Is Bourbon Coffee Variety Arabica? Does Yunnan Bourbon Coffee Have Different Performance?

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Yunnan Small Bean Coffee

Yunnan's coffee producing regions are situated between 15°N latitude and the Tropic of Cancer, with most areas ranging from 1000-2000 meters in altitude. The terrain is predominantly mountainous and sloped with significant variations, fertile soil, abundant sunshine, plentiful rainfall, and substantial temperature differences between day and night. Different producing regions create distinct flavors in Yunnan coffee.

Yunnan beans include Arabica varieties.

The world's second-largest producing region, Vietnam, primarily produces Robusta. Yunnan cultivates two Arabica coffee varieties as its main crops: Typica and Bourbon. In 1991, Catimor was introduced from Kenya—a variety with stronger virus resistance, higher yields, and lower altitude requirements. Currently, Catimor is the most widely planted variety in Yunnan, with small amounts of Typica and Bourbon still cultivated in some areas.

Bourbon

Bourbon originates from Typica and was expanded after being planted by the French in 1708 on Bourbon Island (now Réunion). Bourbon同样 has wonderful aroma and rich flavors, with higher yields and growth vigor compared to Typica. It is suitable for cultivation in regions at 1200-2000 meters altitude, but has weaker disease and pest resistance, and is more sensitive to strong winds and heavy rainfall. Bourbon coffee is the second most important variety among small bean coffees after Typica. It has denser lateral branch nodes, bears more fruit, and yields higher production. However, the berries are smaller and mature slower. Bourbon's terminal buds and young leaves are green, earning it the name "green-top coffee."

Coffee beans from regions such as Pu'er, Lincang, Simao, and Banna possess quality comparable to Colombian coffee beans, even with a unique herbal flavor—yet the two are worlds apart. Facing Colombian coffee beans with their long history and strong brands, Yunnan coffee beans remain hidden in the mountains, unknown to the world. Despite Yunnan's natural advantages of low latitude, high altitude, and significant day-night temperature differences—which make Yunnan's coffee production account for over 90% of the country's total—the vast majority of Yunnan coffee beans still follow the "export for domestic re-import" path: exported at low prices, packaged with foreign branding, and then sold back to China, completely erasing the "Yunnan element."

Knowledge Point

In 1892, French missionary Father Tian successfully cultivated coffee in a place called Zhukula in Yunnan, where 4 coffee trees over 90 years old still exist today.

In Summary

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