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Yunnan Small Bean Coffee Brand Recommendations_Baoshan Typica Coffee|Yunnan Coffee Price is Low But Quality is Not

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange for more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style) 01|Yunnan Coffee Bean Growing Region Introduction Small bean coffee is suitable for growing on mountain land at altitudes of 800~1800 meters. If the altitude is too high, the taste will be sour; if too low, the taste will be bitter. Most small bean coffee is planted at sea

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

01 | Introduction to Yunnan Coffee Bean Growing Regions

Arabica coffee is suitable for growing on mountainous terrain at altitudes of 800-1800 meters. If the altitude is too high, the taste becomes sour; if too low, it becomes bitter. Most Arabica coffee is planted in dry, hot valley areas at around 1100 meters altitude, resulting in moderate acidity, rich aroma, and mellow flavor. Many regions in Yunnan have unique environments suitable for growing Arabica coffee, producing excellent quality Arabica coffee beans.

The main growing areas are distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna, and Dehong. Baoshan has an average temperature of 21.5°C, reaching up to 40.4°C, with basically no frost year-round, making it recognized as the best Arabica coffee producing area. The Arabica coffee cultivated here is famous both domestically and internationally for being rich but not bitter, fragrant but not overpowering, with small and uniform beans, rich mellow aroma, and fruity notes. International Coffee Organization tasting experts have evaluated Yunnan coffee as being in the same category as Colombian wet-processed Arabica coffee, representing the highest quality coffee in the world.

Planting Altitude

For Arabica coffee, 1200 meters is the quality watershed. You'll find that Hainan coffee, which few people discuss, has remained non-mainstream and can only be sold as tourist souvenirs. This is because, first, it's Robusta, and second, Hainan's terrain is at sea level, with most places below 300 meters. Although the peak of Wuzhishan in the central area reaches 1800 meters, the urban area is only 320 meters. Hainan can grow some souvenir coffee, but it lacks the capacity to cultivate good Arabica coffee.

Since planting altitude is a fundamental factor, large areas of mountains in Yunnan can reach above 1000 meters. Kunming's altitude is 1895 meters, Baoshan is 1653.5 meters, Dali is 1976 meters, Chuxiong is 1773 meters, Dehong averages 800-1500 meters, and Diqing averages 3380 meters. With higher altitudes, temperature must also be considered. Generally speaking, the golden coffee belt lies between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, because once you go beyond these lines, the probability of frost increases significantly, and coffee trees die when they encounter frost. However, in Yunnan, the Gaoligong Mountains north of Baoshan block the invasive Siberian cold currents in winter, and the numerous mountains form protective microclimates suitable for coffee growth.

02 | Processing Method

The harvested cherries are processed using a depulping machine to separate most of the pulp from the coffee beans, then the parchment beans are guided into a clean water tank and soaked in water for fermentation to thoroughly remove the remaining pulp layer. In the past (about five years ago), the washed method was often the preferred processing method for high-quality coffee beans.

Through water processing, unripe and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy, and the fermentation process is easier to control. Therefore, unlike natural-processed beans which may have impure flavors, the cup characteristics show distinct fruit acidity, slightly stronger complexity, and a cleaner profile (without any negative flavors like astringency or sharpness). However, because it's too "clean," the richness of flavor is also slightly weaker.

03 | Green Bean Analysis

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Arabica Coffee Beans

Yunnan Arabica coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family, Coffea genus, with growing areas mainly distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna, and Dehong. Arabica coffee originates from Ethiopia or the Arabian Peninsula.

Varieties

Typica: The oldest native variety of Ethiopia, originating from southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan. All Arabica varieties are derived from Typica. It has elegant flavor but weak constitution, poor disease resistance, and low fruit yield. FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain, FrontStreet Coffee's Sumatra Mandheling, and FrontStreet Coffee's Hawaii Kona are all excellent estate beans belonging to Typica. Typica has reddish-brown terminal leaves, called red-tipped coffee, and belongs to the Arabica species.

Coffee trees have opposite leaves that are long oval-shaped with smooth surfaces. The terminal branches are long with few branches, and the white flowers bloom at the base where leaf stems connect to branches. Mature coffee cherries look like cherries, bright red in color, with sweet pulp containing a pair of seeds - the coffee beans.

Typica is one of the oldest native varieties of Ethiopia. Typica terminal leaves are bronze-colored, and the beans are oval or slender-pointed in shape. It has elegant flavor but weak constitution, poor disease resistance, and low fruit yield.

Typica is one of the oldest Arabica coffee tree varieties discovered today, along with Bourbon. Arabica species originated from Ethiopia, where this tree species still grows naturally in the local pristine rainforest highlands. The Typica planted in Java was a gift from the Dutch to honor France's Louis XIV, survived in the Persian Garden, and its seeds were brought by the French to the French colony of Martinique in 1720.

Typica beans are slender, the tree is tall and elegant, the fruits are oval-shaped, and the branches are slightly inclined. Typica has four slender branches that spread out at an angle of 50-70 degrees. The coffee yield per tree is very low, but cupping scores are very high.

04 | Roasting Analysis

This FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Huaguoshan coffee is best processed using medium slow roasting to bring out its round, smooth characteristics while maintaining rich floral and fruit aromas.

Roasting Machine: Yangjia 600g semi-direct heat

Preheat the roaster to 200°C, set damper to 3. After 30 seconds, adjust heat to 160°C, keeping damper unchanged. Return to temperature point at 1'33", adjust heat once at 168°C. At this point, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, dehydration is complete. Adjust heat to 130°C, damper to 4.

At 8'45", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms to coffee aroma - this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'07", reduce heat to 80°C, fully open damper to 5 (adjust heat very carefully, not so low that crackling stops). 3'00" after first crack, unload at 198°C.

Cupping:

Dry Aroma: Pear-like fruits, vanilla-like, honey-like, peach tea, ripe orange, jasmine hints

Wet Aroma: Nutty, milky chocolate, herbal-floral

Flavor: Smooth entry, Asian herbal plant aroma, lively and bright acidity, mouth-watering sensation, balanced soft acidity and rich body, rich layers, distinct aftertaste of dark chocolate, honey, and cane sugar. After completely cooling, brown sugar flavor emerges.

05 | Brewing Analysis

Recommended Brewing Methods: Siphon, Pour-over

Grind Size: 4 (Japan Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 90°C

V60 dripper, 15g coffee, water temperature 90°C, grind size 4, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

30g water for bloom, bloom time 30s

Segmented pouring: Pour water to 99ml, pause, then slowly pour to 230ml

That is 31-99-100

Other Drip Extraction Suggestions:

French Press: Recommended grind size 3.5-4, water temperature 90°C

AeroPress: Recommended grind size 2.5, water temperature 88°C

Pour-over: Grind size 3.5, water temperature 89°C

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's house-roasted Yunnan coffee beans - washed Typica Huaguoshan - offer full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer extremely high value for money. A half-pound (227g) package costs only about 69 yuan. Calculating at 15g per cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, costing less than 5 yuan per cup. Compared to café prices that often reach tens of yuan per cup, this is a conscientious recommendation, suitable for coffee enthusiasts interested in Yunnan coffee to purchase and taste.