Yunnan Coffee Varieties and Brands: Introduction to Yunnan Catimor and Robusta Coffee Beans, Differences and Flavor Characteristics

Yunnan Coffee Varieties: A Comprehensive Guide

Yunnan coffee beans have been attracting more and more attention from coffee enthusiasts. Visitors to FrontStreet Coffee often ask about the quality of Yunnan beans. Yunnan grows many coffee varieties, including common ones like Typica and Catimor as well as less abundant varieties such as Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and Geisha. FrontStreet Coffee will walk you through the varieties of Yunnan coffee.

Typica Coffee Variety

The earliest record of coffee cultivation in Yunnan dates back to 1904, when the French missionary Alfred Tientsne arrived in Dali from Vietnam to carry out religious work. He brought several coffee trees to plant in Zhugula Village, and those varieties were Typica. Typica has excellent flavor characteristics, with rich acidity and high clarity, and it is one of the oldest coffee varieties in the world.

Yunnan began with excellent varieties from the very start, with widespread cultivation taking hold in 1955. During this period every planted variety was Typica. After new varieties were introduced later, Typica became increasingly rare.

Catimor Coffee Variety

The main Catimor varieties in Yunnan divide into CIFC7963, the P series, T5175, and T8667, all of them Catimor lines.

In 1988, Nestlé supported the development of Yunnan's coffee agriculture and introduced Catimor 7963 from the Portuguese Coffee Rust Research Center (CIFC). It was selected and bred at the Dehong Tropical Agricultural Science Research Institute and first trial-planted in Hainan, Baoshan's Lujiangba, and Ruili.

In 1991, Nestlé introduced Catimor P1, P2, P3, and P4 from CIFC for trial planting, with P standing for Population. Among them, P4 had the highest yield. In 1994, the P series began to be promoted in Pu'er City, with P4 accounting for the majority. Later, expert investigation found that Catimor P1, P2, P3, and P4 were in fact 7960, 7961, 7962, and 7963 respectively.

T5175 and T8667 were introduced by Nestlé from Central America in 1994. These two lines were first trial-planted in Pu'er, and both yielded less than 7963.

Thanks to Nestlé's vigorous development of coffee agriculture in Yunnan, 99% of Yunnan's coffee is the Catimor variety, which we commonly call Yunnan small beans. These beans were originally acquired by Nestlé as raw material for instant coffee, with no high demands on flavor. As a result, when people discuss coffee flavor, Yunnan coffee is known for low acidity, nuts, cocoa, and earthy notes, which are considered less than ideal.

Bourbon Coffee Variety

In 1981, when Professor Ma Xijin investigated ancient coffee varieties in Yunnan, he found that in the ancient coffee forest near Zhuli, red-topped Typica accounted for 31% while green-topped Bourbon accounted for 69%. Some experts believe that Father Tian brought not only Typica to Zhugula Village that year but also mixed in Bourbon. Like Typica, Bourbon is an ancient and excellent coffee variety. Today, Yunnan's Bourbon production is even rarer than Typica.

Geisha, Caturra, and Catuai

Over the past 10 years, Yunnan's coffee cultivation has kept developing, including the continuous introduction of outside varieties for research. Geisha naturally joined that lineup. In the 2016 Yunnan Green Bean Competition, a Yunnan Geisha entered for the first time, but it could not compete with the well-established "local powerhouses," ranking only around 30th among 120 coffees.

Some experts believe that when Geisha was transplanted from Panama to Yunnan, the terroir and climate changed tremendously. Without enough years to acclimatize, it is only natural that the variety would struggle to adapt. On top of that, Yunnan's coffee is generally planted at a modest altitude of about 1100 meters, and cultivation management has not kept pace, so it is normal that the resulting Geisha flavor is less than satisfactory.

By 2020, Yunnan's first batch of Geisha became available to the public market in limited quantities.

Many people ask FrontStreet Coffee, "Has Yunnan coffee improved now? Everyone is talking about Yunnan specialty coffee, calling it the pride of domestic products." FrontStreet believes that every producing region will have its best and top-quality beans. That does not represent the overall standard of the entire region, though. Whether a region's flavor has improved should be judged by its most common, ordinary beans.

What is certain is that Yunnan coffee is continuously improving, but to claim that in just 10 years it could transform from instant-coffee raw material into specialty coffee would be self-deceptive and contrary to objective development patterns.

FrontStreet believes that improving coffee flavor and quality comes down to the three essentials often mentioned in agriculture: good land, good varieties, and good cultivation.

Good Land: Coffee is suited to cultivation between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, and southern Yunnan meets that requirement. It is generally believed that coffee beans with better flavor are planted above 1200 meters. Yunnan does have places above 1200 meters, but not many. Currently, many coffee-growing areas in Yunnan sit below 1200 meters.

Good Varieties: Only good coffee varieties can produce coffee with good flavor. This point is beyond question. We believe that better quality means Arabica beans, while Robusta belongs to the category with poor taste. Varieties like Typica and Bourbon are excellent Arabica species, currently planted only in a few areas of Yunnan. 99% of Yunnan coffee is the Catimor variety.

