Flavor Profile Differences and Taste Characteristics of Various Bourbon Coffee Varieties_ Bourbon Coffee Bean Prices

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Bourbon Coffee Varieties Overview

Overall, the different varieties of Bourbon coffee beans - Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, and French Mission - have similar flavor profiles, all featuring distinct notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, nuts, and caramel, with smooth acidity and low bitterness.

Origin and History of Bourbon

In early times (pre-coffee history), Typica was introduced to Yemen as a variant, changing from slender, pointed beans to round beans. In 1715, France transplanted the round beans from Yemen's Mocha to Bourbon Island on the east coast of Africa (renamed Reunion Island after the French Revolution), which is when the name Bourbon originated. The round Bourbon beans were later introduced to Brazil and Central and South America in 1727. In 1732, Britain also transplanted Yemen's Mocha to St. Helena Island (where Napoleon was later imprisoned), which also produced round Bourbon beans.

Simply put, Bourbon is a coffee variety belonging to the Arabica species. It typically produces red fruits, called Red Bourbon. In addition, there are Yellow Bourbon and Orange Bourbon. Yellow Bourbon has relatively lower yields but better quality.

Bourbon is a sub-species that mutated from Typica. Along with Typica, it belongs to the oldest existing coffee varieties. When green fruits mature, they turn bright red.

Compared to Typica, Bourbon has broader leaves and grows more densely. Although its yield is higher than Typica, the harvest period is still 2 years, making it a low-yield variety. However, it offers excellent flavor with wine-like acidity and sweet aftertaste. The coffee beans are relatively large, uniform in size, and evenly colored with luster. For harvesting convenience, farmers prune coffee trees to not exceed 150 centimeters.

Spread of Bourbon Variety

Due to the low yield and susceptibility to diseases of the Typica variety introduced to Brazil in 1727, Bourbon was introduced to Brazil via Campinas in the south around 1860 and rapidly expanded northward to other regions of South and Central America. Today in Latin America, although most Bourbon has been replaced by its variants (especially Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo), it is still cultivated in countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Peru.

Red Bourbon

Red Bourbon coffee trees typically follow this color progression after flowering and fruiting: green > light yellow > light orange > mature red > dark red when fully ripe. Therefore, it's also called Red Bourbon variety. In fact, Red Bourbon is what we generally refer to as Bourbon. Bourbon grown at high altitudes usually has excellent aroma, bright acidity, and even offers wine-like flavors when tasted.

Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon is a hybrid of Bourbon with other varieties. Due to its lower yield and poor resistance to wind and rain, it hasn't been widely cultivated. However, when grown at high altitudes, it exhibits excellent flavor performance and has become more common in recent years.

Yellow Bourbon, with yellow fruits when ripe, was first discovered in Brazil and currently grows mainly there. It is generally believed to have mutated from a cross between red-fruited Bourbon and a yellow-fruited Typica variant called "Amerelo de Botocatu."

French Mission Bourbon

In Africa, French missionaries known as Spiritan (from the Holy Ghost congregation) played an important role in spreading the Bourbon variety. In 1841, the first mission was established in Réunion, and a branch was founded in Zanzibar in 1859. From Zanzibar, branches were established in Bagamoyo (Tanzania coast, then called Tanganyika) and St. Augustine (Kikuyu, Kenya) in 1862, and another branch was established in Bura (Taita Hills, Kenya) in 1893. Each branch establishment was accompanied by the planting of coffee seeds brought from Réunion.

In 1899, seedlings cultivated in Bura were taken to another French mission in Santa Cruz (near Nairobi), and in 1900, they were introduced to the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, with seeds distributed to local residents willing to grow coffee. This marked the origin of what is called "Missionary Bourbon." Later, the Kent variety was also introduced in 1920. Therefore, to this day, coffee in Tanzania is still primarily Bourbon and Kent.

Bourbon Varieties

The following all belong to the Bourbon family:

Brazil Red Fruit

Ancient Bourbon coffee is cultivated in some estates in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil. The Cerrado plateau in western Minas and southern Minas mostly has altitudes above 1,100 meters, rich topography, distinct wet and dry seasons, large day-night temperature differences, and abundant microclimates, making it suitable for cultivating elegant Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. It has naturally become Brazil's main specialty coffee production area.

Brewing Recommendations:

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Grind Size: 4 (Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 88°C

Dripper: V60/KONO

Dry Aroma: Nuts, cocoa

Taste: Low acidity, strong nutty flavor, excellent chocolate sweetness and body

Brazil Queen

From Fazenda Rainha (Queen Estate), which covers 280 acres and is located in an ancient volcanic valley called Vale da Grama in Brazil. Fazenda Rainha belongs to the renowned and respected coffee family Carvalho Dias family. The four major estates under Carvalho Dias have won awards every year since the first Brazil Cup of Excellence competition in 1999, winning more than 12 times in 7 years. In 2004, they even swept the championship, 9th place, 11th place, etc., among many large and small estates in Brazil.

Brewing Recommendations:

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Grind Size: 4 (Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 88°C

Dripper: V60/KONO

Dry Aroma: Roasted hazelnut, spices

Flavor: Slight fruit acidity, nuts, creamy peanut, chocolate sweetness, with rich body.

Kenya Chania

In Kenya, K72 processing method and the SL28, SL34 varieties are commonly heard. Therefore, natural processed French Mission Bourbon is quite rare. The unique red volcanic soil of Chania Estate, combined with suitable temperature and rainfall for coffee growth, plus an excellent natural environment, creates the unique flavor of French Mission Bourbon from Chania Estate.

Brewing Recommendations:

Roast Level: Medium Roast

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Grind Size: 3.5 (Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 90°C

Dripper: V60

Dry Aroma: Fermented, dried fruit, vanilla

Flavor: When slurped, you can taste caramel, vanilla, mixed fruits, with solid juice sensation. The aftertaste has berries, rich jackfruit, and coffee flower notes, showing the wild regional characteristics of Africa.

Bourbon Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

Brazil natural processed Yellow Bourbon coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee offer full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer excellent value - a half-pound (227g) package costs only about 85 RMB. Calculating at 15g of coffee powder per cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing less than 6 RMB. Compared to the dozens of RMB per cup sold in coffee shops, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

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