1893. Each branch's establishment was accompanied by the planting of coffee seeds brought from Reunion.

In 1899, seedlings cultivated in Bura were taken to another French mission in Santa Cruz (near Nairobi), and in 1900, they were introduced to the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, where seeds were distributed to local residents willing to grow coffee. This is the origin of what is called 'Mission Bourbon'. Later, the Kent variety was also introduced in 1920. Thus, to this day, coffee in Tanzania is mainly Bourbon and Kent.

The following all belong to the Bourbon variety:

[Front Street Coffee Brazil Washed Red Bourbon]

In some estates in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil, ancient Bourbon coffee is grown. The Cerrado plateau in western Minas and southern Minas are mostly above 1,100 meters in elevation, with rich terrain, distinct dry and wet seasons, large day-night temperature differences, and abundant microclimates, suitable for cultivating elegant-flavored Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon, naturally making them the main premium coffee-producing regions in Brazil.

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Grind Size: 4 (Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 88°C

Dripper: V60/KONO

Dry Aroma: Nuts, Cocoa

Taste: Low acidity, strong nutty flavor, good chocolate sweetness and body

[Front Street Coffee Brazil Fazenda Rainha Pulped Natural Yellow Bourbon]

From Fazenda Rainha, covering 280 acres, located in Vale da Grama, an ancient volcanic valley in Brazil. Fazenda Rainha is owned by the renowned and respected Carvalho Dias family. The four major estates under Carvalho Dias have won awards every year since the first Brazil COE competition in 1999, with over 12 awards in 7 years, including champion, 9th place, 11th place, etc., in 2004. Many estates in Brazil, large and small.

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Grind Size: 4 (Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 88°C

Dripper: V60/KONO

Dry Aroma: Roasted Hazelnut, Spices

Flavor: Slight fruity acidity, nuts, creamy peanut, chocolate sweetness, high body.

[Front Street Coffee Kenya Chania Estate Natural French Mission Bourbon]

In Kenya, the commonly heard terms are the K72 processing method and the SL28 and SL34 varieties. So a naturally processed French Mission Bourbon is indeed rare. The unique red volcanic soil of Chania Estate, combined with suitable coffee growing temperatures and rainfall, plus the excellent natural environment, creates the unique flavor of the French Mission Bourbon from Chania Estate in Thika.

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Grind Size: 3.5 (Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 90°C

Dripper: V60

Dry Aroma: Fermentation, Dried Fruit, Vanilla

Flavor: Sipping reveals caramel, vanilla, mixed fruits, solid juice-like body, with aftertaste of berries, rich jackfruit, coffee floral, overall showing a wild African regional flavor.

Summary

Overall, the Bourbon variety beans [Front Street Brazil Washed Red Bourbon], [Front Street Brazil Fazenda Rainha Pulped Natural Yellow Bourbon], and [Front Street Kenya Chania Natural French Mission Bourbon] are relatively similar in flavor, all with distinct dark chocolate, cocoa, nut, caramel notes, smooth acidity, and low bitterness.

The main coffee bean producing regions are: Africa, Central and South America, Asia

Coffee trees only grow well in tropical or subtropical regions, so the zone between 25 degrees north and south latitude is most suitable for coffee cultivation. This coffee-producing zone is generally called the 'Coffee Belt' or 'Coffee Region'. The ideal growing conditions for coffee trees are: a warm climate with temperatures between 15°C and 25°C, annual rainfall of 1500mm to 2000mm, and the rainfall timing must match the coffee tree's flowering cycle.

Of course, besides seasonal and rainfall coordination, fertile soil is also necessary. The most suitable soil for coffee cultivation should be well-draining and rich in volcanic ash.

As for the ideal altitude, it is 1000m to 2000m. From this, it can be seen that the conditions for cultivating high-quality coffee are quite strict: sunlight, rainfall, soil, temperature, as well as the harvesting method and processing of coffee beans, all affect the quality of the coffee itself.

Bourbon grown in different regions, due to microclimate, soil quality, planting environment, and other terroir factors, will produce slight differences in flavor direction. Kenya's volcanic ash soil has higher phosphoric acid content, which gives [Front Street Kenya Chania French Mission] a tropical fruit acidity, while continuing the Bourbon flavor, making this Front Street Kenya bean's flavor more complex. That's all for today's sharing, hope it helps everyone~

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.