Which Arabica Coffee Types Come From Bourbon?

Bourbon is a long-established classic variety within arabica coffee, and its fruit skin shifts from green to yellow and then to red as it ripens, producing three color types: Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon and Pink Bourbon. Each one differs in flavor and in how widely it is grown.

Red Bourbon shows notable aroma and bright acidity, sometimes with a red-wine nuance. Yellow Bourbon came from crossbreeding and performs well at high altitude but has low yield and weak resistance to wind and rain. Pink Bourbon is rare because its recessive genes interfere with one another, and it is found mainly in Colombia and Guatemala.

Bourbon is a long-established classic variety within Arabica coffee. As the fruit gradually matures, its outer skin undergoes a transition from green to yellow and then to red, ultimately giving rise to three distinct color types of Bourbon: red, yellow, and pink. This article will examine the characteristics of Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, and Pink Bourbon one by one: Red Bourbon has outstanding aroma and bright acidity, often carrying a red-wine-like nuance; Yellow Bourbon originated from crossbreeding and shows especially remarkable flavor when grown at high altitude; Pink Bourbon, because its recessive genes are highly prone to interfering with one another, is particularly rare and is currently found mainly in Colombia and Guatemala. At the end of the article, Front Street's Brazil Queen's Estate Yellow Bourbon and Colombia Pink Bourbon bean lists are also included for enthusiasts to reference when making purchases.

Red Bourbon

After a coffee tree flowers and bears fruit, the color of the fruit skin gradually changes along with the ripening process: first from green to a light yellow, then to a slight orange, then to a ripe red, and after overripening it continues to deepen into dark red. Because of this, people call the type whose fruit is red when ripe "Red Bourbon"—in fact, Red Bourbon is simply the Bourbon variety itself as we usually refer to it. Bourbon grown at high altitudes can usually display a more outstanding aroma and brighter acidity, and on the palate one can even taste a flavor reminiscent of red wine.

Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon was developed by crossing Bourbon with other varieties. Because of its low yield and relatively weak resistance to wind and rain, this variety has never been widely promoted. However, once planted at high altitude, it can deliver extremely impressive flavor performance, which is why it has become increasingly common in recent years. The so-called Yellow Bourbon refers to Yellow Bourbon—the fruit is yellow when fully ripe. It was first discovered in Brazil, and today its main producing areas are likewise concentrated in Brazil. The academic consensus generally speculates that its origin is most likely a mutation produced after crossing the red-fruited Bourbon variety with a yellow-fruited Typica variant called "Amerelo de Botocatu."

[Front Street Brazil Queen's Estate Pulped Natural Yellow Bourbon] Flavor characteristics: on the palate there is a sweet, smooth fruit sweetness, a clearly recognizable nutty note, balanced and mild acidity, and a slight, clean bitterness, exuding a rich chocolate aroma and nutty flavors, with an overall bright and refreshing mouthfeel.

Pink Bourbon

As the name suggests, Pink Bourbon coffee cherries take on a romantic pinkish-red outer coat after fully ripening. As a recently emerged and very rare variety, it was developed by crossbreeding Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. The key reason it is classified as a rare variety is that stably maintaining this charming pink color is extremely difficult, and occasionally orange Bourbon fruits are also harvested. The reason is that the final color of coffee fruit depends on recessive genes in the pollen grains: among the pollen grains selected for crossing, there are both yellow genes from the Yellow Bourbon line and red genes from the Red Bourbon line, and both types of genes are recessive, making them highly prone to interfering with each other.

Today, Pink Bourbon can already be found in both Colombia and Guatemala. Take this batch of Pink Bourbon coffee from Colombia as an example: about 1,800 coffee trees are planted on the estate, and over one production season each tree can harvest about 1.8 kg of fresh fruit. After removing the skin and pulp, about 0.36 kg of green beans can be obtained. In other words, in a normal production season, the total output of this batch of coffee is less than 650 kg.

[Front Street Colombia Pink Bourbon] Flavor characteristics: sweet orange, sugarcane-like fresh sweetness, a pleasant juicy mouthfeel, and a hint of cherry tomato.

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