Overall Flavor and Taste Characteristics of Yunnan Coffee Beans - Introduction to Yunnan Small Bean Coffee Varieties, Origins, Brands, and Quality Levels

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Yunnan Pu'er tea is very famous, but little do people know that coffee has also become a major specialty of Yunnan. When it comes to coffee, many might think imported varieties are better, unaware that domestic Chinese coffee has already gained significant recognition. FrontStreet Coffee believes that although Yunnan, as China's largest coffee-producing region, may have slightly lower production volumes compared to neighboring countries, the quality of its coffee is by no means inferior to that of other countries. Yunnan's coffee output accounts for 95% of China's total coffee production, making it the main coffee-producing area in the country.

Ideal Growing Conditions

Coffee is an agricultural crop with rather particular requirements for its growing environment. The western and southern parts of Yunnan Province are located between 15°N latitude and the Tropic of Cancer, making it part of the ideal coffee-growing zone. Yunnan's elevation generally ranges between 1,500-2,200 meters. In the southwestern border regions of Yunnan, the terrain is relatively gentle and flat, with typical elevations between 800-1,000 meters, primarily consisting of mountainous and sloped land. Yunnan possesses favorable conditions for coffee cultivation, with a comfortable climate, significant day-night temperature differences, and small seasonal temperature variations. All these conditions provide an excellent environment for growing coffee in Yunnan.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that it is precisely these unique natural conditions that shape the flavor profile of Yunnan coffee—rich without bitterness, fragrant without harshness, with slight fruit notes and a tea-like finish in the aftertaste. Not every place is suitable for growing coffee. FrontStreet Coffee previously attempted to grow coffee in Dazhen, Guangdong, but without a thorough understanding of coffee's growing requirements. After gaining clearer insights, we decided to establish our own coffee estate in Lincang, Yunnan—the FrontStreet Coffee Estate.

Yunnan Coffee Growing Regions

The main renowned coffee-growing regions in Yunnan include: Baoshan, Pu'er, Lincang, and Dehong.

Baoshan Coffee Region

The Baoshan coffee region primarily produces small-bean coffee. As one of Yunnan's three major small-bean coffee regions, Baoshan is a pioneer in small-bean coffee cultivation and processing in China, with a long history of small-bean coffee cultivation and rich experience dating back to the mid-1950s. According to FrontStreet Coffee's research, the oldest coffee trees are already over 60 years old. The Baoshan Lujiangba area in Yunnan Province features a unique dry-hot valley climate found nowhere else in the province or even the country, which is extremely suitable for the growth of Arabica (small-bean coffee). Located at the eastern foot of the Gaoligong Mountains and along both banks of the Nujiang River, at longitude 98°44′-99°05′E and latitude 24°46′-25°33′N, with elevations ranging from 640 to 3,510 meters, most small-bean coffee cultivation areas are situated between 800-1,200 meters elevation, with a small portion planted at around 1,400 meters. The cultivation base features a subtropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of 21.3°C, 2,334.5 annual sunshine hours, and annual rainfall of 721.51-100mm, with basically no frost throughout the year. It is one of the world's famous premium small-bean coffee production areas. International coffee organization tasting experts have evaluated Yunnan coffee as being in the same category as Colombian wet-processed small-bean coffee, representing the highest quality coffee in the world.

Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Varieties

What we commonly call Yunnan coffee is also known as Yunnan small-bean coffee. What exactly are these varieties? According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding: the most famous Yunnan coffee beans are the small-bean variety. Yunnan small-bean coffee originally got its name from Typica, because Typica is the Arabica small-bean variety. The oldest coffee variety in Yunnan is Typica. Later, when Nestlé entered Yunnan, due to Typica's poor disease resistance and to increase coffee bean production, coffee farmers were asked to cut down the flavorful Typica coffee trees and plant varieties with inferior flavor but better disease resistance and higher yields. Initially, the leaf rust-resistant S288 was introduced, followed by the higher-yielding Catimor. This means that the coffee trees currently grown in Yunnan are mainly Catimor varieties, and Yunnan small-bean coffee is essentially Catimor variety coffee.

Typica

Typica is one of the oldest varieties within the Arabica species. Typica coffee trees have reddish-brown terminal leaves, long oval-shaped leaves with smooth surfaces, long terminal branches with few branches, and oval or slender-pointed beans. The flavor is elegant, but the plant is relatively weak with poor disease resistance, susceptible to leaf rust disease, and yields less. The Yunnan Huaguoshan coffee from FrontStreet Coffee is of the Typica variety.

