Price Comparison of Brazilian Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon Coffee_ The Relationship Between Bourbon Coffee Trees and Kenyan Coffee

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Bourbon Variety: An Ancient Coffee Cultivar

Bourbon is a sub-variety that mutated from Typica, and together with Typica, it belongs to the oldest existing coffee varieties. When green fruits ripen, they display a bright red color.

Compared to Typica, Bourbon plants have broader leaves and grow more densely. Although the yield is higher than Typica, the harvest period is still 2 years, making it a low-yield variety. However, it offers excellent quality with wine-like acidity and sweet aftertaste. The coffee beans are large in size, uniform in shape, and have a glossy, even color. For harvesting convenience, farmers prune coffee trees to not exceed 150 centimeters.

The Spread of Bourbon Variety

Since the Typica variety introduced to Brazil in 1727 had low yields and was susceptible to diseases, Bourbon was introduced to Brazil around 1860 through Campinas in the south 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 Today in Latin America, although most Bourbon has been replaced by its variants (especially Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo), it is still cultivated in countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Peru.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 Coffee Beans

For typical Red Bourbon coffee trees, after flowering and fruiting, the color change of coffee cherries follows: green → light yellow → light orange → mature red → darker ripe red, which is why it's also called "Red Bourbon variety." In fact, Red Bourbon is the Bourbon variety we generally refer to. Bourbon grown at high altitudes typically has better aroma, brighter acidity, and even exhibits wine-like flavors when tasted.

Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon is a hybrid of Bourbon with other varieties. Due to its lower yield and less resistance to wind and rain, it hasn't been widely cultivated. However, when grown in high-altitude areas, it demonstrates excellent flavor characteristics and has become more common in recent years.

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

French Missionary Bourbon

In Africa, French missionaries known as Spiritan (from the Holy Spirit congregation) played an important role in spreading the Bourbon variety. In 1841, the first mission was established in Réunion, and a branch was established in Zanzibar in 1859. From Zanzibar, branches were established in 1862 in Bagamoyo (Tanzania coast, then called Tanganyika) and St. Augustine (Kikuyu, Kenya), and another branch was established in 1893 in Bura (Taita Hills, Kenya). 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), introduced to the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania in 1900, and seeds were distributed to local residents willing to grow coffee. This marks the origin of what's called "Missionary Bourbon." Later, the Kent variety was also introduced in 1920. Therefore, even today, coffee in Tanzania is predominantly Bourbon and Kent.

The Following Varieties Belong to Bourbon:

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 have altitudes above 1,100 meters, rich topography, distinct wet and dry seasons, large day-night temperature differences, and abundant microclimates, making them suitable for cultivating elegant Red and Yellow Bourbon varieties, naturally becoming Brazil's main specialty coffee producing regions.

Brewing Parameters:

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

Flavor: Low acidity, heavy 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 in Brazil called Vale da Grama. Fazenda Rainha is owned by the renowned and respected Carvalho Dias coffee family. The family's four major estates have won awards annually since the first Brazil Cup of Excellence (COE) competition in 1999, winning more than 12 awards in 7 years. In 2004, they even swept the championship, 9th place, 11th place, and more, among many large and small estates in Brazil.

Brewing Parameters:

Roast Level: Medium roast

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Grind Size: 4 (Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 88°C

Dripper: V60/KONO

Dry Aroma: Roasted hazelnuts, spices

Flavor: Slight fruit acidity, nuts, creamy peanuts, sweet chocolate, high body

Red Bourbon Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Brazil Red Bourbon coffee beans offer excellent guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide extremely high value for money. A half-pound (227g) package costs only about 45 RMB. Calculating at 15g per single-origin coffee cup, one package can make 15 cups, with each cup costing only about 3 RMB. Compared to cafe prices that often reach dozens of RMB per cup, this represents exceptional value.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473