Pink Bourbon Coffee Beans | Origin of Pink Bourbon and Pour-Over Taste Profile

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

Yellow Bourbon: A Rare Brazilian Variety

Yellow Bourbon (Bourbon Amarello), also translated as Yellow Bourbon in English, is a unique yellow-skinned Bourbon variety native to São Paulo state, Brazil. Normally, coffee cherries turn red when ripe, but Yellow Bourbon does not turn red when mature, instead displaying an orange-yellow color, hence its name. The flavor characteristics of Yellow Bourbon are remarkably elegant in cupping, with prominent sweetness, aroma, and acidity. FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate coffee beans are selected from this rare Yellow Bourbon variety.

FrontStreet Coffee: Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon Coffee Beans

Region: Mogiana region
Estate: Fazenda Rainha (Queen Estate)
Altitude: 1,400-1,950m
Variety: Yellow Bourbon
Processing: Natural processing
Flavor notes: Nuts, chocolate, cream, peanut, sugarcane

FrontStreet Coffee learned through research that the world's Arabica coffee varieties consist of Typica and Bourbon, along with their descendants. Among these, Bourbon is primarily popular in Central and South American countries and is one of Brazil's main varieties. The name Bourbon originates from Bourbon Island, now known as Réunion Island, located on the east coast of Africa. In the 17th century, as a French territory, it was named Bourbon Island until the late 18th century when it was renamed. In the 18th century, the French introduced round-shaped coffee beans from Yemen to Bourbon Island, where they took root and grew. It wasn't until 1860 that Brazil brought round Bourbon back to the 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-density coffee beans. Bourbon grown at high altitudes exhibits high sweetness and bright acidity. Like Typica, it is an ancient and superior variety. Bourbon shows better resistance to leaf rust than Typica, with flavors that are no less impressive. Common Bourbon cherries transition from flowering to fruit maturity, with colors gradually changing from green to light yellow, red, and finally to fully ripe dark red, hence called Red Bourbon. Additionally, there are Bourbon varieties that do not turn red when mature, instead turning into rarer yellow or pink colors - namely Yellow Bourbon and Pink Bourbon.

There is another theory regarding the genetics of Pink Bourbon. Some studies have found that Pink Bourbon is naturally produced by hybridization between Colombia and Caturra varieties. Caturra is a variant of Bourbon, while the Colombia variety, as a coffee tree species heavily promoted and cultivated in Colombia, shows obvious advantages due to its partial Robusta genes - high yield and leaf rust resistance. However, its drawback is mediocre flavor performance and lack of delicate sweetness and acidity.

The Rarity of Pink Bourbon

The reason Pink Bourbon is considered a rare variety is mainly because maintaining this beautiful pink color is extremely difficult. Sometimes farmers harvest orange Bourbon cherries because the final color of coffee cherries is determined by recessive genes in pollen grains. Among the pollen grains selected by farmers for hybridization, there are both yellow genes leaning toward Yellow Bourbon and red genes leaning 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 selection of color genes. Yellow Bourbon grown in high-altitude areas contains high amounts of fructose, presenting sweet and juicy refined flavors. For this reason, it has won multiple top honors in Brazil's Cup of Excellence (COE) competition.

Queen Estate's Processing Method

After harvesting ripe Yellow Bourbon coffee cherries, Queen Estate employs natural processing, allowing the coffee cherries to absorb more 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 "sun-drying method" is quite crude - cherries are dumped directly on mud ground for drying after harvesting, and the resulting coffee easily mixes with earthy flavors. Uneven heating can produce negative aromas of over-fermentation.

Queen Estate first pours coffee cherries into water tanks, removing insufficiently ripe fruits through flotation. Then, the coffee is processed in small batches on African raised beds with better air permeability, with regular turning to avoid earthy flavors and over-fermentation. The sweetness is also elevated to a higher level compared to traditional natural processing.

Due to the higher density and glucose content of Yellow Bourbon coffee beans grown at high altitudes, FrontStreet Coffee's roasting approach aims to highlight the classic rich aroma of Brazilian coffee while showcasing Bourbon's inherent sweetness.

Roasting and Brewing Recommendations

After multiple experiments and cupping comparisons, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate coffee beans are roasted to medium-dark level. Medium-dark roasting significantly changes the internal structure of the beans, making them more porous. When ground into coffee powder, they have stronger water absorption. If brewing parameters are not properly adjusted, the coffee can easily become over-extracted and bitter. To achieve sufficient aroma without over-extraction, it's necessary to reduce the extraction rate. FrontStreet Coffee uses slightly lower water temperature and coarser grind size to reduce the release of bitter macromolecules from the coffee. Combined with extraction using a KONO dripper, this enhances the coffee's body and rounded mouthfeel.

Pour-over Parameters:

Water temperature: 87-88°C
Dripper: KONO
Grind: Medium (70% retention on China standard #20 sieve)
Coffee dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15 (coffee to water)
Pouring method: Three-stage pour

Use twice the amount of water as the coffee dose to moisten the coffee bed, forming a dome for 30 seconds of blooming. Then, using a small water stream, pour in circles from inside to outside until reaching 125g, then pause. Wait until the coffee bed drops to half the dripper's height, then continue with the same fine stream to pour 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 server to evenly mix before enjoying.

The pour-over Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon coffee presents aromas of dark chocolate, cream, peanut, and nuts. The entrance is as refreshingly sweet as sugarcane, with balanced mouthfeel and bright flavors. The aftertaste persists in the mouth for a long time.

Important Notice :

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