Best Yunnan Coffee Brands: Top Premium Pour-Over Coffee Bean Brand Rankings and Recommendations

When it comes to coffee, many people's deepest impression probably comes from the Blue Mountain coffee featured in Hong Kong dramas from the 80s and 90s. As children, watching adults take just a small sip of coffee, their expressions of satisfaction and enjoyment left a lasting impression on our minds. It wasn't until we grew up and tasted that "truly aromatic" flavor ourselves that we became completely captivated. From initially only drinking imported beans to now strongly supporting specialty coffee from Yunnan, China - this journey has been beyond our wildest dreams.

Today, Yunnan coffee shines brightly on the international stage, earning admiration from people across China. FrontStreet Coffee would like to introduce everyone to Yunnan's renowned small-bean coffee growing regions. With the country's vigorous promotion and popularization of Yunnan small-bean coffee nationwide, more and more references to Yunnan production areas have emerged in the public consciousness. People now know that Pu'er City in Yunnan is not just famous for tea, but also for coffee; Baoshan's small-bean coffee is exported overseas and has gained significant recognition.

Yunnan Coffee Regions

Yunnan Province boasts abundant forest resources, fertile soil, plentiful rainfall, complex terrain, slightly higher altitudes, and mild year-round temperatures. Located near the Tropic of Cancer, it is an exceptionally rare and ideal location for coffee cultivation in China. The coffee-producing regions within Yunnan extend beyond the well-known Pu'er and Baoshan to include Dehong, Lincang, and others. However, each region's Yunnan small-bean coffee exhibits subtle differences in flavor profile.

Pu'er

Pu'er City comprises nine counties and districts where Yunnan small-bean coffee is cultivated: Simao, Ning'er, Mojiang, Jinggu, Jingdong, Zhenyuan, Jiangcheng, Lancang, Menglian, and Ximeng. The annual average temperature ranges between 17°C and 20°C, with cultivation altitudes between 700 and 1,600 meters.

Baoshan

Baoshan City includes five counties and districts that cultivate Baoshan small-bean coffee with geographical indication protection: Longyang, Longling, Shidian, Changning, and Tengchong. The cultivation altitude ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 meters, with an annual average temperature of 21°C. Lujiang coffee from Baoshan was rated as first-grade in the London market back in the late 1950s.

Dehong

The Dehong region is one of China's earliest areas for coffee cultivation, introducing small-bean coffee from Myanmar in 1914 and beginning large-scale commercial planting in 1953. Lincang's annual average temperature ranges between 18°C and 20°C, with no severe cold in winter, no extreme heat in summer, significant day-night temperature differences, fertile soil, and abundant rainfall. When coffee cherries are still maturing, such conditions facilitate the formation of proteins, sugars, caffeine, and other substances, giving Dehong coffee a rich flavor profile.

Lincang

Lincang City has initiated coffee cultivation in towns such as Gengma, Zhenkang, Yunxian, Cangyuan, and Yongde. Lincang's unique geographical location borders Myanmar to the west; the climate conditions here are exceptionally favorable, featuring significant day-night temperature differences, abundant rainfall, and mild annual average temperatures, making Lincang a focal point for numerous coffee companies. FrontStreet Coffee recognized Lincang's potential and established its own coffee plantation estate in this region.

Coffee Varieties

Today, most Yunnan coffee beans available on the market are of the Catimor variety. In fact, earlier Yunnan coffee beans were not Catimor but Typica—the oldest and most original variety in the Arabica lineage.

With China's reform and opening-up, international coffee brands such as Nestlé and Starbucks established Yunnan as one of their raw material sourcing regions. To obtain large quantities of raw materials from a single region, they promoted the cultivation of the Catimor coffee variety. Catimor, containing Robusta genes, not only shows stronger resistance to coffee leaf rust compared to Typica but also yields three times more production.