Catimor

Catimor itself is a hybrid cross between Robusta and Arabica. In 1959, the Portuguese moved the Arabica-descended Bourbon variety Caturra to East Timor, where it was crossed with the local Robusta-descended Timor hybrid. This action cultivated Catimor, which has both high disease resistance and productivity. Due to the prevalence of leaf rust disease in coffee-producing countries at that time, Catimor was strongly promoted in various producing countries with international assistance due to its strong disease resistance and high productivity.

However, FrontStreet Coffee Estate grows the higher-priced, lower-yield Typica variety coffee. At the same time, FrontStreet Coffee has implemented stricter screening and management systems and recruited numerous skilled workers, providing them with training. All these efforts have ultimately culminated in the creation of the "FrontStreet Coffee 2013" coffee bean.

FrontStreet Coffee's plantation is located in Lincang, with the base situated at 23°N latitude and 99°E longitude, at elevations ranging from 1,230 to 1,540 meters, with a height difference of 310 meters. The terrain is primarily mountainous and sloped, with significant variations, fertile soil, abundant sunshine, rich rainfall, and large day-night temperature differences. These unique natural conditions have created the lively and bright acidity of FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan coffee is smooth on the palate, with Asian herbal plant flavors and lively, bright acidity. These excellent qualities are determined by various factors including the growing environment, climate, and cultivation management techniques.

Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Processing Methods

Yunnan's climate is unstable—it might be sunny one moment and rainy the next. Considering these factors, most Yunnan coffee beans are processed using the washed method.

The process is as follows: Harvested coffee beans are poured into a depulping machine to separate most of the pulp from the coffee beans, then the parchment beans are guided to a clean water tank and soaked in water for fermentation to completely remove the remaining pulp layer. Through water processing, unripe beans and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy differences, and the fermentation process is easier to control. Therefore, unlike natural-processed beans which may have impure flavors, washed coffee presents distinct fruit acidity, slightly more complexity, and cleaner cup characteristics. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the washed processing method is the best way to showcase local coffee flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Because the Yunnan growing region is not particularly acidic, the coffee bean flavors are quite balanced, with base notes of nuts and brown sugar. FrontStreet Coffee chooses medium roast to showcase the balance, nutty and brown sugar sweetness, and gentle fruit acidity of Yunnan coffee beans.

Brewing Parameters:

• Dripper: V60
• Water temperature: 88°C
• Coffee dose: 15 grams
• Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
• Grind size: Fine sugar granularity (80% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)

During brewing, you can use a three-pour method to extract more complex layers. First, pour 30 grams of water to completely wet the coffee grounds and let bloom for 30 seconds. Then, using a small water flow, slowly pour in a circular motion for the second pour to 125 grams, creating segmentation. When the water level in the dripper drops to just above the coffee bed, continue with the third pour to 225 grams, then stop pouring. Wait for all the water to drip completely into the sharing pot below before removing the dripper. Total extraction time: 2 minutes.

Flavor Profiles:

FrontStreet Coffee Washed Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee: Smells of rich nutty aroma, with herbal, chocolate, and caramel notes on the palate, and a finish with light fruit acidity.

Yunnan Natural Process Typica Coffee: Features nutty tones, with a more robust mouthfeel than washed Yunnan coffee. The acidity is slightly lower than washed Typica Yunnan coffee, but with slightly more sweetness and higher balance. Berry-like acidity is mixed with brown sugar and a slight tea-like sensation.

For coffee brewing, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans to maximize the rich flavors of the coffee. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness has a significant impact on flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Quality Coffee," ensuring that every customer receives the freshest coffee possible when their order arrives. The coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its peak flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that Yunnan small-bean coffee is relatively neutral in terms of mouthfeel—neither too acidic nor too bitter. It truly embodies the characteristics of being fragrant without bitterness, rich without harshness, with comfortable slight acidity, making it quite suitable for popular taste preferences. If you prefer fruit acidity, you should specifically select high-altitude grown and lightly roasted Yunnan small-bean coffee beans, which have higher acidity and weaker bitterness. If you simply don't like acidity, then choose dark roasted beans, though the bitterness will be somewhat higher. FrontStreet Coffee's daily coffee beans include Yunnan small-bean coffee, along with 7 different coffee beans from various producing countries. You're welcome to come and taste them!

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473