Which Coffee Bean Represents the Bourbon Lineage: The Turbulent Journey of Bourbon Coffee Beans

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FrontStreet Coffee - Bourbon Variety Introduction

Among the several lines of coffee breeding history, one traces back to 1715 when coffee was introduced from Yemen to Réunion. The Bourbon coffee variety was the first cultivar planted on this island along this lineage. Later, the island was occupied by France during the Bourbon dynasty's reign, which is how it got its name. Réunion was also known as Bourbon Island, and the coffee variety cultivated here was called Bourbon. After the French Revolution, the island reverted to its original name Réunion. Although the Bourbon dynasty fell and Réunion regained its name, the name "Bourbon coffee" has endured.

Bourbon is a genetic mutation of the original Typica variety that occurred on Réunion Island. It serves as the paternal or even grandpaternal variety for many popular Latin American coffee cultivars—including Caturra, Catuai, Pacas, Mundo Novo, and others. Bourbon remains widely popular in Latin America today and has also traveled across oceans to Africa, taking root in Rwanda and Burundi. Most Bourbon cherries ripen red, though there are also yellow or orange varieties. Bourbon's yield is approximately 20-30% higher than Typica. While its flavor is slightly sweeter and sometimes more balanced, these two coffee varieties are overall very similar.

Yellow Bourbon

In 1871, a strange phenomenon occurred in Botucatu, São Paulo state, Brazil, where the Typica variety suddenly mutated to produce yellow berries instead of red ones. Since no such beans existed in local records, they were simply called "Yellow Botucatu." Farmers were curious about the color of these beans and continued to cultivate them. Some research experts at the time believed this was a natural mutation of Red Bourbon.

By 1930, the name "Yellow Bourbon" officially emerged. It was first discovered near Pederneiras, Brazil, on a Red Bourbon farm. This plantation produced yellow coffee cherries using the same methods as for Red Bourbon, which is why some people suggest it might be a natural hybrid between Red Bourbon and Yellow Botucatu. (I'm not sure what the logic behind this is either.)

This development caught the attention of the Agronomic Institute of Campinas in Brazil. Carlos Arnaldo Krug began researching Yellow Bourbon in 1942. He discovered the genetic origins of coffee bean color—simply put, the dominant gene AaAa produces red coffee fruits, while the recessive gene aaaa produces yellow fruits. Yellow Bourbon carries the aaaa gene. The yellow color of this variety when ripe can be considered representative of Bourbon coffee beans.

Key Point: The two ancient varieties, Typica and Bourbon, have been cultivated in the diverse environments of the New World for three hundred years, creating countless varieties and hybrid cultivars.

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