Coffee Origins and Flavor Characteristics Introduction: The Origin of Pink Bourbon - Coffee's Delicate Maiden

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Pink Bourbon Coffee Variety

Bourbon Coffee - Bourbon Variety

Before we get to Pink Bourbon, a quick word on what Bourbon coffee is. Bourbon was originally cultivated on Réunion Island, which was also called Bourbon Island before 1789. Along with Typica, Bourbon is one of the oldest coffee varieties still in existence. The cherries ripen to a bright red.

Bourbon Coffee - Pink Bourbon

Pink Bourbon, as the name suggests, produces romantic pink cherries when ripe. It is an extremely rare new variety, created by crossing Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. What makes it rare is mainly that holding on to that beautiful pink color is very difficult. Orange Bourbons sometimes show up in the harvest, because cherry color is ultimately governed by recessive genes in the pollen. Among the pollen grains selected for crossing, some carry yellow genes tending toward Yellow Bourbon and some carry red genes tending toward Red Bourbon—all recessive, and easily interfering with one another.

Today Pink Bourbon can be found in Colombia and Guatemala. Take this batch as an example: roughly 1,800 coffee trees, each producing about 1.8kg of fresh cherries per harvest season. After pulping, that yields approximately 0.36kg of coffee beans. In a normal harvest season, the total output of this coffee is less than 650kg.

Colombian Pink Bourbon was first discovered by coffee farmer Rodrigo Sanchez in the Colombian Vereda growing region. As the name suggests, Pink Bourbon cherries turn pink when ripe, and it is a hybrid of Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. Pink Bourbon is an extremely rare bean variety—far scarcer than Pacamara and Geisha.

Among the genes that determine cherry color, red and yellow are dominant, while pink and orange are recessive. That is why Pink Bourbon is so rare, and why it stays hard to stabilize even when it does appear. Pink Bourbon also poses a challenge at harvest, since ripeness is difficult to judge.

Pink Bourbon is not only rare but also excellent in the cup. After a light roast, this Pink Bourbon from Santa Adolfo, Vereda, Colombia, shows wonderful fruit flavors: green grape juice, berries, floral notes, sweetness, and smoothness.

Knowledge Point

Pink Bourbon is a hybrid of Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. The success rate of the cross is relatively low, which is what makes Pink Bourbon so scarce. It has strong disease resistance.

In Summary

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombia is one of the broadest coffee origins there is: it works equally well in an espresso blend and as a pour-over single origin, with fruit-forward styles, full-bodied styles, and aroma-driven styles all available. FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Huila comes from Huila province in the southern Central Cordillera, the country's best-known specialty region, where the mountains meet the nation's most important rivers and growing altitudes sit above 1500 meters. This washed Huila is roasted medium-dark, which brings out black chocolate and nutty sweetness, moderate oils, and a full body. It suits pour-over and French press, but also moka pot and espresso machine for Americanos and lattes.

For something more experimental, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Frontera Estate Sidra is processed anaerobically. Anaerobic fermentation—sometimes called carbonic maceration—means fermenting in a low-oxygen or oxygen-free environment, usually in a pressure-resistant stainless steel tank where temperature, time, and pH can be controlled. This Sidra is anaerobically sun-dried, and the oxygen-free fermentation converts the fruit into richer tropical aromas. Roasted medium-light, it brews as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot, with complex passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried-fruit notes.

If you have a home espresso machine or a moka pot, FrontStreet Coffee recommends the Specialty Blend, an espresso blend built with cafes in mind. It combines the creamy nut aroma of Brazil with the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombia, pulls a fine golden crema, and pairs beautifully with milk for a rich, smooth latte. It is very forgiving for beginners, and also works as the base for Americanos, cappuccinos, and mochas.