What exactly is the variety of Yunnan small-bean coffee? Why does the small-bean coffee commonly referred to on the market mostly mean Catimor? Starting from the varietal roots, this article sorts out the bloodline and flavor differences among Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor, and introduces the growing conditions and historical development of Yunnan's four major coffee-producing regions: Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong. At the same time, Front Street Coffee shares its planting practices at its own Lincang estate, the processing details of the 2021 new-crop sun-dried Typica, and the influence of washed and sun-dried processing methods on flavor direction, along with the roasting curves, cupping records, and V60 brewing parameters for two Yunnan beans, for coffee lovers' reference.

Today, the name Yunnan small-bean coffee is seen almost everywhere in the coffee market. It originally belonged to the Typica variety, but the reality is that Catimor, with its outstanding yield advantage, has already accounted for the vast majority of Yunnan's total coffee production. Therefore, what people commonly refer to as Yunnan small-bean coffee in daily conversation actually means Yunnan Catimor. Among Yunnan's producing regions, Catimor's planting proportion is as high as 99.99%. Many friends may wonder why this situation has come about. Front Street Coffee's view is that Catimor performs outstandingly in resistance to pests and diseases while also having sufficient productivity; in the final analysis, it simply offers more guaranteed planting returns.

Front Street Coffee deeply understands which factors play a decisive role in coffee flavor, and has always held a wish—to let more people rediscover Yunnan coffee beans. In Front Street's view, loving Yunnan coffee beans needs no special reason at all, because this is our own Chinese coffee.

Coffee cultivation in Yunnan is concentrated in four major producing regions: Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong, which are generally distributed across the southwestern part of Yunnan Province.

Among them, Lincang is especially worth discussing in detail. (Please continue reading below.) Lincang borders Pu'er to the east, Dali to the north, Baoshan to the west, and connects with Myanmar to the southwest. The average annual temperature in Lincang City ranges between 16.8 and 17.2°C, with distinct dry and wet seasons and excellent sunlight conditions.

Front Street Coffee established its own coffee estate in Yunnan's Lincang producing region. Then in 2021, Front Street Coffee successfully produced its first self-produced coffee beans.

The variety originally planted in Yunnan coffee was actually Typica. Later, because Catimor had stronger disease resistance and higher yield, and with the push of opening policies, international giants such as Starbucks and Nestlé entered Yunnan and vigorously promoted it, and Catimor gradually became mainstream. But the Catimor variety also has a shortcoming: its flavor performance is not outstanding enough. Over time, Yunnan small-bean coffee thus gradually transitioned from the early Typica to today's Catimor.

China Coffee Producing Region · Yunnan Baoshan

The coffee produced at the highest elevations of Yunnan's Baoshan coffee-producing region is of a quality sufficient to rival Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. In addition, Baoshan also produces the world's most expensive kopi luwak coffee. Large-scale coffee planting in Baoshan began in 1952 and has accumulated more than 60 years of history. Yunnan's Baoshan coffee-producing region is known as "Asia's best coffee-producing region."

The coffee industry is also one of the industries among those led by the Baoshan municipal government since the founding of New China with the most soundly developed and mature market economy. In order to further promote this industry, Baoshan has carried out various explorations, including launching projects such as the Yunnan Baoshan Coffee World project.

Yunnan's Baoshan is located on a low-latitude plateau and has long had the saying, "one mountain divides four seasons, ten li brings different weather," and such climatic conditions are very ideal for coffee cultivation. A set of data can illustrate this: Yunnan Province's coffee output reaches 136,000 tons, accounting for more than 95% of the country's coffee output, and its export volume ranks first in the country at 60,700 tons.

The Baoshan area has a rather long history of coffee cultivation, is recognized as the "best small-bean coffee producing area," and is also one of the regions with relatively superior coffee quality in the country and even the world.

Front Street Yunnan Coffee Estate Coffee Bean Introduction

In the 2021 Yunnan coffee new crop season, we processed a small batch of Yunnan sun-dried Typica coffee beans ourselves. Due to the limited quantity, Front Street could only use this bean as a "limited giveaway" in events, letting everyone have a taste. In Front Street Coffee's bean list, however, a Yunnan washed Typica Huaguoshan coffee bean has always been retained.