Catimor is a hybrid of Timor and Caturra. Caturra is a Bourbon variant, and Timor is a hybrid of Robusta and Arabica. In other words, Catimor has one-quarter Arabica genes, which is the main reason Yunnan coffee quality cannot reach a higher level.

Good Cultivation: The standard of cultivation management matters greatly for coffee quality. Adopting modern agricultural science and technology together with green cultivation is the path to developing high-quality coffee, as can be seen in Panama's Boquete producing region. Of course, this requires very large amounts of funding. Yunnan still uses inefficient small-scale collective farming, which reveals a clear gap.

FrontStreet believes that only through traditional processing methods can the flavor of a producing region be truly expressed. On FrontStreet's bean menu, there are therefore 4 Yunnan coffees - Typica and Catimor beans processed by both natural and washed methods.

Yunnan Small Bean Coffee

Region: Baoshan, Yunnan, China
Altitude: 1200 meters
Variety: Catimor
Processing Method: Washed
Flavor: Melon and fruit aroma, sweet melon, brown sugar, plum acidity, tea-like sensation

Catimor is currently the most common coffee variety in Yunnan, and washed processing best expresses the regional flavor. FrontStreet therefore makes this bean the daily staple for the Yunnan region. FrontStreet selected Catimor from the Baoshan producing region. Baoshan is a famous coffee-producing area in Yunnan, with Lujiangba especially well known. If you want to know how Yunnan coffee is doing now, FrontStreet suggests you try this bean.

Yunnan Natural Catimor

Region: Baoshan, Yunnan, China
Altitude: 1450-1550 meters
Variety: Catimor
Processing Method: Natural
Flavor: Nuts, chocolate, spices, caramel, red berries

This natural Catimor also comes from Lujiangba in Baoshan, Yunnan. We know that Arabica planted at higher altitudes has better flavor. This bean grows at 1450-1550 meters, so its flavor quality is naturally better. It uses full red cherry natural processing: carefully selected large red cherries are naturally processed, giving the coffee extremely high sweetness. FrontStreet considers it a top-tier example among Catimor varieties.

Yunnan Flower Fruit Mountain

Region: Baoshan, Yunnan, China
Altitude: 1200 meters
Variety: Typica
Processing Method: Washed
Flavor: Plum, brown sugar, sweet melon, Pu'er tea

Typica is one of the few excellent varieties in Yunnan. Compared with Catimor grown in the same environment, Typica shows better flavor performance and a cleaner taste. This bean also comes from the prestigious Lujiangba in Baoshan and uses washed processing. You can taste the characteristic flower and fruit aroma of Yunnan in it, which is why FrontStreet named this bean "Flower Fruit Mountain." You can compare it directly with washed Catimor.

Yunnan · FrontStreet Coffee 2013

Region: Lincang, Yunnan, China
Altitude: 1300 meters
Variety: Typica
Processing Method: Natural
Flavor: Dried apricot, plum, yellow sugar, chocolate

FrontStreet began planting coffee in Yunnan in 2013. FrontStreet's original idea for coffee cultivation was to test a hypothesis: could "good land, good varieties, good cultivation" really change the criticized taste of Yunnan coffee? With that hypothesis in mind, FrontStreet visited the Tropical Agricultural Science Research Institute and senior researchers who had grown coffee for years. They found an undeveloped forest and started growing coffee from scratch. FrontStreet deeply understood the importance of varieties and specially chose Typica, which has taken root in Yunnan for many years. Typica is rather delicate and needs extreme care. The FrontStreet staff responsible for cultivation built simple houses at the foot of the mountain and began a life of working from sunrise to sunset. FrontStreet's plantation is in Lincang, near the Myanmar border, sparsely populated with only a small village of a few dozen people nearby, so the area retains its original ecological environment - very suitable for growing good coffee.

In 2020, the first batch of Yunnan Typica beans grown by FrontStreet came to market, named "FrontStreet Coffee 2013." It uses full red cherry natural processing to highlight sweetness. The flavors FrontStreet detected during cupping were apricot preserves, Sanhua plums, and caramel chocolate.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The article above notes that Panama's Boquete region is the benchmark for Geisha quality, so it makes sense to taste that benchmark for yourself. FrontStreet's Boquete Gesha is an entry-level Geisha from Boquete - the Panamanian town that gave rise to estates like Emerald and Elida - and it is a cost-effective way to experience the classic orange-honey character of Panamanian Geisha. It carries a fragrant white coffee-blossom aroma, with citrus, melon, and honey on the palate and a caramel note in the background, and it suits pour-over, drip bags, cold brew, a clever dripper, and French press.

For a higher grade, FrontStreet's Emerald Estate Red Label Gesha is the one to seek out. Emerald Estate's Geisha line is divided into Red Label and Green Label grades; the Red Label is formally called "Esmeralda Special," grown at 1,600-1,800 meters, and every lot must cup above 90 points, with each lot carrying its own number and coming entirely from a single small plot, so buyers can pick the flavor nuance that suits them. Expect the classic profile of extremely elegant jasmine florals with the delicate notes of citrus, bergamot, and black tea. The cup is clean and transparent, the finish is long, and the layering is rich - still one of the ultimate experiences many coffee lovers chase.