Why does Yunnan coffee mean Catimor today?

Most coffee sold as Yunnan small-bean coffee is actually Catimor, not Typica. In Yunnan's producing regions Catimor covers as much as 99.99% of plantings because it resists pests and disease while delivering high yields, which gives growers more reliable returns. The four core areas are Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er and Dehong in southwestern Yunnan, with Lincang drawing particular attention.

Records cover the lineage and flavor differences among Typica, Bourbon and Catimor, plus Front Street Coffee's estate in Lincang and its 2021 growing experience. The article also lists complete roast curves, cupping results and V60 brewing parameters for a Yunnan Baoshan washed Catimor and a Lincang sun-dried Typica, offering reference points for home brewers comparing the two varieties.

Where exactly does Yunnan small-bean coffee come from? Most of what is commonly called Yunnan small-bean coffee on the market is actually the Catimor variety. This article starts with Yunnan's four major producing regions—Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong—and sorts through the lineage and flavor differences of the three major bean varieties: Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor. It explains why Catimor has come to dominate Yunnan so overwhelmingly, and shares Front Street Coffee's planting experience at its own estate in Lincang. The article also includes the complete roasting records, cupping results, and V60 brewing parameters for two beans—Front Street's Yunnan Baoshan washed Catimor and Lincang sun-dried Typica—for coffee enthusiasts to reference and discuss.

In today's coffee market, the name Yunnan small-bean coffee is mentioned frequently. It originally referred to the Typica variety, but the reality is that Catimor, with its outstanding yields, has long since come to account for the vast majority of Yunnan's total coffee production. So when people talk about Yunnan small-bean coffee in everyday conversation, what they actually mean is mostly Catimor. In Yunnan's producing regions, Catimor's planting ratio is as high as 99.99%. Many friends can't help but wonder why. Front Street Coffee's view is that Catimor performs excellently in resisting pests and diseases while also delivering ample yields—put simply, it offers more reliable returns for growers.

Front Street Coffee understands well what factors steer the direction of coffee flavor, and it has always held a wish: to change the public's fixed impression of Yunnan coffee beans. Moreover, in Front Street's view, there's no need for any reason to favor Yunnan coffee—because it is our own Chinese coffee.

Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong are the four core regions for coffee cultivation in Yunnan, generally concentrated in the southwestern part of the province.

Among them, Lincang especially deserves elaboration. (Please keep reading patiently.) Lincang borders Pu'er to the east, Dali to the north, Baoshan to the west, and Myanmar to the southwest. The local average annual temperature ranges between 16.8 and 17.2°C, with a clear distinction between dry and rainy seasons and abundant sunshine.

Front Street Coffee has established its own coffee estate in Yunnan's Lincang producing region. This year (2021), Front Street Coffee successfully harvested its first coffee beans produced from its own estate.

In fact, the earliest coffee variety planted in Yunnan was Typica. Later, Catimor, with its strong disease resistance and high-yield characteristics, spread along with the advancement of opening-up policies, as international giants like Starbucks and Nestlé entered Yunnan and promoted it vigorously. But Catimor also has a shortcoming: its flavor expression isn't outstanding enough. Over time, the varietal makeup of Yunnan small-bean coffee shifted step by step from the early Typica to today's Catimor.

China Coffee Producing Region · Yunnan Baoshan

Coffee grown at the highest elevations of Yunnan's Baoshan producing region is of a quality comparable to Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. Not only that, Baoshan also produces the world's most expensive kopi luwak coffee. Baoshan's history of large-scale coffee cultivation dates back to 1952—more than sixty years now—and Yunnan's Baoshan producing region has been hailed as "Asia's best coffee producing region."

Since the founding of New China, the coffee industry in Baoshan, within the sectors led by the Baoshan municipal government, has been one of the categories with the most soundly developed market economy and the highest degree of maturity. To push the industry further, Baoshan has made many explorations, such as launching the Yunnan Baoshan Coffee World project.

Yunnan's Baoshan is located in a low-latitude highland area and has long had the saying "one mountain spans four seasons, ten miles bring different weather"—such climatic conditions are truly ideal for coffee cultivation. A set of figures illustrates this: Yunnan Province's coffee output reaches 136,000 tons, accounting for over 95% of the nation's total coffee production, with exports of 60,700 tons, ranking first in the country.

Baoshan has a very long history of coffee cultivation, is recognized as the "best small-bean coffee producing area," and is one of the regions with relatively outstanding coffee quality nationwide and even globally.

Front Street Yunnan Coffee Estate Coffee Bean Introduction

In the 2021 new Yunnan coffee season, we processed a small batch of Yunnan sun-dried Typica coffee beans ourselves. Due to the limited quantity, Front Street could only offer this bean as a "limited giveaway" during events for everyone to sample. On Front Street Coffee's bean list, a Yunnan washed Typica Huaguoshan coffee bean is available year-round.

