How Did Yunnan Baoshan Coffee Varieties Shift Over Time

Yunnan small-batch coffee was originally Typica, but Catimor now accounts for roughly 99.99% of plantings because of its strong pest and disease resistance and high yield, which raise economic returns for growers. Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong are the four core producing regions in southwestern Yunnan, and Baoshan sits among them with its own soils and microclimates.

Variety choice shapes flavor as much as terroir. Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor differ in cup profile, and natural versus washed processing changes the result further. Coffee beans production in Yunnan also depends on the seasonal split between dry and wet periods, which affects cherry development and drying.

Yunnan small-batch coffee beans are often mentioned in the market. Originally, they belonged to the Typica variety, but today the vast majority of what is grown in Yunnan is Catimor. Why has this shift occurred? Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) sorts out the origins and flavor profiles of Yunnan coffee from multiple angles, including variety characteristics, production region distribution, and processing methods. The article covers the features of the four major production regions—Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong—the differences among the three major varieties Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor, and the effects of natural and washed processing methods on flavor. In addition, it introduces Front Street Coffee's own estate in Yunnan, the naturally processed Typica from the 2021 new crop season, and the roasting and cupping records of two Yunnan beans, providing coffee lovers with a complete guide to Yunnan coffee.

Today, the term "Yunnan small-batch coffee beans" is often heard on the market, and it actually belongs to the Typica coffee variety. However, because Catimor occupies the vast majority of Yunnan's total coffee production thanks to its high yield, the Yunnan small-batch coffee beans people usually refer to in daily conversation generally means Yunnan Catimor. In Yunnan's coffee-growing regions, Catimor accounts for as much as 99.99% of plantings. Many friends wonder about the reason. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes the key lies in Catimor's excellent resistance to pests and diseases, along with its considerable yield—put simply, its economic returns are high enough.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) deeply understands the key factors that affect coffee flavor, and has always held a wish—to change everyone's fixed impression of Yunnan coffee beans. In addition, in Front Street's view, there is no need for any reason to love Yunnan coffee beans, because this is our own Chinese coffee.

Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong are the four core coffee-growing regions in Yunnan, and they are basically all located in southwestern Yunnan.

Among them, Lincang deserves special attention. (Please continue reading patiently.) Lincang borders Pu'er to the east, Dali to the north, Baoshan to the west, and Myanmar to the southwest. The average annual temperature in Lincang City ranges between 16.8 and 17.2°C. The dry and wet seasons are distinct, and sunshine conditions are excellent.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) established its own estate in Yunnan's Lincang production region. Then in 2021, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) harvested its first self-produced coffee beans.

In fact, the coffee variety originally grown in Yunnan was Typica. Later, because Catimor had strong disease resistance and high yield, and with the push of opening policies, major international brands such as Starbucks and Nestlé entered Yunnan and promoted it vigorously. However, Catimor has an obvious shortcoming: insufficient flavor performance. Over time, Yunnan small-batch coffee beans gradually evolved from the early Typica variety into today's Catimor variety.

China Coffee Production Region · Yunnan Baoshan

The quality of coffee produced at the highest altitude in Yunnan's Baoshan coffee production region is enough to rival Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. In addition, Baoshan also produces the world's most expensive kopi luwak coffee. As early as 1952, Baoshan had already begun large-scale coffee cultivation, and it has a history of more than 60 years. Yunnan's Baoshan coffee production region is known as "Asia's best coffee production region."

The coffee industry is also the industry with the most sound and mature market economy development among the leading industries of the Baoshan municipal government since the founding of New China. In order to further promote the development of this industry, Baoshan has carried out various explorations, including launching the Yunnan Baoshan Coffee World project and others.

Yunnan Baoshan is located on a low-latitude plateau and has long had the saying, "One mountain has four seasons, ten miles have different weather." Such climate conditions are ideal for growing coffee beans. Here is a set of data for everyone: 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 nationwide at 60,700 tons.

The Baoshan area has a long history of coffee cultivation and is recognized as the "best small-batch coffee production area," as well as one of the coffee production areas with relatively good 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 naturally processed Typica coffee beans ourselves. Due to the limited quantity, Front Street could only use this bean as a "limited giveaway" in events for everyone to taste! Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s bean list has always included a Yunnan washed Typica Huaguoshan coffee bean.

We at Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) have 2 Yunnan small-batch coffee beans, one is the Catimor variety, and one is the Typica variety. Because Catimor carries Robusta genes, its flavor and mouthfeel are slightly inferior to Typica coffee beans.

