The Hidden History of Bourbon Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee - Bourbon Coffee Introduction

The Bourbon variety traces its roots back to Ethiopia, where it arose as a natural mutation. It first appeared on Reunion Island and was first recorded in 1947. Burundi, Rwanda, and parts of South America are the main growing regions for Bourbon today. Although it resembles Typica, Bourbon is a stronger plant than Typica, with higher yields and lower caffeine content — but the trees are shorter, and their disease resistance is very low, leaving them especially vulnerable to leaf rust.

The name comes from the island where it was cultivated. In 1715, the French transplanted round coffee beans from Yemen's Mocha to Bourbon Island off the east coast of Africa (renamed Reunion Island after the French Revolution), and the variety took its name from the island. In 1717, the French brought over another batch of round Bourbon seedlings from Yemen, which became the forerunner of Bourbon coffee as we know it.

In 1732, the British East India Company carried Bourbon seedlings from Yemen to St. Helena Island for cultivation. Then during the 1860s and 1870s, Brazil became the first South American country to introduce Bourbon, which gradually displaced Typica. From there Bourbon spread rapidly northward through South and Central America.

After 1900, French missionaries carried Bourbon from Bourbon Island to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and beyond. Today, Bourbon is a major force in high-quality coffee worldwide.

Red Bourbon

After Red Bourbon trees flower and set fruit, the cherries change color in a familiar sequence: green, then light yellow, then light orange, then mature red, deepening further when fully ripe — which is why some people simply call it the "Red Bourbon variety." In fact, Red Bourbon is just the Bourbon variety we generally mean. Bourbon grown at high altitudes typically shows better aroma, brighter acidity, and sometimes even wine-like flavors in the cup.

To put it simply, Bourbon is an Arabica variety that usually bears red fruit — hence Red Bourbon. There are also Yellow Bourbon and Orange Bourbon; Yellow Bourbon yields less but delivers better quality.

Caturra

Caturra is a Bourbon-derived variety discovered in Brazil in 1935. Farmers took to it because it tolerates direct sunlight and doesn't need shade trees. It is high-yielding but demands fertile soil, and thanks to its excellent cupping performance it has been embraced by specialty coffee lovers.

Bourbon Pointu

Bourbon Pointu is a Bourbon variant discovered in 1810 on the French island of Bourbon (Reunion). The tree is a dwarf type, and its pointed beans look almost like defective, underdeveloped seeds. Among the dwarf Bourbons it has the lowest yield, and the plants are frail and disease-prone — but the flavor is exceptional, with distinctive citrus and lychee notes. Its caffeine content is only half that of standard small-seed varieties, making it a naturally low-caffeine coffee.

SL28

From 1930 to 1940, botanists at Kenya's Scott Laboratories bred and selected new Bourbon-derived varieties with strong disease resistance, high productivity, and drought tolerance. Adapted to Kenya's high-phosphate soils and open-field cultivation, they offer rich berry flavors and lively acidity, and are widely loved by coffee enthusiasts.

In Summary

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge. We hold nothing back, hoping to help more people fall in love with coffee. Every month we run three promotional events with significant discounts, because letting more friends enjoy great coffee at fair prices has been the FrontStreet Coffee mission for the past six years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Bourbon fans should look to Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, where the variety thrives. Brazilian coffees carry moderate acidity and a beautifully balanced mix of sweetness, bitterness, and body — a profile that suits medium roasting perfectly, coaxing out nutty aromas and a smooth, gently tart cup suitable as a single origin or a blend component.

Try the FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon, a classic semi-washed Brazilian single origin from the celebrated Cerrado region. Roasted medium, it unfolds aromas of creamy peanut, toast, caramel, and hazelnut, with a round mouthfeel, no sharp acidity, and only a light bitter touch — at home in pour-over, moka pot, espresso (SOE), siphon, or French press. Or reach for the FrontStreet Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon from Mogiana, near southern Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil builds the beans' full aroma. A rare mutation of Red Bourbon, the yellow fruit gives a cleaner fruit character, a distinctive sugarcane sweetness, and notes of fruit and chocolate.