No Coffee Beans Exist Without Acidity or Bitterness! Non-Acidity, Non-Bitterness Coffee Beans Don't Exist!

The Truth About Yunnan Coffee

Yunnan coffee beans sold on the market, regardless of their origin, generally share the quality characteristics of being "not bitter, not sour, not astringent." Merchants will certainly tell you that this is precisely what makes Yunnan coffee excellent and worthy of your money, because no other coffee possesses such peculiar and "excellent" qualities.

If you are truly willing to spend money on coffee with such "peculiar" qualities, I admire you and respect your choice.

In reality, you don't need to spend money to get this kind of "coffee." Just pick up a cup, walk to the water tap, and you can obtain this "not bitter, not sour, not astringent" coffee.

If coffee's quality is "not bitter, not sour, not astringent," isn't it just like water? Isn't it precisely water? "Not bitter, not sour, not astringent" is simply "tasteless." Spending money on completely tasteless coffee is a tremendous waste. And it is ridiculously expensive. How could there be such a way to extort money in this world?

Who was the genius who determined that good Yunnan coffee's quality is "not bitter, not sour, not astringent"? How was this determined? I don't know.

The Yunnan coffee I know would never have such qualities. After growing coffee for so many years and drinking coffee for so many years, I have never tasted coffee that is "not bitter, not sour, not astringent." In fact, I have drunk coffee from other regions and have never encountered such characteristics. Perhaps I have not yet tasted real coffee? Perhaps I truly cannot afford to buy that kind of genuine Yunnan coffee.

However, never having tasted "not bitter, not sour, not astringent" coffee is a fact.

You could kill me, but I would never accept this quality definition. Because that is the quality definition of "water," absolutely not coffee. Such "coffee" simply does not exist in the world.

For two consecutive years, friends (coffee producers) have entrusted me to help them send samples of their produced green coffee beans to a laboratory in the United States for analysis. Each sample, regardless of bitterness or sourness, has detailed data indicators. This proves that coffee, regardless of its origin, absolutely cannot be "not bitter, not sour, not astringent."

To continue observing and tracking the quality of Yunnan coffee, we will continue to send green bean samples annually for quality analysis. The purpose is not to expect meaningless words from outsiders like "Your Yunnan coffee quality is quite good."

Each year's analysis can serve as a basis for understanding that year's farm management techniques and adjusting post-harvest processing methods, thereby seeking maximum room for quality improvement.

In other words, while Yunnan coffee's quality has not yet reached an ideal state, it is progressing toward high quality based on evidence.

In summary, don't spend money buying that "not bitter, not sour, not astringent" Yunnan coffee; China has never produced such coffee. I guarantee that no matter how much money you spend, you cannot buy it. I guarantee that without spending money, you can taste the "not bitter, not sour, not astringent" flavor.

Describing coffee quality should be about the bitterness: what kind of bitterness, the intensity of bitterness; the sourness: what kind of sour sensation, the acidity level. It should be very delicate and specific descriptions of taste and smell. Don't use metaphysical and nonsensical sentences.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Real coffee has real flavor, and Yunnan is no exception. FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean comes from the Baoshan growing area, where a warm, frost-free climate and the dry-hot river valley around Lujiangba create the region's distinctive sweet aftertaste. Washed and medium roasted, it highlights a clear caramel note while retaining some acidity, so it honestly expresses Yunnan's terroir with soft nutty and chocolate sweetness and a light plum acidity, an approachable introduction to Chinese Arabica.

If you want to taste the acidity and sweetness that a specialty coffee should have, FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Natural Typica is grown on FrontStreet's own estate from fully ripe red cherries and processed naturally, the oldest and most traditional post-harvest method. Typica is one of the purest Arabica varieties, and after natural processing and a medium roast the cup becomes heavier and sweeter, with citrus and berry notes, a trace of fermented wine aroma, caramel sweetness, and a creamy finish. For espresso with Yunnan character, FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan small bean with Brazil Cerrado: Brazil lends the mixed-nut aroma and a balanced body, while Yunnan supplies chocolate and citrus, giving an Americano a balanced sweet-sour-bitter cup with nut and brown sugar notes and a latte a smooth almond-and-cream texture.