Yunnan Coffee: The Story and Flavor Differences Between Typica and Catimor Arabica Bean Varieties

Yunnan coffee, also known as Yunnan small-bean coffee, features uniform and full coffee beans with a mellow and moderate mouthfeel. FrontStreet Coffee loves Yunnan coffee because this is China's own coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu features two FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan small-bean coffees: one is Catimor and the other is Typica coffee beans. Because Catimor has Robusta genes, its flavor profile is somewhat inferior compared to Typica coffee beans. Yunnan has excellent coffee growing conditions, but FrontStreet Coffee believes that the current quality of Yunnan coffee has not yet reached specialty coffee standards.

First, regarding varieties, Yunnan mostly grows Catimor, which is inherently inferior to the excellent Typica coffee beans in terms of variety. Second, many use anaerobic processing. Although this is a novel processing method, it masks the coffee's original flavor, so how can we speak of specialty coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee has been growing Yunnan coffee beans in an area bordering Yunnan and Myanmar. FrontStreet Coffee believes that choosing the right variety, planting at appropriate altitudes, and experimenting with processing methods after ripening to express unique flavors is the only logical relationship for specialty coffee to have distinct regional flavors, which is also what the Yunnan Department of Agriculture has been leading recently: establishing a flavor map of Yunnan specialty coffee. This means finding out what regional flavors Yunnan specialty coffee should have.

Why the Focus on Processing Methods?

Why have Yunnan beans been emphasizing processing methods so much in recent years? Actually, they're trying to bypass these three relationships. The varieties they planted cannot be changed (99% of Yunnan's large-scale planting is Catimor variety, a hybrid of small and medium varieties, because planting new varieties until flowering and fruiting takes four to five years), and the altitude cannot be changed either. The market happens to be popular with processing methods, so you'll find many Yunnan beans emphasizing post-processing methods. This approach of only changing processing methods while putting variety and altitude aside is both strange and quite normal.

Understanding Yunnan Coffee Challenges

At the same time, FrontStreet Coffee has also visited researchers with deep expertise in coffee cultivation, the Tropical Agricultural Science Research Institute (which houses the Ministry of Agriculture's coffee germplasm repository), and a few coffee farmers who grow specialty coffee, clarifying why Yunnan doesn't grow mainstream specialty coffee varieties like Typica and Bourbon. Catimor is too cheap and can only be sold as bulk commodity, at about 15-20 RMB per kilogram. The selling price can barely cover harvesting labor and fertilizer costs, so farmers are unwilling to manage it properly. Typica and Bourbon have low yields and are susceptible to disease, with high management costs and longer exploration periods, not to mention whether they can develop unique flavors. On one hand, farmers lack specialty coffee awareness; on the other hand, even if they know, they would certainly shy away from cutting down old trees and spending several years replanting.

Yunnan Coffee Varieties

The most widely planted variety in the Yunnan region currently is Catimor coffee beans, with small amounts of Typica and Bourbon coffee beans also planted in the Baoshan area. Although they all belong to the Arabica species in the broad sense, these varieties have significant essential differences.

Typica Coffee Beans

The most classic high-quality Arabica variety, from which many commercial improved varieties originate. Typica coffee beans are characterized by excellent flavor performance and are recognized as a specialty coffee variety, but they have extremely low yields and are susceptible to rust disease, requiring more human labor for management. Typica coffee beans originate from Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan and are the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. The plants are relatively robust but not tolerant to strong light, with higher yields in Hawaii. The top leaves of Typica are copper-colored, earning it the name red-topped coffee.

Bourbon Coffee Beans

This variety originates from Typica coffee beans and was expanded after being planted by the French in 1708 on Bourbon Island (now Réunion Island). Bourbon also has wonderful aroma and rich flavors, with higher yields and growth vigor than Typica, suitable for planting in areas of 1200-2000 meters altitude. However, it has weak disease and pest resistance and is sensitive to strong winds and heavy rainfall. Bourbon coffee is the second most important variety in small-bean coffee after Typica. The main branches initially grow upward at a 45-degree angle to the trunk, drooping as fruit loads increase. The lateral branch nodes are denser, resulting in more fruit and higher yields. However, the berries are smaller and mature more slowly. Bourbon top buds and young leaves are green, earning it the name green-topped coffee.

