Why Does Yellow Bourbon Coffee Stand Out in Brazil?

Fazenda Rainha, a Brazilian COE champion estate in the Mogiana region, is known for the Yellow Bourbon variety and semi-washed processing. The bean cups with nutty, chocolate and cane sugar sweetness. Yellow Bourbon is an old native Arabica variety and a mainstay of Brazilian specialty coffee, even though Brazil, the largest producer at 45 percent of global output, is often treated only as a source of blend base beans.

Roasting and cupping sessions show how the variety performs across roast levels, along with brewing parameters for reproducing those flavors at home. The estate's history and honors sit inside a wider Brazilian coffee story that includes the country's geography and the pandemic's effect on the industry.

Brazil, as the world's largest coffee producer, not only provides base beans for blends but also produces stunning specialty coffee. Fazenda Rainha is a Brazilian COE champion estate, located in the Mogiana region, known for its Yellow Bourbon variety and semi-washed processing method. This article will guide you through the origin legend of Brazilian coffee, geographical growing conditions, the impact of the pandemic on the industry, as well as the history, honors, and variety characteristics of Fazenda Rainha. Front Street Coffee, through multiple roasts and cupping sessions, presents this bean's nutty, chocolate, and cane sugar sweetness, and shares brewing parameters and flavor performance, suitable for coffee enthusiasts to gain a deeper understanding of the charm of Brazilian specialty coffee.

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Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer, accounting for 45% of global output, and is known as the "coffee giant." It not only supplies大量 beans for blending but also nurtures exceptional specialty coffee. Front Street has always believed that Brazilian coffee should not be underestimated. Yellow Bourbon is an ancient native Arabica variety and the mainstay of Brazilian specialty coffee. The Fazenda Rainha selected by Front Street is a renowned COE champion estate with outstanding quality. Today, Front Street will tell the story of this bean and the estate behind it.

The Legendary Story of Brazilian Coffee

Regarding the origin of Brazilian coffee, a rather dramatic legend circulates. In the 17th century, European colonists argued over the partition of Guiana (a country in northern South America) and specially invited a European military officer stationed in Brazil to arbitrate. During his mission, the officer discovered the local coffee was extremely valuable and asked the governor for seeds, but was refused—at that time, taking coffee abroad was strictly forbidden. Unwilling to give up, the officer turned to the governor's wife, attempting to obtain seeds through romantic deception, and eventually succeeded. Thus, coffee seeds came to Bra

Brazil's Geographical Location

Brazil is located in the Latin American region of the Western Hemisphere, in eastern South America, bordering all South American countries. Brazil's coffee-growing belt lies between the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, making it the country with the largest tropical range. One-third of its territory has a tropical rainforest climate, and the other two-thirds a tropical savanna climate. The superior natural environment is very suitable for coffee cultivation, and coffee has become Brazil's main cash crop. Whether in terms of production area, terrain, or climate conditions, Brazil has all the advantages. The main coffee-producing areas are distributed in the central-southern plateau, with an average altitude above 1,000 meters; no frost damage, abundant rainfall, ample sunshine, and fertile volcanic soil.

Mogiana Producing Region

This region is adjacent to southern Minas. Coffee is intercropped with shrubs, grasses, and other vegetation. There are many farming families here, some using traditional large-farm models, while others operate on a small-scale modern basis. The integration of modern technology and mountain coffee-growing culture has produced the highest quality green beans. Through cupping, Front Street found that coffee from this region has a clear sweetness like cane sugar.

Impact of COVID-19 on Brazil's Coffee Industry

Brazil's coffee bean consumption has maintained an annual growth of about 5%, and per capita consumption has surpassed that of the United States, making it the world's largest coffee-consuming country. With the world's largest production, any impact on its coffee production will cause fluctuations in the global coffee market. According to Coffee Financial Network citing Bloomberg, Brazil's domestic coffee warehouses are almost full, operating at an unprecedented level of overload. Trucks loaded with coffee beans in producing areas must queue for days at warehouse doors to unload. Due to high spot prices, farmers have already sold a large portion of this year's crop (estimated 60% sold, higher than the usual over 40%). On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced demand and disrupted supply chains, causing大量 coffee beans to pile up in warehouses. A local agricultural consulting company said unloading takes 6-7 days, and coffee beans shipped to cooperatives in southern Minas Gerais have begun to be placed in silos outside warehouses. Due to the long wait, truck drivers charge double for transporting coffee beans.

Benefits of Using Shade Trees in Brazil

Global warming may lead to a significant reduction in Brazil's coffee-growing areas in the future, but recent research confirms that shade trees help buffer rising temperatures, which is good news for growers. Studies show that covering 50% of the planting area with shade tree species can preserve up to 75% of the region's production capacity.