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

Yunnan has good coffee-growing conditions, but Front Street believes that Yunnan coffee beans have not yet reached the "specialty coffee" standard at present, mainly for two reasons: the first is variety. What is planted on a large scale in Yunnan is Catimor, and the variety itself is not as superior as Typica. The second is anaerobic processing. This is a relatively new processing method, but processing this way masks coffee's original flavor; if so, how can it be called specialty?

At ordinary times, Front Street Coffee's stores also often bring out this own-estate sun-dried Typica coffee bean as a tasting share for different guests to try.

Western and southern Yunnan Province lie between 15°N and the Tropic of Cancer, and most areas also have the high-altitude conditions required for coffee cultivation. The terrain is mainly mountainous and sloped, with considerable undulation, fertile soil, abundant sunshine, plentiful rainfall, and marked temperature differences between day and night.

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

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

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

At present, Yunnan coffee beans have more choices in processing methods. Looking at the details alone, many different processing methods have already been derived. For example, extra steps are added during anaerobic fermentation processing.

The most widely planted variety in Yunnan's coffee-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, the two do indeed differ greatly in essence.

Below let's talk about the 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 not tolerant of strong light. Typica's top leaves are copper-red, so it is also called red-top coffee. Many commercial improved varieties today are derived from Typica.

Typica is recognized as a specialty coffee variety. But its yield is extremely low, and it is susceptible to rust disease, requiring more labor for management, with relatively high care 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 introduced round-bodied coffee beans from Yemen to Réunion Island. At that time the island still used the name Bourbon Island, and Bourbon thus got its name. In 1860, the Bourbon variety was introduced to Brazil, and from there it rapidly spread to countries throughout Central and South America, which still cultivate and produce Bourbon variety coffee beans today.

Bourbon is a mutated variety of Typica, with green young leaves at the growing tip, also called green-top coffee. Bourbon coffee beans have excellent aroma and rich layers, but very low resistance to pests and diseases and low yield, so many Central and South American countries choose to plant Bourbon's natural mutant variety, Caturra, or other coffee varieties with stronger disease resistance and higher yield.

catimor Catimor coffee bean variety

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

It is precisely this 25% Robusta bloodline that determines Catimor's flavor defects—aroma not rich enough, bitterness on the heavier side, and prone to astringency as well as a relatively pungent musty taste.

The yield of the Typica coffee bean variety is only one-third that of the Catimor coffee bean variety, which is also why its price is higher. At the same time, both Typica and Bourbon are highly susceptible to coffee leaf rust, which is also one reason coffee farmers are unwilling to plant Arabica.

Because Typica and Bourbon have low yields, are prone to disease, and have high care costs, this means growers need to invest a longer period of exploration. At the current stage, coffee farmers generally have not yet developed a "specialty coffee" awareness; even if they have some understanding, once it is mentioned that old trees must be cut down and several more years spent replanting, coffee farmers often 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 summarized in four words: "dry in the sun and peel open." However, doing sun-dried processing of coffee beans well is not as easy as imagined. The sun-dried processing method is usually seen in dry, warm, and sunny regions.

After coffee cherries are picked, they must be processed immediately. First, manual hand sorting is carried out to pick out defective coffee cherries, including overripe, unripe, insect-damaged, and of course other non-coffee-fruit debris. "Floatation" is one of the most commonly used sorting methods, and the sorted coffee cherries are placed under the sun for sun-drying.

The sun-drying time for coffee beans depends on the weather and generally takes 4 weeks. Different regions may use different drying racks—some use tarps, some use raised beds, some use concrete ground, etc.—and the drying time averages 3 to 4 weeks, until the coffee's moisture content drops to 11%, which counts as completing the drying process. Afterward, machines are used to remove the already dried coffee pulp, parchment, mucilage, and other parts.

Washed processing method

Because Ethiopia's coffee-growing altitudes are generally high and water resources are scarce, the earliest and most traditional processing method was the sun-dried processing method. However, because the processing steps were relatively rough, the coffee taste became too concentrated and cleanliness was not high.

