How to Brew Hand-Ground Brazil Yellow Bourbon Coffee & Calculating Water-to-Coffee Ratio

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Coffee Profile: Brazil Yellow Bourbon

Origin: Brazil

Estate: Sertaozinho Estate

Region: Botelhos-Minas Gerais

Altitude: 1,200 meters

Harvest Season: April to September

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing Method: Semi-washed

Roast Level: Light-medium roast (mid-first crack)

Dry Aroma: Roasted nuts, sesame

Wet Aroma: Hazelnut, caramel

Cupping Notes: High sweetness, noticeable oiliness, creamy smoothness

About Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon produces yellow fruit when ripe and was first discovered in Brazil, where it remains primarily cultivated today. It is generally believed to be a mutation resulting from crossbreeding between red-fruited Bourbon and a yellow-fruited Typica variety known as "Amerelo de Botocatu."

Many coffee enthusiasts once viewed Brazilian coffee beans as mass-produced with mediocre quality. However, in recent years, Brazil, as the world's largest coffee producer, has increasingly focused on cultivating specialty beans, giving rise to high-quality specialty Yellow Bourbon!

Today's Brazilian Yellow Bourbon comes from Sertaozinho Estate, located in Botelhos, Minas Gerais state. Beyond coffee trees, the estate preserves a 300-hectare natural rainforest, home to ancient Brazilian rosewood trees, including one landmark tree reaching 40 meters in height with an estimated age of 1,500 years. The estate is managed by agronomist Joie Renato Goncalves Dias, who provides housing, medical, and educational facilities for workers. In recent years, the estate has performed excellently in Brazil's cupping competitions and cultivates multiple varieties such as Mundo Novo and Catuai.

Brewing Recommendations

How to Brew Brazilian Yellow Bourbon Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee Pour-over Reference: Weigh 15g of Yellow Bourbon coffee grounds and grind to medium consistency – slightly coarser than table salt. We use a BG grinder setting of 6A (50% standard sieve pass rate). Water temperature at 88°C, using a Kono/Kalita dripper for extraction. Recommended coffee-to-water ratio is approximately 1:14.

Pour hot water from the pour-over kettle in clockwise circles, centered in the filter. Start timing when brewing begins – reach 30g in 15 seconds, then stop pouring. At 1 minute, begin the second pour. Similar to the first pour, move in clockwise circles centered in the filter, avoiding the edge where coffee meets filter paper to prevent channel effects.

Leave a small circle of dry grounds at the outer edge, then continue pouring in circles toward the center. At 2 minutes and 10 seconds, reach 210g total extraction. Brewing complete.

Japanese-style Ice Pour-over Yellow Bourbon

FrontStreet Coffee Ice Pour-over Yellow Bourbon Reference:

Brazilian Yellow Bourbon, medium-dark roast, BG grinder setting 5R (60% standard sieve pass rate)

20g coffee grounds, 150g ice, 150g hot water. Water temperature 1°C higher than the normal 88°C recommendation. Normal grind uses Fuji 3.5 setting; for ice pour-over, grind slightly finer at Fuji 3 setting. Recommended coffee-to-(water+ice) ratio is 1:15.

Bloom with 40g water for 30 seconds.

Segmented pouring: first segment 60g water, second segment 40g water. Use a fine but high water column with forceful stirring to ensure the coffee grounds roll thoroughly. However, be careful not to let the water level get too high or pour on the edge filter paper.

Total extraction time should be approximately 2.5 minutes (similar to normal extraction time for 20g of coffee).

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473