Flavor Characteristics of Brazilian Coffee Producing Regions

Brazil's altitude is relatively low among Central and South American countries, and it also lacks microclimates, so coffee beans have low acidity but are sufficiently smooth, and the body is also superior. However, some enthusiasts criticize Brazilian beans for their acidity, finding it too mediocre and not impressive enough. Through cupping Brazilian coffee beans from different regions, Front Street believes that Brazilian coffee has low acidity, moderate nuttiness, with chocolatey sweetness and a full-bodied mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Representative Coffee Bean — Brazil Fazenda Rainha Yellow Bourbon

【Region】San Paulo, São Paulo State

【Estate Name】Fazenda Rainha

【Variety】Yellow Bourbon

【Processing Method】Hand-picked, then semi-washed

【Origin】Brazil Fazenda Rainha (Mogiana) region.

【Variety】Yellow Bourbon

【Altitude】1400 -1950m

【Processing Method】Natural

Fazenda Rainha, Brazil

Managed by José Renato G. Dias, an agricultural engineer specializing in coffee production. The farm covers 280 hectares, of which 200 hectares are mainly planted with Yellow Bourbon, plus a small amount of Icatu, Yellow Catuai, Mundo Novo, and Acaiá. The estate holds BSCA and Utz certifications. Coffee is processed on cloth using handheld mechanical picking equipment at peak maturity, avoiding contact with the ground. After harvest, the coffee cherries are depulped and spread out to dry in the patio. The coffee dries slowly in the sun until reaching 11% moisture. After drying, it is placed in wooden granaries. All employees of Fazenda Rainha live on the farm and enjoy health plans and unlimited hospital care. Workers' children have a school called Pedro Roza IT School. It was selected for the Brazil Cup of Excellence in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010, and won first place in 2011.

In the incredible landscape of Fazenda Rainha, there is a small chapel designed by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, built by the workers of Fazenda Rainha. Before his death, the chapel was one of Niemeyer's last projects, just before he turned 105 in December 2012. In 2011, the estate won the championship in the Brazil COE competition.

Fazenda Rainha coffee belongs to the renowned and respected Carvalho Dias family. The family's four major estates have won awards every year since the first Brazil COE competition in 1999, with over 12 awards in 7 years, even sweeping champion, 9th place, 11th place, etc., in 2004. Many estates in Brazil have hoped for years to be shortlisted for awards without success, yet this family's estates have consistently taken home multiple awards year after year. Fazenda Rainha also enjoys a brilliant record: 2000 runner-up, 2001 third place, 2005 29th place. To date, Fazenda Rainha has won awards three times. The family is also a founding member of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association, and their commitment to coffee quality and environmental preservation is evident to all. Within the family farms, they use natural waterfalls to develop pollution-free hydroelectric power, self-sufficient for their electricity needs (another award-winning estate in the family is named Waterfall Estate after this waterfall). They have built chapels, classrooms, nurseries, and medical stations, insist on preserving native flora and fauna in original forests, and continue reforestation... For Fazenda Rainha, environmental protection is quite thorough. Due to the higher terrain and non-flat topography, machine harvesting cannot be used, so the fruit is entirely hand-picked. They cultivate the low-yield, high-quality Yellow Bourbon coffee variety, making it a quintessential estate representing Brazil's fine coffee!

Coffee Variety

Bourbon: Coffee was first planted on Réunion Island, which was also called Bourbon Island (le Bourbon) before 1789. Bourbon is a subspecies resulting from a mutation of Typica, and together with Typica, it is one of the oldest existing coffee varieties. The green fruit turns bright red when ripe. Red Bourbon generally changes color after the coffee tree flowers and fruits: green > slightly yellow > slightly orange > ripe red > darker red when overripe. Therefore, some call it "Red Bourbon," which is essentially what we commonly refer to as Bourbon. Bourbon grown at high altitudes usually has better aroma, brighter acidity, and can even taste similar to red wine. Simply put, Bourbon is a coffee tree species belonging to a branch of the Arabica species, generally bearing red fruit, called Red Bourbon. Besides that, there are Yellow Bourbon and Orange Bourbon. Yellow Bourbon has relatively lower yield but better quality.

The source of Yellow Bourbon coffee can be traced back to Réunion Island in Madagascar, the birthplace of Bourbon. It spread to the African continent in the 20th century and then to Brazil, mainly cultivated in American countries. Bourbon planted in Brazil has yellow fruit due to the influence of a recessive gene. Front Street believes that Yellow Bourbon beans are naturally sweet and clean. Using the natural process gives it low acidity, but it pairs well with sweetness, has good balance, and offers tropical fruit aromas.

