The Cultivation History and Flavor of Réunion Island/Bourbon Island's Legendary Low-Caffeine Laurina Variety

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The Legend of Réunion Island/Bourbon Island: The Cultivation History and Flavor of the Low-Caffeine Bourbon Pointu

These ordinary words caught the eyes of coffee enthusiasts. More than a decade ago, two legendary coffee varieties emerged, shaking the entire coffee world: Geisha and Bourbon Pointu. But before discussing the small story of Bourbon Pointu, let's lay down the red carpet for the sensation it would cause.

The Origins and Migration of Coffee

In early times, coffee was an exclusive commodity of Arabia. To maintain this exclusivity, Arabs never allowed seeds with germination capabilities to leave their native land. However, by the 17th century, seeds were eventually smuggled out beyond Ethiopia and Yemen, spreading branches and leaves in the New World, multiplying into countless descendants. These smuggled seeds were the two varieties: Bourbon and Typica.

Bourbon Pointu: The Rare and Elegant Mutation

Bourbon Pointu is a natural mutation of Bourbon coffee on Bourbon Island (now known as Réunion Island). It gets its name from its slender, pointed shape at both ends, while the original Bourbon variety has shorter beans with a slightly elliptical outline. However, the biggest difference between them lies not only in appearance but in flavor and caffeine content. If described concisely, Bourbon Pointu is "naturally extremely low in caffeine, rare in yield, with delicate and charming elegant aroma, and one of the oldest tree species in the world."

Historical Significance and Rediscovery

Bourbon Pointu was favored by many celebrities as early as the 18th century, such as King Louis XV of France and French writer Balzac. However, due to its weak constitution and susceptibility to disease, as well as low flowering and fruiting, it was unpopular among farmers and was abandoned, gradually decreasing to near extinction. It wasn't until 1999-2007, through efforts by France and Japan, that it was successfully revived, becoming today's most expensive coffee. Bourbon Pointu coffee beans, with their unique flavor and rare yield, are loved by European royalty and nobility. Bourbon Pointu coffee beans have bright fruit and floral aromas, combining citrus and cream fragrances with a velvety texture, yet their caffeine content is only half that of regular Arabica coffee beans. Louis XV of the Bourbon dynasty called it "the best coffee in the world," pushing the fame of Bourbon Pointu to its peak.

Bourbon coffee got its name because the first place it was widely cultivated in the New World was called Bourbon Island, which is today's Réunion Island [Note 6]; while the legendary protagonist of this article, Bourbon Pointu, is a natural mutation of Bourbon coffee on the island [Note 7].

Characteristics and Names

Bourbon Pointu has two other names, Laurina and Leroy, but neither is as renowned as Bourbon Pointu. It's called Pointu because the beans are slender and pointed at both ends, while the original Bourbon (sometimes called Round Bourbon) has shorter beans with a slightly elliptical outline. The visual differences between Bourbon Pointu and original Bourbon can be immediately distinguished by looking at (Figure 1) and (Figure 2); however, the biggest difference lies not in appearance but in flavor and caffeine content. If described simply, Bourbon Pointu is "good flavor, low caffeine content."

Caffeine Content Analysis

Regarding the flavor of Bourbon Pointu, I'll discuss it last. Here, let's first talk about its caffeine content. According to statistics, the caffeine content of general coffee beans is 0.9-1.2% for Arabica and 1.6-2.4% for Robusta, while Bourbon Pointu is only 0.6%, much lower than regular Arabica coffee and far below Robusta. Although it hasn't reached the standard for American decaffeinated coffee, it's already good news for many who can't handle too much caffeine but still love coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Bourbon Pointu

【FrontStreet Coffee Bourbon Pointu】 Flavor: Bourbon Pointu coffee beans have bright fruit and floral aromas, combining citrus and cream fragrances with a velvety texture.

Historical Challenges and Decline

Due to its good flavor and low caffeine content (not affecting sleep much), Bourbon Pointu was loved by people as early as the 18th century. Many celebrities, such as King Louis XV of France and novelist Balzac, were its "fans." During the two hundred years from the 18th to 19th century, Bourbon Pointu was widely cultivated on Bourbon Island, reaching a peak of 4,000 metric tons annually in 1800. However, a series of disasters followed: hurricanes, fire ants, leaf rust disease, and so on, leading to a gradual decrease in cultivation. Finally, in 1942, the last batch of Bourbon Pointu shipped back to France was only a pitiful 200 kilograms. After that, Bourbon Pointu disappeared without a trace, even official documents no longer mentioned it. After the 1950s, no one grew coffee on Réunion Island anymore. The island's agriculture completely turned to other crops like sugarcane. Coffee and Réunion Island no longer had any connection, and Bourbon Pointu was officially recognized by the coffee world as "extinct."

V60 Pour-Over Method

【V60 Pour-Over】

Filter cup: Hario V60

Water temperature: 90°C

Grind size: Fuji grinder setting 3.5

Brewing method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water for a 25-second bloom. Second pour up to 120g, then stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing to pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time around 2:00.

Important Notice :

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