Front Street Coffee currently has two Yunnan small-bean coffees: one is the Catimor variety, the other is the Typica variety. Because Catimor carries Robusta genes, its flavor and mouthfeel are slightly inferior to Typica's.

Yunnan has good conditions for coffee cultivation, but Front Street believes that Yunnan coffee beans have not yet reached "specialty coffee" standards, for two main reasons: first, the variety. What's planted on a large scale in Yunnan is Catimor, and the variety itself is not as superior as Typica. Second, the adoption of anaerobic processing. Although this is a novel processing method, it masks the coffee's original flavors—so how can it be called specialty?

On ordinary days, Front Street Coffee's stores also often bring out this sun-dried Typica coffee bean from their own estate as a tasting sample for different customers to try.

Yunnan Province's west and south lie between 15°N and the Tropic of Cancer, and most areas also have the high elevations needed for coffee cultivation. The terrain is mainly mountainous and sloped, with pronounced undulation, fertile soil, abundant sunshine, plentiful rainfall, and large temperature differences between day and night.

Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Wenshan, Baoshan, Dehong, Lincang, and other places in southern and western Yunnan all fall within the distribution areas for Yunnan small-bean coffee cultivation.

As is well known, washed coffee beans have a cleaner mouthfeel, while sun-dried coffee beans carry richer fruity aromas.

However, Front Street Coffee believes that traditional processing methods best present a coffee producing region's most fundamental taste. Therefore, on Front Street Coffee's bean list, there are a great many washed beans, such as those from Ethiopia, Panama, Colombia, and other origins.

Currently, Yunnan coffee beans have more options in processing methods, and at the level of detail alone, multiple different processing methods have already emerged, such as adding extra steps during anaerobic fermentation.

The most widely planted variety in Yunnan's producing regions is still Catimor. In addition, the Baoshan area actually still retains a small amount of Typica and Bourbon cultivation. Although Typica and Bourbon both belong to the Arabica species, they differ considerably in essence.

Let's now talk about these two varieties, Typica and Bourbon.

typica Typica coffee bean variety

Typica originated in Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan and is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. Its plant is relatively robust but sensitive to light, and its top leaves are a copper-red color, which is why it is also called red-top coffee . Many current commercial improved varieties derive from this variety.

Typica is recognized as a specialty coffee variety, but its yields are extremely low, and it is also susceptible to rust disease, requiring more labor for management and carrying relatively high maintenance costs. Excellent estate beans such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaiian Kona all belong to Typica.

bourbon Bourbon coffee bean variety

In the 18th century, the French brought round-bodied coffee beans from Yemen to Réunion Island, which at the time still used the old name Bourbon Island—hence the name Bourbon. In 1860 the Bourbon variety was taken to Brazil, and from there it spread rapidly to the countries of Central and South America, which still cultivate and produce the Bourbon variety today.

It is a mutation of Typica, with green growing tips and young leaves, hence also called green-top coffee . Bourbon coffee beans have excellent aroma and rich layers, but very low resistance to pests and diseases and modest yields, so many Central and South American countries choose to plant Caturra—a natural mutation of Bourbon—or other coffee varieties with greater disease resistance and higher yields.

catimor Catimor coffee bean variety

Strictly speaking, Catimor is not of pure Arabica lineage. It is a hybrid offspring of the Timor species (a Robusta coffee species) and the Caturra coffee bean variety (a mutant of the Bourbon coffee bean variety), so Catimor carries 25% Robusta coffee bean lineage.

It is precisely this 25% Robusta lineage that determines Catimor's flavor defects—insufficiently rich aroma, relatively heavy bitterness, and a tendency toward astringency as well as a rather pungent musty taste.

Typica's yield is only one-third of Catimor's, so its price is correspondingly higher. At the same time, both Typica and Bourbon are extremely susceptible to rust disease, which is one reason coffee farmers are reluctant to plant Arabica.

Because Typica and Bourbon have low yields, are prone to disease, and carry high maintenance costs, it means growers need a longer exploration period. At the current stage, coffee farmers have not yet developed "specialty coffee" awareness; even if they have some understanding, once it comes to cutting down old trees and spending several more years replanting, coffee farmers will only keep their distance.

Front Street Coffee Bean Processing Methods Introduction

Sun-Dried Processing Method

As the oldest processing method for coffee beans, it can be summed up in four words: "dry and strip." But doing sun-dried processing well is far from as simple as one might imagine. The sun-dried method is generally more common in dry, warm, sunny regions.

After the coffee fruit is picked, it must be processed immediately, starting with manual hand-sorting to pick out defective fruits, including overripe, underripe, and insect-damaged ones, and of course also removing other non-coffee-fruit debris. "Floatation" is the most commonly used screening method, and the sorted fruit is then placed in the sun for sun-drying.

The length of sun-drying depends on the weather and generally takes about 4 weeks. Different regions may use different drying racks—some use tarps, some use raised beds, some use concrete floors—with drying times averaging 3 to 4 weeks, until the coffee's moisture content drops to 11% to be considered complete. Then, with the help of machines, the already dried pulp, skin, and pectin and other parts are removed.

