Yunnan Premium Coffee Beans from Baoshan Region: Sun-Processed Yunnan Small Bean Coffee Brewing Flavor Profile

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Among the daily coffee bean series at FrontStreet Coffee, China's Yunnan small-bean coffee has caught the attention of many enthusiasts. In the past, Yunnan coffee beans were perceived as having poor quality and flavor. However, with the development of the specialty coffee industry, Yunnan coffee beans have emerged as a dark horse in the specialty coffee world.

Yunnan Coffee Varieties at FrontStreet Coffee

At FrontStreet Coffee, you can find two Yunnan coffee bean varieties: one is washed Typica, and the other is Catimor coffee beans. Yunnan Typica is labeled as Yunnan specialty coffee, while Yunnan Catimor coffee beans are accordingly labeled as Yunnan small-bean coffee according to market customs. FrontStreet Coffee roasts both of these Yunnan coffees to a medium roast, because the Yunnan region is not an acidic-producing region, and the coffee bean flavors are relatively balanced, with base notes of nuts and brown sugar.

The Yunnan small-bean coffee in FrontStreet Coffee's daily bean series is sold in small packages at the most affordable prices for curious coffee lovers to sample and taste the balanced characteristics of the Yunnan region, along with its nutty, brown sugar sweetness, and gentle fruit acidity.

Coffee Details

Country: China

Region: Baoshan, Yunnan

Altitude: 1200 meters

Variety: Catimor

Processing: Washed

Flavor: Melon fruit aroma, sweet melon, brown sugar, plum acidity, black tea sensation

Yunnan Baoshan Coffee Region

Yunnan small-bean coffee is suitable for growing on mountainous terrain at altitudes of 800-1800 meters. If the altitude is too high, the taste becomes acidic; if too low, it becomes bitter. Most small-bean coffee is planted in dry, hot valley areas around 1100 meters altitude, resulting in moderate acidity, rich fragrance, and mellow flavor. Many areas in Yunnan have unique environments suitable for small-bean coffee cultivation, producing excellent quality small-bean coffee.

The main growing areas are distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna, Dehong, and other prefectures. Baoshan has an average temperature of 21.5°C, reaching up to 40.4°C at maximum, with basically no frost throughout the year, making it recognized as the best small-bean coffee producing area. The small-bean coffee cultivated here is famous both domestically and internationally for being strong but not bitter, fragrant but not harsh, with small and uniform beans, rich mellow fragrance, and fruity notes.

International coffee organization tasting experts have evaluated Yunnan coffee as being in the same category as Colombian wet-processed small-bean coffee, representing the highest quality coffee in the world.

Small-Bean Coffee Varieties

Currently, the main coffee varieties cultivated in Yunnan include Catimor, Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and others. However, almost all coffee found on the market is Catimor. Therefore, Yunnan small-bean coffee now refers to Yunnan Catimor.

In 1959, Portuguese people moved the Bourbon mutation Caturra from Brazil to East Timor and hybridized it with Timor, which has Robusta bloodline, successfully cultivating Catimor with strong disease resistance and high productivity. As leaf rust disease affected coffee-producing countries worldwide, with the assistance of international organizations, various producing countries vigorously promoted Catimor to resist leaf rust and increase production.

Coffee Bean Processing

Due to the perennial rainy season and unstable climate, most Yunnan coffee beans are processed using the washed method.

The harvested cherries are processed through a depulping machine to separate most of the pulp from the coffee beans, then the parchment beans are guided to a clean water tank, where they are soaked in water for fermentation to thoroughly remove the residual pulp layer. In the past (about five years ago), the washed method was often the first choice for high-quality coffee bean processing.

Through water processing, unripe beans and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy differences, and the fermentation process is easier to control. Therefore, unlike natural processed beans which may have impurities, washed beans present distinct fruit acidity, slightly stronger complexity, and cleaner cup characteristics (without any negative flavors such as astringency or sharpness). However, because it's too "clean," the flavor richness is also somewhat weaker.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Record

Roaster: Yangjia 800N (roasting amount: 300g)

Enter drum at 190°C, heat at 120, damper at 3; Return to temperature point at 1'40", when drum temperature reaches 145°C, open damper to 4, heat unchanged; When drum temperature reaches 166°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When drum temperature reaches 188°C, adjust heat to 60°C, damper at 5;

At 8'37", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms to coffee aroma, can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'00", damper unchanged, develop for 3 minutes after first crack, discharge at 198°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60

Dose: 15g

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: 80% pass-through rate on standard #20 sieve

Water-to-Coffee Ratio: 1:15

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Technique

30g water for bloom, bloom time 30s. First pour to 125g, stop water, vertical water flow, small flow slow circular motion; Second pour to 225g, water flow and circular speed slightly faster to reduce powder particles blocking the filter, causing over-extraction. (Timing starts from bloom) Extraction time is 2 minutes.

Brewing Flavor

Smells of rich nutty aroma, with herbal, chocolate, and caramel notes in the mouth, with a light fruit acidity in the aftertaste.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473