Higher productivity means greater returns. Many local coffee farmers in Yunnan, unfamiliar with coffee varieties and flavor profiles, were primarily concerned with income. Consequently, they reluctantly cut down the elegant-flavored Typica trees and switched to the higher-yielding but less flavorful Catimor. While Robusta genes brought many advantages, they also introduced certain drawbacks. Robusta coffee beans typically carry bitter flavors. Since Catimor contains some Robusta genes, it likewise possesses what is known as a "devilish aftertaste."

FrontStreet Coffee Estate

FrontStreet Coffee has been roasting coffee for ten years now, but our involvement in coffee cultivation began half a year earlier than our coffee roasting operations. "Dazhen Coffee," as FrontStreet Coffee's predecessor, initially attempted to cultivate coffee in a place called Dazhen in Guangdong. When the Catimor seedlings grew to 20 centimeters, we finally understood the relationship and sequence among coffee varieties, altitude, and processing methods for specialty coffee. As a result, FrontStreet Coffee abandoned its Guangdong cultivation plan and traveled to Yunnan to conduct in-depth research on coffee cultivation, finding suitable land through a fortunate opportunity.

That year, FrontStreet Coffee chose the most challenging path: selecting high-altitude land, cultivating Arabica varieties, and implementing rational planting practices.

Yunnan does not have four distinct seasons—only dry and rainy seasons. In terms of cultivation, FrontStreet Coffee adopted extremely high standards, providing a natural and comfortable living environment for coffee trees. Since Typica is more difficult to manage in the field than Catimor and is sensitive to prolonged sun exposure, FrontStreet Coffee maintained the diversity of plant species and ecological balance within the estate.

From seedling cultivation to harvest requires at least three to four years. Today, FrontStreet Coffee Estate is celebrating its second coffee harvest season. Everything we do aims to earn recognition from coffee connoisseurs who would say: this is the taste of Yunnan specialty coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's latest batch of coffee beans employs the most traditional and original post-harvest processing method—sun-drying. Whole, perfectly ripe coffee cherries are evenly spread on drying beds for sun-drying. Since the complete fruit pulp and skin layers are preserved, the drying process becomes more complex and requires more time. To prevent over-fermentation, staff must regularly and frequently turn each coffee cherry.

FrontStreet Coffee Estate Yunnan Sun-dried Typica

Origin: Lincang, Yunnan
Estate: FrontStreet Coffee Estate
Altitude: 1,300 meters
Variety: Typica
Processing Method: Sun-drying

Due to the sun-drying processing method, this FrontStreet Coffee sun-dried Typica exhibits abundant aroma and prominent sweetness, with preserved fruit-like sweetness, gentle plum acidity, rich nutty notes, and an aftertaste featuring brown sugar sweetness and black tea characteristics. Many customers who purchase this FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan coffee beans ask FrontStreet Coffee's baristas how to best brew it to extract its optimal flavors. FrontStreet Coffee's sun-dried Typica is aromatic but not intense, rich but not bitter, embodying the traditional Yunnan small-bean coffee profile.

To experience the best flavors of this FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using freshly roasted beans for brewing, which maximizes the appreciation of coffee's rich flavors. FrontStreet Coffee ships coffee beans roasted within 5 days because we deeply understand that bean freshness significantly impacts flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Quality Coffee," ensuring every customer receives the freshest coffee possible. The bean degassing period is approximately 4-7 days, so when customers receive their order, the coffee is at its peak flavor.

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Dose: 15 grams
Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 75% retention on China standard #20 sieve

Pour 30 grams of water for bloom, wait 30 seconds. Starting from the center, pour with a fine stream while slowly circling to 125 grams. When the water level in the dripper drops to just above the coffee bed, continue circling to 225 grams. Total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.

Some customers, after seeing FrontStreet Coffee's grinding equipment at our storefront, lose confidence in their home grinders and ask FrontStreet Coffee to grind beans for them. Of course, FrontStreet Coffee provides this service both online and offline. However, once coffee beans are ground into powder, degassing occurs more rapidly, and flavor compounds dissipate faster. Therefore, grinding immediately before brewing yields better flavor.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473