Yunnan has good coffee-growing conditions, but Front Street believes that the quality of Yunnan coffee beans has not yet reached the "specialty coffee" standard, mainly for two reasons: First, the variety issue. Yunnan mostly grows Catimor, which is inherently less excellent than the Typica variety. Second, the use of anaerobic processing. This is a novel processing method, but doing so has already masked the coffee's original flavor, so how can it be called specialty?

At Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s stores, this self-produced naturally processed Typica coffee bean is also often shared as a tasting sample, given to different guests to try.

The western and southern parts of Yunnan Province lie between 15°N and the Tropic of Cancer, and most areas also have the high altitude needed for coffee cultivation. The terrain is mainly mountainous and sloping, with significant undulation, fertile soil, abundant sunshine, ample rainfall, and a large temperature difference between day and night.

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

We all know that washed coffee beans have a cleaner mouthfeel, while naturally processed coffee beans have more fruity flavors.

However, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes that traditional coffee processing methods can best express the most basic taste of a coffee production region. Therefore, on Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s bean list, there are many washed-process beans, such as those from Ethiopia, Panama, Colombia, and so on.

Today's Yunnan coffee beans have more choices in processing methods. In details alone, many different processing methods have already evolved. For example, in the process of anaerobic fermentation, additional steps are added.

The most widely planted coffee variety in Yunnan's coffee production regions at present is Catimor. In addition, in the Baoshan area there are actually still small amounts of Typica and Bourbon cultivation. Although Typica and Bourbon both belong to the Arabica species, they are indeed very different in essence.

Below we will talk about these two bean varieties, Typica and Bourbon.

typica Typica coffee bean variety

The Typica coffee bean variety 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 light. Typica's top leaves are copper-red, so it is also called red-top coffee. Many current commercial improved varieties are derived from this variety.

Typica coffee beans are recognized as a specialty coffee variety. But the yield is extremely low, and it is susceptible to rust disease, requiring more manpower for management and high maintenance costs. Excellent estate beans such as Jamaica Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaii Kona all belong to Typica.

bourbon Bourbon coffee bean variety

In the 18th century, the French introduced round coffee beans from Yemen to Réunion Island. At that time, Réunion Island was still using the name Bourbon Island, hence the name Bourbon. In 1860, the Bourbon variety was introduced to Brazil, and from there it quickly spread to various countries in Central and South America. These countries still grow and produce Bourbon variety coffee beans today.

It is a mutated variety of Typica. Its terminal buds and young leaves are green, so it is also called green-top coffee. Bourbon coffee beans have excellent aroma and layering, but their ability to resist pests and diseases is very low, and their yield is not high. Therefore, many Central and South American countries choose to grow Bourbon's natural mutant variety—Caturra—or other coffee varieties with stronger disease resistance and higher yield.

. catimor Catimor coffee bean variety

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

And it is precisely because it contains 25% Robusta lineage that the flavor defects of the Catimor coffee variety are determined—the aroma is not rich enough, the bitterness is heavy, and it is prone to astringency and a relatively pungent musty taste.

The yield of the Typica coffee bean variety is only 1/3 that of the Catimor coffee bean variety, so why is it more expensive? At the same time, Typica and Bourbon are also very susceptible to coffee leaf rust, which is one of the reasons coffee farmers are unwilling to grow Arabica.

And because Typica and Bourbon coffee bean varieties have low yields, are prone to disease, and have high management and maintenance costs, it means that growers need a longer period to explore. At this stage, coffee farmers do not yet have an awareness of "specialty coffee"; however, even if they understand specialty coffee, when it comes to cutting down old trees and spending several years replanting, coffee farmers will only keep their distance.

Front Street Coffee Bean Processing Methods Introduction

. Natural processing method

As the oldest processing method for coffee beans, it can be summed up in four words: "dry and peel." However, doing a good job with natural processing of coffee beans is not as easy as you might think. The natural processing method is generally more common in dry, warm, and sunny areas.

After picking, coffee cherries must be processed immediately. First, manual hand sorting is carried out to pick out defective coffee cherries, including overripe, underripe, insect-damaged ones, and of course, other non-coffee-cherry objects. "Floatation" is one of the most commonly used screening methods. After screening, the coffee cherries are sun-dried.

