Demystifying Bourbon Coffee Varieties: What's the True Color of Bourbon? It's Actually Rainbow-Colored

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Bourbon Coffee Varieties

I once joked with my roommate, "What breed would you get if you crossed your silver tabby with my orange cat?" He shot back, "Then what variety would you get if you crossed your Geisha with Yirgacheffe?"

On reflection, I realized that "hybridization and natural mutation" are actually very common in coffee cultivation. Pacamara, for example, is a cross between Pacas and Maragogype — and Pink Bourbon, the subject of today's article, is a natural hybrid too.

For a long time, Bourbon coffee has been regarded as one of the finest coffees thanks to its low yield and excellent quality. In a previous issue we discussed Nicaragua's Pointed Bourbon (Coffee Origin: The Land of Poets), but the best-known Bourbon varieties today are few: Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, Orange Bourbon, and Pink Bourbon.

Bourbon is a variety of coffee tree, a branch of the Arabica species. It is named according to the color of the ripe coffee fruit — red, yellow, orange, and pink Bourbon. Of these, Orange Bourbon has a relatively low yield, while Pink Bourbon's yield is extremely low.

The name Bourbon originates from Réunion Island. The French made three attempts to bring coffee from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now Réunion) — in 1708, 1715, and 1718 — but only the second and third transplants survived and spread.

In 1841, a French missionary established a church on Réunion. Later, after leaving the island for Zanzibar, Bagamoyo, St. Augustine, Bulha, and several other African posts to found new churches, he planted Réunion coffee at each one. And so "Bourbon coffee" took root on the African continent as well.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Want to taste a Bourbon-heritage classic from Africa? FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Yirgacheffe is the perfect starting point. Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia's Sidamo region at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters, with coffee grown above 1,800 meters — among the highest coffee elevations in the world. Its instantly recognizable white jasmine florals and bright lemon-citrus acidity, with a tea-like finish, have made the name a byword for Ethiopian specialty coffee — at a friendly price that makes it a favorite first bean.

For a step up in traceability, try FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Guodingding Cooperative lot from the Worka region at Yirgacheffe's southeastern edge. Still processed in the most traditional washed style, it is free of any harsh bitterness, offering fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity wrapped in jasmine fragrance — a cup that wins people over from the very first sip.