Washed Processing Method

Because Ethiopia's coffee is generally grown at high elevations, water resources are tight, and the earliest and most traditional processing method was sun-drying. But because the processing steps were relatively rough, the coffee's flavor was overly concentrated and cleanliness was less than ideal.

In 1972, Yirgacheffe introduced washed processing from Central and South America to improve coffee quality. This introduction elevated the quality of Ethiopian coffee beans by several levels at once, and afterward the jasmine florals and lemon-citrus flavors of washed Yirgacheffe became representative of African specialty beans and took Europe and America by storm. The washed processing method thus became the mainstream in the Yirgacheffe producing region.

After the coffee fruit is picked, it is immediately sent to the washing station. Workers first float the harvested fruit to remove fruit of insufficient density, then use machines to remove the skin and pulp, and then place it in tanks for fermentation with or without water, using fermentation to break down the pectin layer.

After fermentation is complete, the coffee beans are washed with clean water to remove the pectin, and finally the coffee beans with the pectin layer removed are sun-dried. The drying time can be shortened by more than half, depending on the weather, generally about 2 weeks, lowering the moisture content to between 11% and 13%. Finally, the coffee beans are stored with the parchment still on, and the parchment is only removed before export.

Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Producing Region: Yunnan Baoshan Altitude: 1200m Processing Method: Washed Variety: Catimor

Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Roasting Record

Charged at a drum temperature of 190°C, heat at 120, damper set to 3; turning point at 1'40", at 145°C open the damper to 4 with heat unchanged; at 166°C the bean surface turns yellow and the grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration phase; when the drum temperature reaches 188°C, adjust the heat to 60°C and the damper to 5; at 8'37" the bean surface shows ugly wrinkled folds and dark streaks, and the toast aroma clearly shifts to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack—at this point you must listen clearly for the sound of the first crack's onset; at 9'00" first crack begins, damper unchanged, develop for 3 minutes after first crack, drop at 198°C.

Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Cupping Results

Smooth on entry, Asian herbal aroma, lively and bright acidity, salivation on both cheeks, gentle acidity, good mellow balance, rich layers, with an aftertaste showing distinct dark chocolate, honey, and sucrose notes; after fully cooling, a brown sugar flavor.

About 6 years ago, Front Street Coffee began using Typica from Yunnan's Baoshan producing region to create a representative coffee with Yunnan coffee bean characteristics—Front Street 2013 Typica coffee beans.

Front Street Yunnan Front Street 2013 Coffee Beans Coffee Origin: Lincang Coffee Variety: Typica Altitude: 1300m Processing Method: Sun-Dried

Front Street Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Bean Roasting Record

The beans have a moisture content of 10.9%, so the roasting plan was to charge at 200°C, then use high heat and a small damper to speed up dehydration; after the dehydration phase ends, open the damper to medium and use medium heat so the Maillard reaction time isn't too rushed, and drop after 3 minutes of first-crack development. Turning point: 1:32, 92.5°C; yellowing point: 5:40, 148.5°C; first crack: 8:59, 188.0°C; develop 3 minutes and drop: 12'00, 196°C

Front Street Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Bean Cupping Record

Cupping 12 hours after roasting: Rich fruity aroma on entry, melon, vegetal herbal aroma, smooth on entry, nuts in the middle, milk chocolate, lively and bright plum acidity on the finish, salivation on both cheeks, good balance, medium body with a full mouthfeel; from hot to warm you can sense the layers of sweet and sour, first sweet then sour, apricot and citrus-toned acidity, with an aftertaste of black tea and a hint of brown sugar.

Front Street's Brewing Tips for Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee and Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Beans

Front Street Coffee recommends using a V60 dripper for brewing. Because the V60 has a relatively large opening, and combined with its unique spiral curved ribs, air is more easily expelled, thereby improving extraction quality. The mouthfeel may not be thick enough, but the high concentration that draws out Yunnan coffee's fruit acidity and distinct aroma is one of its standout features.

Dripper: V60 #01 Water Temperature: 90-92°C Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15 Grind Size: Medium-fine grind, i.e., fine granulated sugar coarseness (57% passing rate on China standard No. 20 sieve)

Brewing Technique: Staged Extraction

Bloom with 30 grams of water for 30 seconds, then pour in a small stream in circles until 124 grams for the stage break; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 227 grams and stop; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper; (timing starts from the beginning of the bloom) the extraction time is 2 minutes.

Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Flavor Description

Smells of pronounced nutty aroma; on entry there is herbal, chocolate, and caramel, with a faint fruity acidity in the aftertaste

Front Street Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Bean Flavor Description

The dry aroma has a faint citrus acidity and nutty aroma; it drinks with the acidity of plum and citrus plus nutty flavors, melon-fruit aroma and brown sugar sweetness, and an aftertaste with some black tea character. Overall the flavor layers are relatively rich.

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