Flavor Profile and Characteristics of Yunnan Typica Coffee Beans - Are Yunnan Small Beans Typica or Catimor?

Typica coffee beans originated in southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan and are one of the oldest coffee varieties among all Arabica species. The top leaves are bronze-colored, giving it the name "red-top coffee," and it's also known as old-variety small-bean coffee. Currently, you can see two Yunnan coffee beans from FrontStreet Coffee, of which the one labeled "Frontsteet Yunnan Small Bean" is actually the Catimor variety, because 99% of Yunnan currently grows Catimor. However, Frontsteet Yunnan Huaguoshan is Yunnan's old coffee variety—Typica coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee's plantation in Yunnan grows Typica coffee beans and a small amount of Bourbon.

Typica: Ethiopia's Ancient Native Variety

Typica is Ethiopia's oldest native variety, and all Arabica varieties derive from Typica coffee beans. The top leaves of Typica are bronze-colored, and the beans are oval or slender-pointed; the flavor is elegant, but the plant has weak constitution, poor disease resistance, and low fruit yield.

We all know that Ethiopia is the birthplace of Arabica coffee beans. Typica naturally comes from this place. Around the 7th century AD, Yemen began growing coffee. These coffee trees were all copper-topped, producing oval-shaped coffee beans that are flat on one side. This is the Typica variety, of course, Typica was named later by people who categorized coffee varieties with these characteristics.

Typica tree characteristics have distinct features—it may be the most easily recognizable variety. These plants are conical-shaped with a main vertical trunk that can reach up to 5 meters. This height means that Typica has greater distances between branches and between nodes on the same branch compared to other varieties.

The lateral branches form 50-70° angles with the vertical trunk. The trunk and branches are not very sturdy, and the leaves, fruits, and green beans are usually elongated. The bud tips of young leaves are bronze-colored. Compared to other Arabica varieties, Typica leaves have smoother surfaces and fewer wavy edges. Typical Typica fruits turn bright red when ripe.

The bronze-colored top leaves of Typica are one of its characteristics. The beans are larger, forming pointed ovals or slender shapes, and some people call it "red-top coffee." Typica coffee has its unique clean and elegant flavor, as well as balanced characteristics with high taste cleanliness. However, the drawback is insufficient yield, requirements for altitude, and susceptibility to leaf rust disease with weak pest and disease resistance.

Typica has created considerable glory—it was rated as first-class at the International Coffee Tasting Conference held in London in 1958; at the National Coffee Conference in 1980, it was praised by Chinese and foreign coffee experts as "China's Coffee Crown," and at the World Coffee Competition held in Brussels, Belgium in 1993, it won the "Eureka" Gold Award.

Typica originated in southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan and is one of the oldest coffee varieties among many Arabica species. The top leaves are copper-colored, called red-top coffee, and also known as old-variety small-bean coffee. Due to low yield and difficult cultivation, the price is much higher than ordinary small-bean coffee. However, its flavor performance is excellent, and it is recognized as a specialty coffee variety.

Common Typica Varieties

Common Typica varieties mainly include Indonesia's Sumatra Typica, Jamaica's Blue Mountain variety, Yunnan's old tree variety, and India's Kent. These are all Typica varieties that have adapted to local environments and are called by other names by locals, but essentially they are still Typica varieties.

FrontStreet Coffee · Yunnan Frontsteet 2013 Natural Typica

Region: Lincang, China

Estate: FrontStreet Coffee Plantation

Variety: Typica

Altitude: 1300m

Processing: Natural

2013 was the year when FrontStreet Coffee's Guangzhou Dongshankou store opened, and also marked the beginning year of Frontsteet's coffee cultivation. Starting as agricultural beginners, Frontsteet continuously made mistakes and learned. They chose the semi-primitive forest area on the China-Myanmar border in Lincang, Yunnan to start coffee cultivation. The altitude here is suitable for Arabica coffee growth, and the climate environment is also good. In choosing planting varieties, Frontsteet chose Typica because more than 100 years ago, Yunnan already grew Typica, and predecessors had already proven that Yunnan could produce good Typica coffee beans. Of course, in 2013, Yunnan generally planted high-yield Catimor varieties. In terms of flavor, Typica's performance is better than Catimor.

Frontsteet started from seedling cultivation, to transplanting, tree growth, and fruiting—it took a full 5 years to start bearing fruit. By 2020, the seventh year, there was a relatively stable yield. Frontsteet named this bean "Frontsteet 2013"!

Roasting Suggestions

Frontsteet Yunnan Typica uses natural processing. Frontsteet only picks mature, deep red coffee cherries, then uses raised African beds for refined natural processing to preserve the coffee's sweet flavor characteristics.

Frontsteet's roaster believes that using medium slow roasting best reflects Frontsteet's natural Typica coffee beans' round and smooth characteristics while maintaining rich floral and fruit aromas.

Roaster: Yangjia 500g semi-direct heat

Preheat to 200°C, air vent set to 3, adjust heat to 160°C after 30 seconds, air vent unchanged. Return temperature point at 1'33", adjust heat once at 168°C,此时豆表变为黄色，青草味完全消失，脱水完成，火力调至130度，风门调至4。

At 8'45", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'07", first crack begins, reduce heat to 80°C, fully open air vent to 5 (adjust heat very carefully, not so low that there's no cracking sound). 3'00" after first crack, unload at 198°C.

Cupping Report

Within 8-12 hours after roasting, Frontsteet conducted cupping. The cupping flavors of Frontsteet 2013 Yunnan Typica are as follows:

Aroma: Nuts, caramel, toast

Flavor: Plum, cream, cane sugar, soft fruit acidity

Aftertaste: Caramel, black tea

Frontsteet Pour-over Suggestions

Dripper: V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: 75% pass-through #20 sieve, EK43s setting 10.5

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Brewing Method: Three-stage pouring

First stage: Pour 30ml water, bloom for 30 seconds;

Second stage: Pour 120ml water in small circles; when the liquid level is about to expose the coffee bed,

Third stage: Pour 75ml water in small circles.

[Frontsteet Yunnan Frontsteet 2013 Natural Typica] Flavor: Toast sweetness, nutty sweetness, with slight fruit acidity creating a good layered texture, fruity aroma, and a special spiced sweetness in the aftertaste. The taste is rich and balanced.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add private WeChat FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

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