What Sets Bourbon Apart Among Arabica Coffee Varieties?

Bourbon is one of the oldest Arabica coffee varieties, sharing that status with Typica, and it is known less for yield or price than for the colors of its cherries. Red, yellow, and pink Bourbon appear in the same family, and the color difference shapes flavor, growing habits, and how the variety performs on a farm.

The French brought round coffee beans from Yemen to Réunion Island, then called Bourbon Island, and the variety took its name from there. It reached Brazil around 1860 and spread through Central and South America. In Brazil, the Mogiana and Sul de Minas regions grow Yellow Bourbon and Red Bourbon with nutty, chocolate, and caramel notes. Medium-dark roast pour-over parameters round out the guide.

In the lineage of Arabica coffee varieties, Bourbon is one of the oldest varieties, sharing equal fame with Typica. Unlike other varieties known for their flavor or yield, the Bourbon family is often remembered by coffee enthusiasts for its coffee cherries displaying different colors such as red, yellow, and pink. Where do these color differences come from? What flavor secrets lie behind different colors? From the perspective of Front Street, this article traces the origin and spread of the Bourbon variety, explains in detail the genetic characteristics and cultivation status of Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, and Pink Bourbon, and delves into the two major producing regions of Brazil—Mogiana and Sul de Minas—to taste the nutty, chocolate, and caramel notes of Queen Farm's Yellow Bourbon and Red Bourbon coffees. Finally, it includes Front Street's medium-dark roast pour-over parameters and brewing steps for Queen Farm, providing a complete reference guide for friends who love Bourbon coffee.

When it comes to coffee varieties, there are two names that can never be avoided: one is Typica, and the other is Bourbon, which Front Street will discuss today. Most varieties are remembered for their unique flavor performance, outstanding yield, or high price, but Bourbon is often remembered for the color differences of its fruit—Yellow Bourbon, Pink Bourbon, Orange Bourbon, and so on. So, what causes members of the Bourbon family to have such different appearances? What flavor trends do these color differences bring? Next, Front Street will sort through them one by one for you.

Origin of the Bourbon Variety

In the 18th century, the French brought round coffee beans from Yemen to Réunion Island, which at the time was still called Bourbon Island, and the Bourbon variety got its name from this. Afterward, Bourbon took root on Réunion Island and gradually adapted to local growing conditions. Although it was introduced quite early, Bourbon did not spread outward until the mid-19th century. It was not until 1860 that Bourbon was introduced to Brazil, and using Brazil as a springboard, it quickly spread to countries in Central and South America, which still grow and produce Bourbon coffee beans today.

Color Classification of the Bourbon Variety

When talking about Bourbon, many people mention its color distinctions, such as Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, Pink Bourbon, and so on. Red Bourbon is probably the most common type, because generally speaking, coffee cherries gradually change from immature green to light yellow, then to orange, and when they reach the optimal picking period, the fruit turns red, and finally, when overripe, it becomes dark purple.

Trained pickers know when to harvest—they judge which fruits are of the best quality that day by observing the color of the fruit. Immature coffee cherries mean the coffee beans have not yet accumulated enough nutrients, so it is naturally difficult to develop delicate flavors; overripe fruit, on the other hand, easily develops an overly fermented, fermenty taste. Front Street Coffee has a Yirgacheffe from the Red Cherry Project. The core of this project is to purchase coffee cherries picked from all-red fruit at a higher price, thereby increasing coffee farmers' income and coffee bean quality, achieving a win-win outcome.

Back to the point: Red Bourbon is named for its red fruit, and Yellow Bourbon and Pink Bourbon follow the same logic. Yellow Bourbon is generally considered to be a descendant of Red Bourbon crossed with other varieties. When ripe, its fruit is yellow. It was first discovered in Brazil, and Brazil is currently the main country cultivating Yellow Bourbon. In addition to the different fruit color, Yellow Bourbon also has lower yield and is not resistant to wind and rain, so it has not been widely planted.

