What is Yellow Bourbon in Coffee? Yellow Bourbon Coffee Flavor Profile Introduction

FrontStreet Coffee Introduction: Brazil Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon, or Bourbon Amarelo, takes its name from the Latin word for yellow. It is a Bourbon variety with distinctive yellow-skinned fruit, native to the state of São Paulo in Brazil. Most coffee cherries turn red as they ripen, but Yellow Bourbon stays orange-yellow even at full maturity — and that is where it gets its name.

Among Brazil's many varieties, Yellow Bourbon stands out as one of the finest. An ordinary Bourbon cherry moves from green to yellow to red, while Yellow Bourbon keeps its golden color throughout. Grown at high altitude and dried in the whole cherry, it develops a remarkably expressive cup.

Bourbon itself comes from Bourbon Island in the Indian Ocean, now known as Réunion. It is a sub-variety that arose as a mutation of Typica, and together the two rank among the oldest coffee varieties still grown. Green fruit turns bright red when ripe; Yellow Bourbon is believed to have emerged from a cross between Bourbon and another variety. Its relatively low yield and poor resistance to wind and rain have kept it from being widely planted. Grown at altitude, however, it delivers excellent flavor, and it has become far more common in recent years.

Yellow Bourbon, recognized by its yellow ripe fruit, was first found in Brazil and is still grown mainly there. It is generally thought to have resulted from a mutation following a cross between red-fruited Bourbon and a yellow-fruited Typica called "Amerelo de Botocatu."

Many coffee lovers assume that Brazil, despite its enormous output, produces only average-quality beans. In recent years, though, Brazil — the world's largest coffee producer — has invested heavily in specialty cultivation, and high-quality specialty Yellow Bourbon has emerged as a result.

Coffee Details

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 to medium roast (first crack medium)

Dry Aroma: Roasted nuts, sesame

Wet Aroma: Hazelnut, caramel

Cupping Notes: High sweetness, noticeable oily mouthfeel, creamy smoothness

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a classic taste of Brazil, FrontStreet's Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a benchmark single-origin bean. Cerrado is a well-known growing region prized for high-quality coffee, and this red Bourbon is roasted to a medium level that brings out creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel and hazelnut. Round and smooth, with little acidity and a gentle bitter finish, it works equally well as pour-over, moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon or French press.

To explore Yellow Bourbon itself, FrontStreet's Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon comes from Mogiana, close to South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil feeds the fruit and builds a full aroma. A rare Yellow Bourbon descended from a red Bourbon mutation, it shows an especially clean fruit character and a sugarcane sweetness rarely found in other regions, along with fruit and chocolate notes in pour-over, moka pot or a home espresso machine.