Yunnan Huaguoshan Flavor and Aroma - Yunnan Coffee Varieties and Prices

Pour-over Yunnan Flower Fruit Mountain: 15g of coffee grounds, medium grind (Fuji ghost-tooth burr grinder setting #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water, bloom for 27 seconds, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 225g in total. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Growth Period

Yunnan small-grain coffee trees typically bear fruit at 3-4 years of age.

Coffee is a short-day plant that flowers in multiple waves with one concentrated peak. Small-grain coffee in Yunnan flowers from February to July, with peak flowering from March to May. Flowering is strongly influenced by climate, especially rainfall and temperature. Coffee flowers live only 2-3 days. Small-grain coffee typically begins to open between 3-5 AM and reaches full bloom from 5-7 AM.

Fruit development takes considerable time. Small-grain coffee fruit usually needs 8-10 months to mature, generally ripening between October and December of the same year. Rainfall strongly affects fruit development, and climatic conditions directly shape fruit quality.

Yunnan Small-Grain Coffee

Yunnan small-grain coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family, genus Coffea. The growing areas are mainly distributed across Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna and Dehong. Small-grain coffee originates from Ethiopia or the Arabian Peninsula.

Flavor description: rich but not bitter, fragrant but not intense, with floral notes, sweet cantaloupe in the middle and a black tea finish.

Baoshan small-grain coffee, a specialty of Lujiang in Yunnan, is a national geographical indication product and ranks among the highest-quality coffees in China and beyond. The beans are uniform and full-bodied, with a fresh aroma, rich fragrance and mellow taste, showing richness without intensity and drawing comparison to the world-renowned Blue Mountain. Its quality has earned it a global reputation: in the late 1950s it was rated first-grade on the London market and given the name "Lujiang No. 1," and in 1980, at the National Coffee Conference, it was recognized as the "Crown of National Coffee."

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Ingredients: 100% Typica
Grind upon order
Shelf life: 20 days
Net weight: 10g
Packaging: Bulk
Series: Flower Fruit Mountain
Organic: No
Taste: Mellow and aromatic
Bean state: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar content: Sugar-free
Origin: China
Roast level: Medium roast

Flower Fruit Mountain

Country: China
Altitude: 1200 meters
Region: Yunnan
Roast level: Medium roast
Processing method: Washed
Variety: Typica
Flavor: Floral notes, sweet cantaloupe, black tea finish

Major Growing Areas

Small-grain coffee grows best on mountain slopes at altitudes of 800-1800 meters. Too high and the cup turns sour; too low and it turns bitter. Most small-grain coffee is planted in dry, hot valley areas around 1100 meters, which yields moderate acidity, rich fragrance and mellow smoothness. Many regions of Yunnan offer environments uniquely suited to small-grain coffee and produce excellent beans.

The main growing areas are distributed across Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna and Dehong. Baoshan has an average temperature of 21.5°C, reaches highs of 40.4°C and is essentially frost-free year-round, which is why it is recognized as the best small-grain coffee region. The coffee grown here is famous at home and abroad for being rich but not bitter, fragrant but not intense, with small, uniform beans, a rich mellow aroma and fruity notes. Tasting experts from the International Coffee Organization have rated Yunnan coffee in the same category as Colombian wet-processed small-grain coffee, placing it among the world's high-quality coffees.

Variety

Typica, this classic high-quality coffee variety, is the main cultivar for this batch. Typica originates from Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan and is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. The plants are relatively robust but do not tolerate intense light, and they yield more in Hawaii. Typica's terminal leaves are bronze-colored, which earns it the name "red-top coffee."

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For anyone meeting Yunnan coffee for the first time, FrontStreet Yunnan Small-Grain is the place to start. Yunnan small-grain is simply another name for Arabica—Arabica earned the label "small-grain" because it bears the smallest fruit of the three original coffee species. Coffee reached Yunnan in 1904, when the French missionary Tian Deneng brought Typica seeds from Vietnam and planted the province's first coffee tree in Zhugula village, Binchuan County; Yunnan's geography and climate made the crop a success. FrontStreet's Yunnan Small-Grain comes from the Baoshan region, is washed and medium roasted, and brews with soft nut and chocolate sweetness plus a light plum acidity at a very accessible price. Baoshan's coffee history began in the mid-1950s, introduced by the overseas Chinese philanthropist Liang Jinshan; the warm, frost-free climate suits small-grain coffee, and the dry-hot river valley around Lujiangba in particular has little seasonal temperature variation but wide day-night swings, which shapes the region's distinctive sweet finish.

If you want a clearer, more expressive Yunnan cup, move up to FrontStreet 2013 Sun-Dried Typica. FrontStreet built its own estate in 2013 and planted Typica there for two reasons: it is one of the oldest coffee varieties, carrying pure Arabica genetics and an elegant, clean flavor long recognized as a specialty variety; and Typica was also the first variety planted in Yunnan, brought in by the French missionary, so the estate was a way to recover that original sense of place. Only fully ripe red cherries are used. After natural processing and a medium roast, the cup gains balance, with darker berry character, caramel sweetness, chocolate and a hint of dried apricot, and a black tea finish after swallowing.

To taste Yunnan in an espresso, FrontStreet Black Cacao Blend combines Yunnan small-grain with Brazil Cerrado. The Brazilian component contributes mixed nut aromas and balance, while the Yunnan small-grain carries the chocolate and citrus notes. As an Americano it balances sweet, sour and bitter with nutty and brown sugar sweetness; as a latte it gives an almond-and-cream smoothness. It is a particularly forgiving blend for beginners. Brew the two single-origin Yunnans as pour-over: 15g of grounds at medium grind, V60, water at 88-89°C, 1:15. Pour 30g to bloom for 27 seconds, pour to 105g and pause, then wait for the bed to drop halfway and pour slowly to 225g, discarding the tail. Total extraction time is 2:00.