Brazilian Pulped Natural Bourbon Flavor Profile and Characteristics

Brazilian Coffee Characteristics

Brazil features flat terrain, with most coffee farms sitting at elevations between 600 and 1,000 meters. The monotonous topography lacks microclimates, and the common practice of non-shade cultivation has produced Brazil's unique soft-bean character: low acidity, prominent nutty flavors, chocolate sweetness with good body, and slight woody and earthy notes, while floral and citrus aromas are not distinct.

Minas Gerais Region

Minas Gerais lies in the heartland of the Brazilian Plateau in southeastern South America, producing more than half of Brazil's high-quality Arabica coffee.

The Santo Antonio do Amparo region, which recently won the 2016 Brazil Cup of Excellence award, belongs to the core producing area of South Minas near the headquarters of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA).

Brewing Method

Hand-pour Brazilian coffee: 15 g of grounds, medium grind (Fuji ghost-tooth grinder, setting #4), a V60 dripper, and 88 to 89 degrees Celsius water. First pour 30 g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105 g and pause. When the water level drops halfway, continue pouring slowly until you reach 225 g. Avoid the tail section. Coffee-to-water ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Bourbon Variety

Variety: Bourbon-related
Original Location: Bourbon Island or Ethiopia
Optimal Growing Altitude: 800 meters and above
Type: Heirloom variety
Commonly Found: Various coffee-growing regions worldwide
Main Colors: Red, yellow, and orange fruits, but predominantly red
Fruit Size: Average
Leaf Characteristics: Broad and short
Special Notes:

The Bourbon variety originates from Bourbon Island or Ethiopia. It is susceptible to pests and disease and has lower yields. Some data suggests Yellow Bourbon yields more than Red and Orange Bourbon, but Red Bourbon remains the most common. Bourbon is closely related genetically to SL28, Typica, and Catuai. Because it typically yields less in suitable environments, it often produces very high-quality cup profiles; the evidence suggests that lower yields often lead to higher quality, since the plant can absorb soil nutrients more effectively.

Typical Bourbon cup characteristics include low body, balance, and distinct sweetness, which makes it an excellent base bean for espresso blends.

Catuai Variety

Catuai is a coffee variety resulting from artificial hybridization between Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain.

Catuai trees are relatively short compared to other coffee trees, and the fruits grow more compactly, making them harder to harvest. The fruits come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no evidence suggests yellow fruits taste better than red; in fact, some cuppers have found that while coffees from yellow fruits may have good acidity, their cup clarity is inferior to that of red fruits.

Catuai was developed in Brazil and is now widely grown throughout Central America.

Product Information

Brand: FrontStreet Coffee
Shelf Life: 30 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste Profile: Sweet coffee beans
Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Brazil
Coffee Type: Bourbon coffee
Roast Degree: Medium roast

Coffee Specifications

Country: Brazil
Grade: SC14/SC16
Region: South Minas
Roast Level: Medium roast
Processing Method: Pulped natural
Varieties: Bourbon, Catuai
Altitude: 1,000-1,200 meters
Flavor Profile: Roasted melon seeds, rich and full-bodied, dark chocolate, sweet aftertaste with a lingering finish.

Premium Brazilian Growing Regions

However, the Cerrado plateau in western Minas and South Minas mostly feature elevations above 1,100 meters, with rich topography, distinct wet and dry seasons, large day-night temperature swings, and abundant microclimates, making them suitable for cultivating elegant Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon varieties. These areas naturally became Brazil's main specialty coffee producing regions. Mogiana, in the northeastern part of Sao Paulo state, also focuses primarily on shade-grown Bourbon, ranking alongside Cerrado and South Minas as Brazil's three major specialty coffee regions.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The pulped natural method is what gives Brazilian coffee its gentle, sweet character, and FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian single origins show exactly why. The Brazil Cerrado Pulped Natural is a Red Bourbon from the well-known Cerrado region, medium roasted and full of creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut, with a round body, no real acidity, and only a faint bitterness; it is a classic single origin that works across pour-over, moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon, and French press.

For a fruitier, brighter expression, the Brazil Queen Estate from Mogiana grows the rare Yellow Bourbon on fertile red volcanic soil, offering a sugarcane-like clarity along with fruit and chocolate. Brazil also sits at the base of FrontStreet's espresso blends, where its low-acid, balanced profile keeps extraction stable: the rich-crema Classic Blend, the nut-forward Boutique Blend, the Black Cacao blend, and FrontStreet Coffee's Commercial Blend for cafes all rely on Brazilian beans for chocolate and cream aromas and a soft sweet-sour-bitter balance.