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

Introduction to Natural Low-Caffeine Laurina Coffee

Genetic Mutation Variety

Laurina (Bourbon Pointu): Discovered in 1810 on Bourbon Island, its bean shape changed from round to pointed, and it carries only half the caffeine of ordinary coffee; 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 noticed that some trees in his plantation had become relatively small, producing pointed beans clearly different from the original Bourbon variety. After French botanists confirmed it as a Bourbon variant, it was named "Laurina" (Bourbon Pointu).

Because of its extremely low caffeine content, this rare Laurina also lost much of its ability to resist pests, which made cultivation and commercialization difficult. Combined with the hurricane climate of Reunion Island and the rise of the sugar industry, sugarcane gradually replaced coffee, and Laurina disappeared from world coffee history to become a legend.

It was not until between 1999 and 2007 that the Japanese coffee expert Yoshiaki Kawashima, working together with local botanists on Reunion, succeeded in reviving this rare coffee bean and letting it showcase its charm once more.

Thanks to its excellent flavor and low caffeine content (minimal impact on sleep), Laurina was beloved as early as the 18th century. Many famous figures, including French King Louis XV and the novelist Honore de Balzac, counted among its "fans." Across the 18th and 19th centuries Laurina was widely grown on Bourbon Island, peaking at an annual production of 4,000 metric tons in 1800. Then a series of disasters followed - hurricanes, fire ants, leaf rust - and cultivation steadily declined. Finally, in 1942, the last batch of Laurina shipped back to France amounted to a mere 200 kilograms. After that Laurina vanished without a trace, no longer even mentioned in official documents. From the 1950s onward, no one on Reunion grew coffee, and the island's agriculture shifted entirely to crops such as sugarcane. The coffee world came to regard Laurina as "extinct."

Given that the bean was lost for half a century before reappearing 8 years ago, Laurina from its original home on Reunion Island now sells for over 500 yuan per 100 grams on the international market. Only then did Colombia begin cultivating it, and only Camilo Merizalde, the source of beans for multiple WBC champions, dared to take on transplanting the variety. With annual global production of just a few tons, this bean naturally commands a premium price.

Flavor Profile

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

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If a low-caffeine, gentle cup is what you are after, Laurina is the rare gem - but for approachable everyday specialty coffee, FrontStreet has a friendly lineup to start with. From Ethiopia, the natural-sun-dried Huakui shows berry, floral, jackfruit, melon, and honey notes, while the washed Guodingding Cooperative from Yirgacheffe offers jasmine florals, lemony acidity, and berry tones.

From Brazil, the Cerrado Red Bourbon is an entry-level single origin famous for being delicious and affordable, with typical cream, peanut, and cocoa flavors, and the higher-grown Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon adds the sweetness of sugarcane to Brazil's buttery, nutty (sunflower seed, macadamia, almond) aromas - silky whether brewed alone or with milk. From Indonesia, the wet-hulled Mandheling is richer and smoother than Blue Mountain, with herbal and spice notes for those who avoid acidity, and the triple-hand-sorted, machine-selected PWN Golden Mandheling tastes even cleaner, with clear woodsy aroma and caramel sweetness.

Closer to home, FrontStreet's Yunnan small-bean coffee from Baoshan (washed, medium roast) delivers classic nut, chocolate, brown sugar, and black tea flavors, and the 2013 Yunnan Typica grown at 1,300 meters shows hazelnut, dried apricot, black tea, caramel, and ripe plum at a medium roast. Any of these makes a gentle, balanced introduction to specialty coffee - far gentler on the palate and the wallet than rare Laurina, though every bit as rewarding.