What are the coffee varieties in Colombia and how did Bourbon coffee beans travel there

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Colombian Bourbon Varieties

Colombia is a typical northern hemisphere country, with 80% of its territory north of the equator. Colombia's coffee growing regions are mainly in the western part, where the Andes Mountains traverse western Colombia, creating many complex topographical features and different climates. In Colombia, the differentiation of coffee flavors is much greater than its neighbor Brazil, because Brazil is basically flat and fertile plains. In Colombia, even adjacent regions can produce different coffee flavors due to different terrains, landforms, and climates.

Nowadays, when people talk about the most authentic South American coffee, they generally think of Colombian coffee. In China, with the popularization of specialty coffee, more and more Chinese people have come to love coffees from different countries and origins, among which Colombian coffee is particularly sought after by coffee connoisseurs! Colombian coffee is one of the few single-origin coffees sold under a country name in the world.

Coffee Varieties

In addition to common American coffee varieties such as Caturra, Bourbon, Typica, and Pacamara, Colombia also has three unique disease-resistant varieties: Castillo, Tabi, and the Colombia variety (named after the country). Of course, there are also some rare and precious varieties like Geisha, small-grained Mocha, Rume Sudan, and Eugenioides.

The name Bourbon coffee originates from the island where it was first cultivated. In 1715, France transplanted round Yemen Mocha beans to Bourbon Island on the east coast of Africa (renamed Reunion Island after the French Revolution), hence the name Bourbon. Then in 1717, the French brought another batch of round Bourbon seedlings from Yemen, which became the predecessor of Bourbon coffee.

In 1732, the British East India Company brought Bourbon coffee seedlings from Yemen to Saint Helena Island for cultivation. Between 1860 and 1870, Brazil in South America first introduced the Bourbon variety, gradually replacing Typica, and then Bourbon rapidly expanded northward to other regions of South and Central America.

After 1900, French missionaries introduced Bourbon coffee from Bourbon Island to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and other places. Nowadays, Bourbon coffee has become a major force in quality coffee worldwide.

Tree characteristics of Bourbon coffee: Bourbon coffee has green tops, broad leaves with wavy edges, and yields 30% higher than Typica coffee. The beans are relatively round and short, with rich berry acidity, distinct cream and fragrance, strong acidity, and prominent fruity acidity. However, the same problem is poor disease resistance.

Knowledge point: Arabica coffee is generally considered to originate from the Ethiopian highlands and is widely distributed in tropical regions. Through repeated mutations and breeding, it has derived into numerous varieties.

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unreserved sharing is only to help more friends fall in love with coffee, and we hold three discounted coffee activities every month. The reason is that FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends drink the best coffee at the lowest price, which has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

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