Pink Bourbon is even rarer. It is produced by crossing Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. The reason it is scarce is that the pink appearance of the fruit is controlled by a recessive gene, making it highly susceptible to interference and very difficult to maintain stably in the pink fruit form.

Flavor Performance of Bourbon Coffee

To explore the taste of Bourbon coffee, Front Street Coffee believes one can start with Brazil. Although Bourbon once spread to many producing countries in Central and South America, its shortcomings also destined it to be replaced. Bourbon and Typica, the two oldest Arabica varieties, both have low resistance to disease and pests, and their yields are not high. The only redeeming quality is perhaps their excellent cup flavor. Therefore, many Central and South American countries prefer to grow Caturra, a natural mutation of Bourbon, as well as other varieties with stronger disease resistance and higher yields.

Brazilian Yellow Bourbon coffee comes from Queen Farm in the Mogiana region and is processed by the natural method. We can taste distinct nutty notes and a creamy texture in it. In addition to Queen Farm's Yellow Bourbon, Front Street Coffee also has a Red Bourbon coffee bean from the Sul de Minas region, processed by the semi-washed method. This coffee has nutty and chocolate notes, accompanied by a caramel finish. Comparing these two Brazilian Bourbon coffees, it is not difficult to find that the flavor base of the Bourbon variety is mostly nutty, while its prominent sweetness is also very pleasing.

Front Street Queen Farm Coffee Pour-Over Reference

Front Street hopes to highlight Queen Farm's classic regional flavor, that is, its rich chocolate aroma, so a medium-dark roast is used. Through cupping, Front Street found that this Queen Farm coffee has a very prominent sweetness, so a three-stage pouring method is used in brewing to present a richer sense of layers.

Dripper: Medium-dark roasted coffee beans mainly present a mellow and rounded mouthfeel. In response to this characteristic, Front Street chooses the slower-flow KONO dripper for extraction. The upper half of the KONO dripper is a smooth curved surface, and below are guiding ribs about one-third of its length, which allow the filter paper to fit more tightly against the dripper, restricting airflow upward so that hot water can only flow downward, forming a siphon-style extraction effect and allowing the aromatic substances of the coffee grounds to be released more fully.

Grind size: Considering the darker roast level, the coffee beans become looser in texture, and after being ground into powder, they tend to absorb more water and release more soluble substances, easily bringing out unpleasant miscellaneous bitter flavors such as wood. Front Street Coffee baristas will coarsen the grind so that the coffee particles are larger and over-extraction is reduced. Here, a medium grind is used (70-75% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve).

Water temperature: When brewing light-to-medium roasted coffee beans, Front Street uses a higher water temperature to release the aromatic substances from high-density coffee beans. However, medium-dark roasted Brazilian coffee has undergone a longer caramelization reaction. If the same high-temperature hot water is used, the coffee easily presents a heavy and burnt-bitter taste. Appropriately lowering the water temperature helps reduce bitterness, so Front Street uses a water temperature of 87–88°C.

Coffee grounds will absorb about twice their own weight in water. Front Street generally uses 15 grams of coffee grounds and extracts at a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, ultimately obtaining nearly 200 ml of coffee liquid, which is 1–2 servings.

Dripper: KONO dripper

Water temperature: 87–88°C

Coffee dose: 15 grams

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: medium grind (70% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve)

First, wet the coffee bed with twice the amount of water as the coffee grounds, forming a dome and letting it bloom for 30 seconds. Then, pour in a small stream in circles from the inside outward until 125 g, then pause. When the coffee bed drops to half the height of the dripper, continue pouring the third stage with the same fine stream until 225 g, until all the coffee liquid has finished filtering. Remove the dripper. The total time is about 2 minutes.

The pour-over Brazilian Queen Farm coffee smells of lemon, nuts, and peanuts. On the palate, it has mellow nutty, dark chocolate, and caramel flavors, with obvious sweetness and a creamy, smooth mouthfeel. The overall performance is rounded.

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