What are the differences between Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, and Pink Bourbon coffee?

Bourbon Variety

Bourbon is derived from the ancient Typica variety, featuring round-shaped beans. It was introduced to Brazil in 1927 and subsequently spread throughout Central and South American countries. Although its yield is not particularly high, compared to the delicate Typica variety, Bourbon has better resistance to leaf rust disease. Bourbon coffee grown at high altitudes offers rich and delicate flavors, aromatic fragrance, and smooth acidity. Generally, the Bourbon cherries we see transition from green to light yellow, orange-yellow, and red, finally becoming fully ripe dark red - what we refer to as Red Bourbon. But did you know that Brazil also has another Bourbon variety with orange-yellow ripe cherries - Yellow Bourbon, which is a unique Bourbon variant exclusive to São Paulo state.

Yellow Bourbon (Bourbon Amarello), also translated as Yellow Bourbon in English, is a unique yellow-skinned Bourbon variety specific to São Paulo state, Brazil. Under normal circumstances, coffee cherries turn red when ripe, but Yellow Bourbon remains orange-yellow when mature, hence its name. The flavor characteristics of FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian Yellow Bourbon are exceptionally elegant in cupping, with prominent sweetness, aroma, and acidity. The Brazilian Queen Estate coffee beans selected by FrontStreet Coffee are from the rare Yellow Bourbon variety.

FrontStreet Coffee: Brazilian Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon Coffee Beans

• Region: Mogiana region
• Estate: Fazenda Rainha (Queen Estate)
• Altitude: 1400-1950m
• Variety: Yellow Bourbon
• Processing: Natural processing
• Flavor: Nuts, chocolate, cream, peanut, sugarcane

FrontStreet Coffee learned through research that the world's Arabica coffee varieties consist of Typica and Bourbon, as well as their descendants. Bourbon is mainly popular in Central and South American countries and is one of Brazil's primary varieties. The name Bourbon originates from Bourbon Island, which is Réunion Island located off the eastern coast of Africa. In the 17th century, as a French territory, it was named Bourbon Island until it was renamed at the end of the 18th century. In the 18th century, the French introduced round-shaped coffee beans from Yemen to Bourbon Island where they began to take root and grow. It wasn't until 1860 that Brazil brought round Bourbon back to their country for cultivation, after which it spread to various countries in Central and South America, becoming the most ancient Latin American coffee parent variety.

Bourbon variety cherries are small and round, with high coffee bean density. Bourbon grown at high altitudes has high sweetness and bright acidity. Like Typica, it is also an ancient excellent variety. Bourbon has better resistance to leaf rust than Typica, and its flavor is not inferior to Typica. Common Bourbon cherries gradually change color from green to light yellow and red from flowering to fruit maturity, finally becoming fully ripe deep red, hence called Red Bourbon. Additionally, there are Bourbon varieties that don't turn red when mature, instead becoming rarer yellow or pink colors, namely Yellow Bourbon and Pink Bourbon.

Pink Bourbon Genetics

There is another theory regarding the genetics of Pink Bourbon. Some studies have found that Pink Bourbon is naturally produced by hybridization of Colombia and Caturra varieties. Caturra is a variant of Bourbon, while the Colombia variety, as a coffee tree species heavily promoted for cultivation in Colombia, has obvious advantages due to carrying some Robusta genes - it's high-yielding and resistant to leaf rust. The drawback is its mediocre flavor performance and lack of delicate sweet and sour notes.

The reason Pink Bourbon is considered a rare variety is mainly because maintaining this beautiful pink color is extremely difficult. Sometimes orange Bourbon is harvested because the final color of coffee cherries is determined by recessive genes in pollen grains. Among the pollen grains selected by coffee farmers for hybridization, there are both yellow genes tending toward Yellow Bourbon and red genes tending toward Red Bourbon, all of which are recessive genes that easily interfere with each other.

The "yellow" color of Yellow Bourbon is determined by genetic inheritance and selection of color. Yellow Bourbon grown in high-altitude areas contains high amounts of fructose, presenting sweet and juicy delicate flavors, thus winning multiple excellent rankings in Brazil's Cup of Excellence competitions.

Queen Estate Processing Method

After harvesting ripe Yellow Bourbon coffee cherries, Queen Estate uses natural processing, allowing the coffee cherries to absorb more fruit pulp sweetness during the drying process. Brazil is located near the equator, and since the harvest season coincides with the dry season, coffee cherries are very suitable for direct dehydration and drying through sun exposure. However, the traditional "scorching sun method" process is very crude - after harvesting, cherries are directly spread on the ground to dry, producing coffee that easily mixes with earthy flavors, and uneven heating generates negative over-fermentation aromas. Queen Estate first pours coffee cherries into water tanks, removing insufficiently ripe cherries through flotation, then processes the coffee in small batches on better-ventilated African raised beds, turning them regularly, thus avoiding earthy and over-fermentation flavors. Its sweetness is also a level above traditional natural processing methods.

Due to the higher density and glucose content of Yellow Bourbon coffee beans grown at high altitudes, FrontStreet Coffee's roasting approach is to highlight the classic mellow aroma of Brazilian coffee while showcasing Bourbon's inherent sweetness. After multiple experiments and cupping comparisons, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian Queen Estate coffee beans use medium-dark roasting. Medium-roasted coffee significantly changes the internal structure of the beans, making them porous and more absorbent when ground into coffee powder. If brewing parameters are not properly adjusted, the coffee will easily become over-extracted and bitter. To have enough aroma without over-extraction, it's necessary to reduce the extraction rate. FrontStreet Coffee uses lower water temperature and coarser grind to reduce the release of bitter macromolecules in coffee. Using a KONO dripper for extraction enhances the coffee's body and rounded mouthfeel.

Brewing Parameters

• Water temperature: 87-88°C
• Dripper: KONO
• Grind: Medium (70% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)
• Coffee powder: 15 grams
• Powder-to-water ratio: 1:15
• Three-stage pour method

Use twice the weight of coffee powder in water to wet the coffee bed, forming a dome for a 30-second bloom, then use a small water stream to pour in circles from inside to outside until reaching 125g for the first stage. Wait for the coffee bed to drop to half the dripper's height, then continue with the same fine water stream for the third stage until reaching 225g. Remove the dripper once all coffee liquid has filtered through, taking about 2 minutes. Finally, shake the coffee in the pot to mix evenly and enjoy~

The pour-over FrontStreet Coffee Brazilian Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon coffee presents aromas of dark chocolate, cream, peanuts, and nuts. The entry is as sweet as sugarcane, with balanced taste, bright flavors, and a long-lasting aftertaste in the mouth.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473