Catimor Coffee Beans

Catimor is not purely of Arabica bloodline; it is a hybrid of Timor (belonging to Robusta species) and Caturra (a Bourbon variant), so Catimor has 25% Robusta bloodline. Its Robusta bloodline also determines its flavor defects: insufficient aroma richness, overall bitterness, prone to astringency and relatively stimulating moldy flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Planting Philosophy

FrontStreet Coffee mainly plants Typica varieties in Yunnan. Although we have grown Arabica coffee and emphasized varieties, no one can guarantee the immediate production of high-quality specialty coffee. FrontStreet Coffee deeply believes that nothing in this world is that easy. Multiple variety selections, refined processing experiments after fruiting, and several more years will pass. This difficult path of specialty coffee always requires some people to explore. Trying might offer some hope; without trying, it will always remain a blank space.

FrontStreet Coffee currently offers two Yunnan coffee beans—FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Yunnan Sun-dried Typica and FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Baoshan Small-bean Coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee 2013 · Yunnan Sun-dried Typica Coffee Beans

• Coffee Origin: China, Yunnan, Lincang
• Coffee Variety: Typica
• Production Altitude: 1200 meters
• Processing Method: Sun-dried
• Roast Level: Medium roast

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Huaguoshan Coffee Roasting Suggestions

The beans have a moisture content of 10.9%, so the roasting plan is to charge beans at 200°C, then use high heat and low airflow to accelerate dehydration. After the dehydration stage ends, use medium airflow and medium heat to avoid rushing the Maillard reaction time. Develop for 3 minutes after first crack then discharge. Temperature return point: 1'32", 92.5°C; Yellowing point: 5'40", 148.5°C; First crack: 8'59", 188.0°C; Develop for 3 minutes then discharge: 12'00", 196°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Huaguoshan Coffee Cupping Report

Cupped 12 hours after roasting: Rich fruit aroma on entry, melon, herbal plant notes, smooth entry, nuts and milk chocolate in the mid-section, lively and bright plum acidity in the finish, mouth-watering on both cheeks, good balance, medium body with full texture. From hot to warm temperatures, you can feel the layered sweetness and acidity, sweet first then acidic, with apricot-peach and citrus-toned acidity, black tea finish with some brown sugar notes.

FrontStreet Coffee · Yunnan Small-bean Coffee

• Region: Yunnan Baoshan
• Altitude: 1200 meters
• Processing Method: Washed
• Variety: Catimor

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Small-bean Coffee Roasting Suggestions

Charge at 190°C, heat at 120, airflow at 3; Temperature return point: 1'40", when furnace temperature reaches 145°C, open airflow to 4, heat unchanged; When furnace temperature reaches 166°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When furnace temperature reaches 188°C, adjust heat to 60°C, airflow to 5; At 8'37", bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma clearly turns to coffee aroma, can be defined as prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack starts at 9'00", airflow unchanged, develop for 3 minutes after first crack, discharge at 198°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Small-bean Coffee Cupping Report

Smooth entry, Asian herbal plant aroma, lively and bright acidity, mouth-watering on both cheeks, soft acidity, mellow with good balance, rich layers, finish with prominent dark chocolate, honey, and cane sugar flavors, brown sugar notes when completely cooled.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions for Two Yunnan Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using V60 conical drippers. The V60 has a large opening and unique spiral ribbed design that allows air to be more easily discharged, thereby improving extraction quality. The mouthfeel might not be thick enough, but its high concentration brings out the fruit acidity and distinct aroma of Yunnan coffee, which is one of its major characteristics.

• Dripper: V60
• Water Temperature: 90-92°C
• Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
• Grind Size: Medium-fine grind, similar to fine sugar (HARIO V60: 80% pass-through on China standard #20 sieve)
• Brewing Method:分段式萃取 (Segmented extraction). Use 30g of water for bloom for 30 seconds. When adding water to 124g with small circular flow, segment the brew. When water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue adding water to 227g then stop. When water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper (timing from bloom start). Extraction time is 2 minutes.

FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Yunnan Sun-dried Typica Brewing Flavor Description: Nuts, cocoa, caramel, berries, black tea, cantaloupe sweetness in the mid-section, black tea finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Baoshan Small-bean Coffee Brewing Flavor Description: Aroma of nuts, herbs, chocolate, caramel, with a light fruit acidity in the finish.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473