Yunnan Coffee Growing Regions: How to Brew Yunnan Small Bean Coffee? Yunnan Coffee Flavor Characteristics

It should be a country steeped in the fragrance of tea, yet the aroma of coffee has emerged as well. Beyond the dense tea trees, groves bearing red fruit come into view. Yunnan is China's largest coffee-producing region, distributed across the southern and southwestern parts of the province, including Simao, Xishuangbanna, Wenshan, Baoshan, and Dehong.

Is Yunnan Coffee Any Good?

Can China, with its water and its soil, produce quality coffee? Could these be fake beans?

Han Huaizong, the father of Taiwan's specialty coffee: "In 2016 I had the privilege of tasting the top six specialty beans from the Yunnan Green Bean Competition. The high-level floral and fruit notes, the vibrant sweet-and-sour sensations, and the broad flavor spectrum completely astonished me. Yunnan coffee is absolutely on par with international specialty coffee beans."

Perfect Growing Conditions

Southern Yunnan happens to sit at low latitude and high altitude with a large day-night temperature difference. These natural advantages make it particularly suitable for Arabica, and the most ideal region in the country for producing high-quality coffee. Most Yunnan coffee is grown in dry-hot valleys at altitudes of 1,000-2,000 meters, resulting in moderate acidity with rich, mellow, and intense aromas.

Coffee Varieties

Over 90% of Yunnan's coffee varieties are Catimor (Catimor = Caturra x Timor), which contains some Robusta genetic material.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends the following brewing parameters:

Pour-over: V60 dripper with a small Fuji R440 grind setting of 3.5, water temperature around 90°C.

French press: grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C.

Siphon: grind setting 4, water temperature between 90°C and 91°C.

AeroPress: grind setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yunnan is one of the most approachable places to begin exploring specialty coffee, and FrontStreet's two Yunnan beans show two different sides of it. FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean comes from the Baoshan region and is washed and medium roasted. It highlights a touch of caramel while keeping some acidity, presenting the terroir of Yunnan - soft nut and chocolate sweetness with a light plum acidity - at a friendly price. It is the first Yunnan cup for a great many drinkers.

For a clearer, more distinctive Yunnan flavor, FrontStreet 2013 Natural Typica is grown at 1,300 meters on the FrontStreet estate and processed by the oldest method, sun-drying. Typica is one of the purest Arabica varieties, and after natural processing the cup is fuller and more vivid: dark berry and citrus tones, a hint of fermented wine, caramel sweetness, and a creamy finish.

If you want Yunnan as a daily espresso, FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend - Yunnan small bean with Brazil Cerrado - gives a balanced sweet-bitter-sour Americano with nut and brown sugar notes, and a smooth almond-and-cream latte that is very forgiving for beginners.