How Brazilian Semi-Washed Bourbon Coffee Originates and Brazilian Coffee Bean Grade Classification

Catuai Coffee Variety

Catuai is a coffee variety that is an artificial hybrid of Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has relatively good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain.

The Catuai tree is relatively short compared to other coffee trees, and its fruits grow more firmly, making them difficult to harvest. The fruits come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no evidence has been found that yellow fruits taste better than red fruits. In fact, some have found in cupping tests that although coffee processed from some yellow fruits has good acidity, its cleanliness is inferior to that of red fruits.

Catuai was cultivated in Brazil and is now commonly grown throughout Central America.

Product Information

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

Coffee Details

Country: Brazil

Grade: SC14/SC16

Region: Southern Minas

Roast Level: Medium roast

Processing Method: Pulped natural

Varieties: Bourbon, Catuai

Altitude: 1000-1200 meters

Flavor Profile: Roasted melon seeds, rich and full-bodied, dark chocolate, sweet aftertaste and lingering finish.

Brazil's Coffee Growing Regions

In the Serra do Cerrado plateau in western Minas and Southern Minas, altitudes mostly exceed 1100 meters. The terrain is diverse, with distinct wet and dry seasons, large day-night temperature variations, and abundant microclimates, making it suitable for cultivating elegant-flavored Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon varieties. This naturally made it Brazil's main specialty coffee producing region. Mogiana, in the northeastern part of São Paulo state, also primarily grows shade-grown Bourbon, ranking alongside Cerrado and Southern Minas as Brazil's three major specialty producing regions.

Brazil's terrain is generally flat, with coffee farms mostly situated at altitudes around 600-1000 meters. The landscape is flat and monotonous, lacking microclimates. There is also a customary practice of non-shade-tree cultivation, which has led to Brazil's unique soft-bean flavor profile: low acidity, heavy nutty notes, chocolatey sweetness, and good body, but with slight woody and earthy notes, while floral and citrus aromas are not prominent.

Minas Gerais is located in the heart of the Brazilian plateau in the southeastern corner of South America, producing more than half of Brazil's high-quality Arabica coffee.

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

Brewing Instructions

Hand-pour Brazilian coffee: 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji ghost-tooth grinder #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water and bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and stop, wait until the water level drops to halfway, then slowly pour until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Bourbon Variety Information

Variety: Bourbon-related
Origin: Bourbon Island or Ethiopia
Optimal Growing Altitude: 800 meters and above
Type: Heirloom variety
Commonly Found In: Suitable coffee-growing regions worldwide
Main Colors: Red, yellow, and orange, but primarily red fruits
Bean Size: Average
Leaf Characteristics: Broad, short

The Bourbon variety originates from Bourbon Island or Ethiopia. It is susceptible to pests and diseases and has lower yields. Some data indicates that Yellow Bourbon has higher yields than Red Bourbon and Orange Bourbon, but Red Bourbon is the most common variety. Bourbon has close genetic relationships with SL28, Typica, and Caturra. Because it produces lower yields in suitable environments, it often results in very high cup quality; evidence suggests that lower yields often lead to higher quality, as the plants can more effectively absorb soil nutrients.

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

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you want to explore Brazil's soft, low-acid Bourbon character, FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a fine place to start. This classic single origin from the well-known Cerrado region, made from the common red Bourbon, is medium roasted to creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut aromas, with a rounded, low-acid cup and a light bitter edge that suits pour-over, moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon, and French press.

For a rarer, sweeter take on Brazilian Bourbon, FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon hails from the smaller Mogiana area and is a rare yellow Bourbon given finer processing. Alongside Brazil's typical nut, cream, roasted peanut, and caramel-cookie notes, it adds a fresh sugarcane sweetness and a clean, lingering finish, and it performs well in pour-over, French press, moka pot, and home espresso machines.

And since Brazil is the backbone of so many espresso recipes, FrontStreet's espresso blend line is worth exploring: the crema-rich Classic Espresso Blend, the nutty Premium Espresso Blend, the balanced Black Cocoa Blend, and the shop-focused Commercial Espresso Blend all rely on Brazilian beans for the chocolate-and-cream aromas and the soft sweet-bitter balance that keeps extraction stable.