How Does Bourbon Coffee Taste | Bourbon Coffee Characteristics | How to Best Enjoy Bourbon Coffee

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Among coffee bean varieties, Bourbon is quite common, especially in America, such as Brazil.

From a biological classification perspective, coffee varieties can be divided into Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. The main coffee varieties consumed worldwide are Arabica and Robusta. Generally, Arabica is mainly used for single-origin or specialty coffee. From both coffee culture and genetic perspectives, Bourbon and Typica are the two most important branches of Arabica coffee.

Bourbon Origin and Characteristics

Bourbon originates from Ethiopia as a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. It first appeared on Reunion Island (formerly known as Île Bourbon) and was first recorded in 1947. Burundi, Rwanda, and South America are the main coffee-growing regions for Bourbon. Although this variety is similar to Typica, Bourbon is stronger than Typica, with higher yields and lower caffeine content, but the plants are shorter with very low disease resistance, making them more susceptible to coffee leaf rust.

The first large-scale commercial coffee planting in Central and South America was of the Typica variety. While Typica was being introduced to producing regions, another coffee variety—Bourbon—was transplanted from Yemen to Bourbon Island and then spread worldwide, leading to the current century-long competition between Bourbon and Typica.

The Origin and Spread of Bourbon Coffee

The name Bourbon coffee originates from the island where it was first cultivated. In 1715, France transplanted round Yemen Mocha coffee beans to Bourbon Island on the east coast of Africa (renamed Reunion Island after the French Revolution), hence the name Bourbon. Later, in 1717, the French brought another batch of round Bourbon seedlings from Yemen, which became the predecessor of Bourbon coffee.

In 1732, the British East India Company took Bourbon coffee seedlings from Yemen to Saint Helena Island for cultivation. Between 1860 and 1870, Brazil, a coffee-producing region in Central and South America, first introduced the Bourbon variety, gradually replacing Typica. Bourbon then rapidly expanded northward to other regions in South and Central America.

After 1900, French missionaries introduced Bourbon coffee from Bourbon Island to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and other places. Today, Bourbon coffee has become one of the main forces of quality coffee worldwide.

Varietal Characteristics of Bourbon Coffee

Slightly different from the red-tipped Typica coffee, Bourbon coffee has green tips, broad leaves with wavy edges, and yields 30% higher than Typica coffee. The beans are relatively round and short, with rich berry acidity, distinct cream and fragrance, strong acidity, and obvious fruit acidity. However, it shares the same problem of poor disease resistance.

FrontStreet Coffee has roasted and tasted multiple varieties of FrontStreet Coffee Bourbon, finding that their green beans are generally smaller, relatively round and short, with sweeter flavors, carrying nutty and creamy characteristics.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that FrontStreet Coffee Bourbon's characteristics are quite balanced, making it suitable whether for pour-over or espresso blends!

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