What Coffee Varieties are Low-Caffeine? Introduction to Natural Low-Caffeine Laurina Coffee Beans

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Introduction to Natural Low-Caffeine Laurina Coffee

Genetic Mutation Variety

Laurina (Bourbon Pointu): Discovered in 1810 on Bourbon Island, the bean shape changed from round to pointed, with only half the caffeine content; however, it yields small quantities and has weak vigor, making it extremely precious (mostly cultivated in laboratories).

Around 1810, a coffee farmer named Leroy on the island discovered that some coffee trees in his plantation had become relatively small, producing pointed-shaped coffee beans that were distinctly different from the original Bourbon variety. After confirmation by French botanists as a Bourbon variant, it was named "Laurina" (Bourbon Pointu).

However, this rare Laurina, due to its extremely low caffeine content, also weakened its ability to resist pests, causing difficulties in cultivation and commercialization. Combined with the hurricane climate of Réunion Island and the subsequent rise of the sugar industry, sugarcane cultivation gradually replaced coffee cultivation. Laurina disappeared from world coffee history and became a legend.

It wasn't until between 1999 and 2007 that Japanese coffee expert Yoshiaki Kawashima worked together with local botanists from Réunion to successfully revive this rare coffee bean, allowing it to once again showcase its charm.

Due to its excellent flavor and low caffeine content (minimal impact on sleep), Laurina was already beloved by people as early as the 18th century. Many famous figures, including French King Louis XV and novelist Honoré de Balzac, were its "fans." During the two hundred years between the 18th and 19th centuries, Laurina was widely cultivated on Bourbon Island, reaching a peak annual production of 4,000 metric tons in 1800. However, a series of disasters followed - hurricanes, fire ants, leaf rust disease - causing cultivation to gradually decline. Finally, in 1942, the last batch of Laurina shipped back to France amounted to only a pitiful 200 kilograms. From then on, Laurina disappeared without a trace, and even official documents no longer mentioned it. After the 1950s, no one on Réunion Island grew coffee anymore. The island's agriculture completely shifted to other crops such as sugarcane. Coffee and Réunion Island were no longer connected, and Laurina was recognized by the coffee industry as "extinct."

Given that this bean disappeared for half a century until it reappeared 8 years ago, Laurina produced in its original habitat of La Reunion Island now sells for over 500 yuan per 100 grams on the international market. Only then did Colombia begin cultivating this bean, and only Camilo Merizalde, source of beans for multiple WBC champions, dared to take on the transplantation of this variety. Therefore, this coffee bean, with an annual global production of just a few tons, commands a premium price.

Flavor Profile

Bright acidity, with notes of blueberry and vanilla, and a velvet-like smoothness.

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