What Country Is Arabica Coffee From, and Where Does Pink Bourbon Fit?
Pink Bourbon is a rare mutation within the Bourbon family, a cross between Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon whose cherries ripen to a distinct pink. It was first identified by farmer Rodrigo Sanchez in the Huila region of Colombia. Bourbon itself belongs to a branch of the Arabica species, first planted on Réunion Island, once known as Île Bourbon.
The variety is scarce and hard to keep stable. Cherry color is governed by recessive genes in the pollen, so some trees yield orange fruit instead of pink, and breeders cannot reliably control the outcome. Pink Bourbon does show strong resistance to leaf rust. Colombia is a key arabica coffee origin country for this variety, and light-roast pour-over brings out its fruit-forward character.
Pink Bourbon is an extremely rare mutation within the Bourbon family, produced by crossing Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon, with cherries that turn a unique pink when ripe. This variety is not only scarce in yield and difficult to maintain color stability, but also shows outstanding resistance to leaf rust. This article starts with the discovery site of Pink Bourbon in the Huila region of Colombia, reviews its varietal origins, genetic characteristics, and cultivation challenges, introduces Front Street Coffee's Pink Bourbon products from two regions, Guatemala and Colombia, and finally presents its pour-over flavor performance under a light roast.
Front Street Coffee Colombia Pink Bourbon was first discovered by coffee farmer Rodrigo Sanchez in the Huila region of Colombia. As the name suggests, Pink Bourbon cherries are pink when ripe and are a mutation resulting from a cross between Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. Pink Bourbon is an extremely rare variety, far rarer than Pacamara and Geisha.
Bourbon coffee was first planted on Réunion Island, which was also known as Île Bourbon (?le Bourbon) before 1789. Put simply, Bourbon is a coffee variety that belongs to a branch of the Arabica species. It generally produces red fruit, known as Red Bourbon. In addition, there are Yellow Bourbon and Orange Bourbon (as well as Caturra, Catuai, and others). Yellow Bourbon generally has lower yields, but its quality is relatively good.
The Pink Bourbon coffee tree, however, has different characteristics and is a very rare new variety. According to its developers, Pink Bourbon was developed by crossing Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon.
Pink Bourbon, as the name implies, has coffee cherries that turn a romantic pink when ripe, but maintaining that romance is very, very difficult. Sometimes we harvest some orange Bourbon because the final color of the coffee fruit is determined by recessive genes within the pollen grains. Among the pollen grains we select for hybridization, some carry the yellow gene tendency of Yellow Bourbon and some carry the red gene tendency of Red Bourbon, and these are all recessive genes that easily interfere with each other. When new variety hybridization technology is not yet mature, it is very difficult for us to control its stability. At the current stage, whether it can produce the pink coffee cherries we love depends even more on luck.
Cultivating Pink Bourbon is no easy task. Throughout the entire growth period of the coffee tree, careful attention is required, and the growing environment also has high requirements. A relatively enclosed, independent environment is ideal, because only under such conditions can the variety's unique color and varietal characteristics be better maintained and consolidated. However, the red and yellow gene groups are very difficult to separate. If these two highly distinctive gene groups could be controlled, then the problem of unstable color might perhaps be solved, although such requirements are very difficult to meet.
Pink Bourbon can be seen in Colombia and Guatemala. Although it is very rare, its resistance to leaf rust is extremely strong, its yield is also good, and it does not require much fertilizer. The Front Street Coffee Pink Bourbon sold in our Taobao store comes from the Cayeltiras Farm in the Jutiapa region of Guatemala. The farm is located in the southeast of the country, 124 kilometers from the capital, Guatemala City. The farm owner built this plantation on high ground at 1,500 meters.
Among the genes affecting coffee fruit color, red and yellow are dominant genes, while pink and orange are recessive genes. Therefore, the number of Pink Bourbon is extremely small, and even when it appears, it is extremely difficult to keep stable. In addition, Pink Bourbon also faces the problem of determining ripeness during harvest.
Pink Bourbon is not only rare, but its flavor is also excellent. This [Front Street Coffee Colombia Huila San Adolfo Pink Bourbon], after light roasting, shows excellent fruit flavors: green grape juice, berries, floral notes, sweetness, and smoothness.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