Brazilian Semi-Washed Processing Method

It uses the Cereza descascado method invented in Brazil, also known as semi-washed, which falls between washed and natural and is the predecessor of Costa Rican honey processing. Semi-washed removes the skin and pulp of the coffee cherry, allowing control over the fermentation degree of the mucilage-coated beans after depulping. Traditional natural processing dries the fruit with skin and pulp, making it impossible to see the fermentation degree of the mucilage. Semi-washed is a method between natural and washed, but without the washed process's "tank fermentation and clean water rinsing," instead directly sun-drying.

Although the methods seem similar, without the fermentation step, the coffee bean flavor is completely different. In semi-washed processing, during the removal of skin and pulp, fully ripe pulp is easily removed, while the skin of immature green cherries is hard to remove, allowing a second screening to filter out unripe fruit and unify the ripeness of the coffee cherries. Compared to natural processing, Front Street believes that beans selected and processed this way have improved cleanliness and ripeness, resulting in a more uniform cup.

FrontStreet Coffee Green Bean Analysis

Brazilian coffee generally grows at altitudes of 1000-1300 meters. FrontStreet Coffee notes that its density is relatively low, moisture content moderate, bean texture soft, and the thickness from bean surface to core is thin, so it is not suitable for roasting at too high a temperature, which would cause burnt bitterness. FrontStreet roasters use a medium flame when charging, maintain heat through the dehydration phase, and make fine adjustments as temperature rises after first crack begins to promote fuller caramelization. This semi-washed bean rises slowly in temperature after first crack, and can be dropped near second crack.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

FrontStreet Coffee test-roasted this Brazil Fazenda Rainha bean 4 times, and finally chose a profile between 1 minute 45 seconds and 2 minutes after first crack. The flavor has obvious sweetness, but not a dull sweetness, with a faint lemon aroma in the background that is more prominent in the wet aroma stage, and a distinct dark chocolate note in the aftertaste. The overall experience is relatively rounded, showcasing Brazil's characteristics while still being lively.

Yangjia 800N, charge 550g: preheat to 200°C and charge, adjust flame to 150, open damper to 3, turning point at 1'30", maintain heat, at 5'10" turn yellow, grassy smell disappears, entering dehydration phase, lower flame to 125, open damper to 3.5. At 8'20" dehydration complete, bean surface wrinkles and dark streaks appear, toast smell turns to coffee aroma, signaling pre-first crack. At 178°C lower flame to 80. At this point, listen carefully for first crack. First crack begins at 9'14", open damper fully to 5. Post-first-crack development time 3'00, drop at 201°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee conducts cupping within 8-24 hours after roasting sample coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee baristas generally use a 200ml ceramic cupping bowl, marked with 150ml and 200ml lines. Following SCAA standards, water TDS is around 150ppm; too low TDS can easily cause over-extraction, too high affects taste and easily causes under-extraction. Cupping water temperature is 94°C. According to SCAA cupping standards, grind size is controlled so that 70%-75% passes through a No. 20 standard sieve (0.85mm). Ratio: 11g coffee grounds to 200ml hot water, i.e., 1:18.18, so the extracted concentration falls within the golden cup range of 1.15%-1.35%. Steeping time: 4 minutes.

Dry Aroma: roasted nuts, cinnamon

Wet Aroma: roasted nuts, peanut

Flavor: roasted nuts, peanut butter, fermented fruit, cane sugar sweetness

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Tips

Brewing Parameters: Use Kono dripper

Water Temperature: 88°C

Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine (70-75% passing Chinese standard No. 20 sieve)

Regarding grind size, Front Street determines it through sieving. Based on the Specialty Coffee Association of America SCA's grinding recommendations for pour-over coffee, and combined with practical verification, Front Street uses different grind sizes to brew, and the results are noticeably different. Each coffee bean's grind size varies, which is the significance of sieving. If you don't have a sieve at home, FrontStreet Coffee suggests judging by water flow speed: too fast means coarse grind, too slow means fine grind.

Front Street Coffee uses staged extraction, also called three-pour brewing: use 30g water for 30-second bloom, then pour in a slow circular motion to 125g for the first stage. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts at bloom) Extraction time is 2'05"-2'15".

【FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Flavor】The bean is sweet and clean. Using semi-washed processing gives it slightly bright acidity that pairs excellently with sweetness, some even with tropical fruit aromas, especially the overflowing aroma during brewing, which is even more delightful. Fresh sweetness of sugarcane juice, black tea, soft and smooth fruit sweetness, obvious nutty flavor, balanced and smooth acidity, very weak and clean bitterness, rich chocolate aroma and nutty flavor, bright and refreshing taste, smooth and delicate mouthfeel.

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