The sun-drying time for coffee beans depends on the weather, generally taking 4 weeks. Different regions may also use different drying racks; some may use tarps, some raised beds, some concrete floors, etc., and the drying time averages 3–4 weeks, until the coffee's moisture content drops to 11%, at which point the drying process is complete. Then machines are used to remove the dried coffee pulp, skin, pectin, and other parts.

Washed processing method

Because Ethiopia's coffee-growing altitude is generally high and water resources are scarce, the earliest and most traditional processing method was the natural processing method. However, because the processing steps were rough, the coffee's taste was overly concentrated and its 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 levels. Subsequently, the jasmine floral and lemon-citrus flavors of washed Yirgacheffe coffee beans became representative of African specialty beans and became popular in Europe and America. The washed processing method also became the mainstream in the Yirgacheffe production region.

After the coffee cherries are picked, they are immediately sent to a washing station for processing. Workers first perform floatation on the harvested coffee cherries to remove coffee cherries with insufficient density, then use machines to remove the skin and pulp, and afterward put them into tanks for fermentation with or without water, using fermentation to break down the pectin layer.

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

Front Street Yunnan Small-Batch Coffee Beans

Production region: Yunnan Baoshan

Altitude: 1200m

Processing method: Washed

Variety: Catimor

Front Street Yunnan Small-Batch Coffee Beans Roasting Record

Charged at a drum temperature of 190°C, heat 120, damper opened to 3; turning point 1'40", when the drum temperature was 145°C the damper was opened to 4, heat unchanged; when the drum temperature was 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, damper 5; at 8'37", ugly wrinkles and dark spots appeared on the bean surface, and the toasted bread smell clearly turned into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, it is necessary to listen clearly to the sound of the first crack point. First crack began at 9'00", damper unchanged, developed for 3 minutes after first crack, and dropped at 198°C.

Front Street Yunnan Small-Batch Coffee Beans Cupping Results

Smooth on entry, Asian herbal aroma, lively and bright acidity, salivation on both cheeks, soft acidity, good mellow balance, rich layers, lingering finish with obvious dark chocolate, honey, and sucrose notes, and brown sugar flavor after completely cooling.

About 6 years ago, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) began using Typica from Yunnan's Baoshan production region and made it into Front Street 2013 Typica coffee beans, a representative with the characteristics of Yunnan coffee beans.

Front Street Yunnan Front Street 2013 Coffee Beans

Coffee origin: Lincang

Coffee variety: Typica

Altitude: 1300m

Processing method: Natural

Front Street Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Beans Roasting Record

The moisture content of the beans 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. After the dehydration stage ended, open the medium damper and use medium heat so that the Maillard reaction time would not be too rushed, and develop for 3 minutes after first crack before dropping. Turning point: 1:32, 92.5°C; yellowing point: 5:40, 148.5°C; first crack: 8:59, 188.0°C; developed for 3 minutes and dropped: 12'00, 196°C.

Front Street Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Beans Cupping Record

Cupping 12 hours after roasting: Rich fruity aroma on entry, melon, herbal plant aroma, smooth on entry, nuts in the middle, milk chocolate, plum acidity in the finish, lively and bright, salivation on both cheeks, good balance, medium body with a full body; from hot to warm, one can feel the layered acidity and sweetness, first sweet then sour, apricot and citrus-toned acidity, lingering finish of black tea, with a bit of brown sugar.

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

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) recommends using a V60 dripper for brewing. Because the V60 has a relatively large opening, and together with its unique spiral curved ribs, air is more easily expelled, thereby improving extraction quality. The mouthfeel may not be thick enough, but the Yunnan coffee's 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, the consistency of fine granulated sugar (57% passing rate on China standard No. 20 sieve)

Brewing method: Staged extraction .

Bloom with 30 grams of water for 30 seconds. Pour in a small stream in circles until 124 grams, then pause. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 227 grams and stop. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. (Start timing from the beginning of the bloom.) Extraction time is 2 minutes.

Front Street Yunnan Small-Batch Coffee Beans Flavor Description

It smells of pronounced nutty aroma. On entry there are herbal, chocolate, and caramel notes, with a faint fruity acidity in the finish.

Front Street Front Street 2013 Typica Coffee Beans Flavor Description

The dry aroma has a faint citrus acidity and nutty aroma. When drunk, it has the acidity of plum and citrus and the flavor of nuts, melon and fruit aroma, and brown sugar sweetness, with a lingering finish carrying some black tea tea-like quality. The overall flavor layers are relatively rich.

For more coffee bean information, please follow the Front Street Coffee official account.

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