How does liberica coffee caffeine content compare to Bourbon Pointu?

Liberica coffee caffeine content varies by variety, but Bourbon Pointu is far lower than ordinary arabica: roughly 0.5 percent caffeine. That low level is natural, caused by genetic degeneration rather than industrial decaffeination. The variety, also called Coffea Laurina or Laurina coffee, has narrow, pointed beans and a flavor often described as better than standard Bourbon.

Bourbon Pointu was prized in eighteenth-century Europe, favored by King Louis XV and Balzac, and grown widely on Bourbon Island. It was believed extinct before Japanese UCC expert Yoshiteru Kawashima rediscovered it on Réunion and began a revival program. Low yield and susceptibility to leaf rust and black spot keep it rare; in 2018 Emi Fukahori won the World Brewers Cup with a Brazilian Bourbon Pointu.

Decaf coffee usually relies on artificial processing to reduce caffeine, but nature actually has a variety with naturally very low caffeine content—Bourbon Pointu. Its caffeine content is only about 0.5%, with outstanding flavor but scarce yield. It was all the rage in Europe in the 18th century and was once thought to be extinct. Later, under the search of Japanese UCC expert Yoshiteru Kawashima, Bourbon Pointu was rediscovered on Bourbon Island (Réunion) and a revival program began. At the 2018 World Brewers Cup, Swiss competitor Emi Fukahori even used a Bourbon Pointu from Brazil's Daterra Estate to defeat many Geishas and win the championship. This article will take you through the history of Bourbon Pointu, its variety characteristics, as well as Front Street Coffee's brewing parameters and flavor performance.

When it comes to decaf coffee, most people first think of products that have had caffeine removed through special processes. But what is little known is that a coffee variety with naturally very low caffeine content already exists in nature—Bourbon Pointu. Its caffeine content is only about 0.5%. Today, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will introduce you to this legendary naturally decaf bean.

Academically, Bourbon Pointu is called "Coffea Laurina," also known as Laurina coffee, while its common name "Bourbon Pointu" comes from its bean shape: compared with ordinary coffee beans, it is narrower and longer, with slightly pointed ends, hence the name Bourbon Pointu.

Why is Bourbon Pointu's caffeine content so low? Unlike artificial decaffeination, it is due to genetic degeneration, which makes its caffeine content naturally lower than that of ordinary Bourbon coffee trees, while also delivering better flavor. But its yield is extremely low, which is also why Bourbon Pointu is rare and expensive. This variety is especially susceptible to leaf rust and black spot disease, which is the main factor making it difficult to increase yield. For this reason, Bourbon Pointu is very precious and is mostly cultivated only in laboratories.

As early as the 18th century, Bourbon Pointu was already sought after by people around the world. King Louis XV of France and the famous novelist Balzac were both fans of it. During the two hundred years from the 18th to the 19th century, Bourbon Island once planted Bourbon Pointu on a large scale, and in 1800 its annual output even reached a peak of 4,000 metric tons.

However, a series of disasters followed, including hurricanes, fire ants, and leaf rust, and the planted area gradually shrank. In 1942, the last batch of Bourbon Pointu shipped back to France amounted to only a pitiful 200 kilograms. After that, Bourbon Pointu almost disappeared, and even official documents no longer mentioned it. It was even once believed to be extinct.

Decades after Bourbon Pointu disappeared, Yoshiteru Kawashima, a coffee expert at Japan's Ueshima Coffee (UCC), repeatedly heard coffee farmers in El Salvador mention that "the decaf coffee tree may still survive on Bourbon Island in French territory," and so he developed the idea of searching for Bourbon Pointu.

In 1999, while traveling to Africa for an inspection, he made a side trip to Bourbon Island to look for the legendary decaf coffee tree. But things did not go smoothly. Young people on the island had never heard that coffee had once been grown on Bourbon Island, so before leaving he had no choice but to leave contact addresses with local farmers and officials.

Two years later, in 2001, Kawashima received a phone call from a farmer on Bourbon Island saying that more than thirty unidentified coffee trees had been found in the wild. After expert identification, they were confirmed to be the Bourbon Pointu coffee trees from back then. Subsequently, French scientists cooperated with Japan's Ueshima Coffee to launch a revival plan for naturally decaf coffee trees. In 2006, the first small harvest of Bourbon Pointu coffee beans was finally obtained. After screening, they were released in 2007, but mainly supplied to the Japanese market at a high price. It is said to be four times more expensive than top Blue Mountain.

At the 2018 World Brewers Cup, Emi Fukahori from Switzerland relied on a Bourbon Pointu from Brazil processed with semi-carbonic maceration to defeat a host of Panama Geishas and stand out, becoming a memorable chapter in the history of coffee competitions.

The beans she chose at the time came from a Laurina Bourbon Pointu (namely Bourbon Pointu) from the Cerrado Region of Brazil's Daterra Estate. In her presentation, she mentioned that this variety has 50% less caffeine than other Arabica varieties and 20% less chlorogenic acid, so its bitterness is also much lower. The flavors described by Emi Fukahori included red grapes, orange blossom, pineapple, rum, and green apple. Being able to surpass many Geishas and ultimately take the WBrC crown shows that Bourbon Pointu is a variety not to be underestimated.

The Bourbon Pointu coffee tree resembles a small Christmas tree, with shorter branches and narrow leaves, and its caffeine content is only 0.5%. It is especially susceptible to leaf rust and black spot disease, which is the main reason for its low yield, and its red cherries ripen earlier than those of other varieties.

Although Bourbon Pointu no longer commands the exaggerated prices of back then, it is still a very precious bean. So what exactly does such an expensive Bourbon Pointu taste like?

By observing the roasted beans, it can be seen that Bourbon Pointu coffee beans are generally small and uniform in size, slender in shape with relatively pointed ends, resembling wheat.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) brewed a pot of naturally processed Bourbon Pointu coffee. The parameters and flavor description are as follows:

Parameters: 15 grams of coffee grounds, Hario V60 dripper, water temperature 90°C, medium-fine grind, coffee-to-water ratio 1:15.

Brewing method: staged extraction. Use 30 grams of water for blooming. Once the surface of the coffee bed changes from wet to dry, the blooming can be ended; the blooming time is 30 seconds. Pour with a small stream in the center up to 125 grams for the first stage. When the liquid level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 225 grams and stop. When the liquid level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. The extraction time is 2 minutes (starting from the beginning of blooming).

Flavor: The dry aroma smells of fermentation, spices, nuts, and tropical fruit. The wet aroma has obvious floral notes. It is smooth on the palate, with flavors of red fruit, plum, and pine nuts, and a lasting sucrose sweetness in the aftertaste.

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