The Hidden History of Bourbon Coffee Beans

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FrontStreet Coffee - Bourbon Coffee Introduction

The Bourbon variety originates from Ethiopia and is a natural mutation of Bourbon. It first appeared on Reunion Island and was first recorded in 1947. Burundi, Rwanda, and South American regions are the main coffee growing areas for Bourbon. Although this variety is similar to Typica, Bourbon is stronger than Typica, with higher yields and lower caffeine content, but the plants are shorter and have very low disease resistance, making them more susceptible to leaf rust.

The name Bourbon coffee comes from the island where it was cultivated. In 1715, France transplanted round coffee beans from Yemen's Mocha 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 St. Helena Island for cultivation. During the 1860s and 1870s, Brazil in South America first introduced the Bourbon variety, gradually replacing Typica. Bourbon then rapidly expanded northward to other regions in South and Central America.

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

Red Bourbon

Generally, after Red Bourbon coffee trees flower and bear fruit, the color change of coffee cherries follows: green > light yellow > light orange > mature red > darker red when fully ripe, hence some people call it "Red Bourbon variety." In fact, Red Bourbon is what we generally refer to as Bourbon variety. Bourbon grown at high altitudes typically has better aroma, brighter acidity, and may even have wine-like flavors when tasted.

To put it simply, Bourbon is a coffee tree variety belonging to the Arabica species. It generally bears red fruits, called Red Bourbon. In addition, there are also Yellow Bourbon and Orange Bourbon. Yellow Bourbon has relatively lower yields but better quality.

Caturra

Caturra is a Bourbon variety discovered in Brazil in 1935. It became popular among coffee farmers because it can tolerate direct sunlight and doesn't require shade trees in the growing areas. Caturra also has high yields but requires high soil fertility. Due to its excellent flavor performance in cupping, it has been accepted by specialty coffee enthusiasts today.

Bourbon Pointu

Bourbon Pointu is a variant of the Bourbon variety, discovered in 1810 on the French Bourbon Island. The coffee tree is dwarf-type, with pointed coffee beans that resemble defective, underdeveloped beans. It has the lowest yield among dwarf Bourbon varieties, is weak and prone to disease, but its flavor is very special, with distinctive citrus and lychee notes. Additionally, its caffeine content is half that of small-seed varieties, making it naturally low-caffeine coffee.

SL28

From 1930 to 1940, botanists at Kenya's Scott Laboratories cultivated and selected new Bourbon varieties with strong disease resistance, high productivity, and drought tolerance. These varieties adapt to Kenya's high-phosphate soil and open-field cultivation methods, while offering rich berry flavors and lively acidity, making them widely loved by coffee enthusiasts.

In Summary

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