Is Yunnan Four Cats Coffee Good? Is Four Cats a Major Brand? Is Four Cats Blue Mountain Coffee Fake?

A closer look at Four Cats Coffee and the wider question of what "small bean" coffee really means.

Company Introduction

Yunnan Four Cats Coffee Co., Ltd., established in November 2013, is a B2C company that integrates coffee cultivation, processing and production, and online marketing.

Its main task is expanding the e-commerce side of Yunnan small bean coffee. Four Cats works across the whole chain of Yunnan small bean coffee and the e-commerce model behind it, cutting out intermediate links to reduce circulation costs, protecting a basic profit while also bringing market prices down. The company owns two coffee cultivation bases in Nujiang, Yunnan, with a total area of 5,000 acres, all planted with high-quality, high-altitude Yunnan small bean coffee. In 2013, it built a large-scale coffee processing plant covering 100 acres, with the capacity to process fresh coffee cherries, coffee beans, and instant powder at the same time.

Its approach can be summarized simply: direct supply of high-quality raw material, manual roasting for quality assurance, a distinctive flavor design, and the application of new freshness-preservation technology.

From bean to cup, there is always Four Cats' intricate, painstaking work standing behind the quality.

On May 20, 2014, the brand's flagship online store launched, positioning it as one of the more innovative local coffee brands.

Product Introduction

1. Four Cats Coffee Yunnan Small Bean Coffee

Small bean coffee grows best on mountainous terrain at altitudes of 800-1800 meters. Push the altitude too high and the cup turns sour; drop it too low and it turns bitter. Most small bean coffee is planted in the dry-hot valley regions around 1100 meters altitude, which is why it shows moderate acidity, a rich fragrance, and a mellow taste. Many areas of Yunnan offer environments uniquely suited to small bean coffee, and they produce small bean coffee of excellent quality.

The main cultivation areas are distributed across the prefectures of Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna, and Dehong.

Arabica coffee beans are among the world's recognized high-quality coffee varieties. Yunnan small bean coffee and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee are both Arabica varieties.

Baoshan Lujiangba in Yunnan Province has a dry-hot valley climate unique within the province and the country, and it suits the growth of Arabica, the small bean coffee, extremely well. Lujiangba lies at the eastern foot of Gaoligong Mountain, on both banks of the Nujiang River, at longitude 98°44'-99°05' east and latitude 24°46'-25°33' north, with altitudes ranging from 640 meters to 3510 meters. The small bean coffee cultivation areas sit mostly between 800 and 1200 meters above sea level, with a small portion already planted around 1400 meters. The raw material base belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate type, with an average annual temperature of 21.3°C, annual sunshine hours of 2334.5 hours, annual rainfall of 721.51-1000 millimeters, an active accumulated temperature of 7800°C above or equal to 10°C, and effectively frost-free conditions throughout the year. The Lujiang cultivation area has a long planting history and deep experience, with over 50 years of coffee growing behind it, and its yield per mu is around 150-200 kilograms. It is one of the world-famous best production areas for high-quality small bean coffee.

Four Cats is one of the names that has helped define Yunnan small bean coffee for online buyers, and it remains a useful reference point when comparing the province's coffees.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Four Cats' own coffees are Yunnan small bean, and the company itself notes that Yunnan small bean and Jamaican Blue Mountain share the same species, Arabica. That is true, but species alone does not make a Blue Mountain, which is where the question of authenticity usually begins. Genuine Jamaica Blue Mountain must be grown in a defined part of the Blue Mountain range and certified by the Jamaican authorities; the beans travel in the traditional wooden barrels printed with detailed lot information, in the classic 15, 45, and 70 kilogram formats, and the barrel itself is one of the marks of the real thing. FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 comes from the historic Clifton estate, where coffee has been grown since around 1750. The farm sits at an average of 4,300 feet (1,310.64 meters), a high, cool site with afternoon cloud cover, generous sunlight, and mineral-rich soil that lengthens cherry maturation, and FrontStreet keeps the estate's certification documents and used barrels on hand so the origin can be traced clearly.

Blue Mountain No.1 is one of the highest grades Jamaica produces, held to strict standards for bean size and defect rate, and FrontStreet roasts it medium-dark to draw out the balance the coffee is known for. The cup moves through nut, dark chocolate, cream, and caramel with soft sweetness, and acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and aroma stay in step with one another. Because the profile is so even, it suits a Kono dripper at 15g, brewed 1:15 with water at 87-88°C and rested four to seven days after roast, using a three-stage pour of 30g bloom for 30 seconds, then to 120g, then to 225g. Whether you drink it daily or give it as a gift, it is the clearest way to understand what the Blue Mountain name is actually protecting.