In 1972, in order to improve coffee quality, Yirgacheffe introduced washed processing from Central and South America. This introduction greatly raised the quality of Ethiopian coffee beans by several grades. Subsequently, the jasmine floral aroma and lemon-citrus flavors of washed Yirgacheffe became representative of African specialty beans and became popular in Europe and America. The washed processing method thus became mainstream in the Yirgacheffe producing region.

After coffee cherries are picked, they are immediately sent to a washed processing plant for processing. Workers first perform floatation on the harvested coffee cherries to remove cherries with insufficient density, then use machines to remove the skin and pulp, and then place them in tanks for fermentation with or without water, using the fermentation process to break down the mucilage layer.

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

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, with heat at 120 and damper opened to 3; turning point at 1 minute 40 seconds, and when the drum temperature reached 145°C the damper was opened to 4 while heat remained unchanged; at 166°C the bean surface turned yellow, the grassy smell completely disappeared, and it entered the dehydration stage; when the drum temperature reached 188°C, the heat was adjusted to 60°C and the damper to 5; at 8 minutes 37 seconds, rough wrinkles and dark patchy streaks appeared on the bean surface, and the toast aroma clearly turned into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack; at this point one must listen clearly for the sound of the first crack point, and first crack began at 9 minutes 00 seconds, with the damper unchanged; after first crack, development proceeded for 3 minutes, and the beans were dropped at 198°C.

Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Cupping Results

Smooth on entry, with Asian herbal aromas, lively and bright acidity, salivation on both cheeks, gentle acidity, good balanced body, rich layers, and in the aftertaste obvious notes of dark chocolate, honey, and sucrose; after completely cooling, it presents brown sugar flavors.

About 6 years ago, Front Street Coffee began selecting Typica from Yunnan's Baoshan producing region and made it into a representative 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' moisture content was 10.9%, so the roasting plan was to charge at 200°C, then use high heat and a small damper to speed up dehydration, and after the dehydration stage ended, open to medium damper and medium heat so that the Maillard reaction time would not be too rushed, with 3 minutes of first crack development before discharge. Turning point: 1 minute 32 seconds, 92.5°C; yellowing point: 5 minutes 40 seconds, 148.5°C; first crack: 8 minutes 59 seconds, 188.0°C; developed for 3 minutes and discharged: 12 minutes 00 seconds, 196°C.

Front Street Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Bean Cupping Record

Cupping 12 hours after roasting: Rich fruity aroma on entry, with melon and herbal plant aromas, smooth on entry, mid-palate shows nuts and milk chocolate, tail end has lively and bright plum acidity, salivation on both cheeks, good balance, medium body, full body; as the temperature goes from hot to warm, one can feel the layered changes of acidity and sweetness, first sweet then sour, with apricot and citrus-toned acidity, and the aftertaste is black tea with a slight touch of brown sugar.

Front Street's Brewing Insights Sharing on Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee and Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee

Front Street Coffee recommends using a V60 dripper for brewing. Because the V60 has a larger opening and, together with its unique spiral curved rib design, air is more easily expelled, thereby improving extraction quality. The mouthfeel may not be thick enough, but the Yunnan coffee fruit acidity and distinct aroma brought out by its high concentration are one of its major features.

Dripper: V60 #01 Water temperature: 90-92°C Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15 Grind size: medium-fine grind, that is, fine granulated sugar coarseness (57% passing rate on Chinese standard No. 20 sieve)

Brewing technique: staged extraction

First use 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom, 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 pouring; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper, (timing starts at the beginning of the bloom) and the extraction time is 2 minutes.

Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Flavor Description

It smells of very obvious nutty aroma; on entry there are herbal, chocolate, and caramel notes, and the aftertaste has a slight touch of fruity acidity.

Front Street Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Bean Flavor Description

The dry aroma has a faint citrus acidity and nutty aroma; when drunk, it has plum and citrus acidity along with nutty flavors, accompanied by melon and fruit aromas and brown sugar sweetness, and the aftertaste carries a slight black tea sensation. The overall flavor layers are relatively rich.

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