Introduction to Yunnan Coffee Varieties Typica and Bourbon: Roasting Flavor Characteristics of Yunnan Beans

Yunnan coffee, also known as Yunnan small-grain coffee, features evenly sized and full-bodied coffee beans with a rich yet balanced flavor profile. FrontStreet Coffee loves Yunnan coffee because it represents China's own coffee heritage. FrontStreet Coffee also harbors a mission to change public perception about Yunnan coffee, recognizing the critical importance of coffee varieties to flavor profiles. Currently, the main coffee varieties cultivated in Yunnan include Catimor, Typica, and Bourbon. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will explore the evolution of Yunnan's coffee varieties.

Yunnan Typica Coffee

Yunnan Typica traces back to 1904, when French missionary Alfred Tienne brought coffee seeds (Typica) from Vietnam to Yunnan, successfully cultivating them in Zhugula Village, Binchuan County, Yunnan Province. This marked the beginning of Yunnan's coffee history, generally referred to as small-grain coffee, commonly known in China as Yunnan small-grain coffee.

After the 1930s, the renowned overseas Chinese leader Mr. Liang Jinshan introduced coffee to Pupiao and Luoming for cultivation, continuing until after the founding of New China. From 1952 onward, under the guidance of expert Ma Guojin from the Baoshan Tropical Crop Research Institute, large-scale coffee cultivation began in areas like Lujiang, with nearly 60 years of large-scale cultivation history to date. The Yunnan Typica we can taste today mostly originates from plantings established during this era.

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Huaguoshan

Origin: Baoshan region, Yunnan, China
Altitude: 1200m
Variety: Typica
Processing: Washed

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

FrontStreet Coffee's roasters believe that medium slow roasting best highlights the Huaguoshan coffee beans' rounded, smooth characteristics while preserving their rich floral and fruit aromas.

Roasting Machine: Yangjia 600g semi-direct flame: Heat to 200°C, damper at 3. After 30 seconds, reduce heat to 160°C, damper unchanged. Return temperature at 1'33", adjust heat once at 168°C when beans turn yellow and grassy aroma completely disappears, indicating dehydration completion. Reduce heat to 130°C, damper to 4. At 8'45", beans show ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma distinctly transforms to coffee aroma – this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the first crack sound. First crack begins at 9'07", reduce heat to 80°C, fully open damper to 5 (heat adjustment must be very careful, not too low to stop cracking sounds). 3'00" after first crack, discharge at 198°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Results

Yunnan Huaguoshan: Rich fruit aroma on entry, melon, herbal plant notes, smooth entrance. Mid-palate reveals nuts, milk chocolate. Finish features lively, bright plum acidity with good balance. Medium body, full texture. From hot to warm temperatures, you can perceive layered sweet and sour notes – sweet first, then sour, with apricot and citrus-toned acidity. Finish features black tea and hints of brown sugar.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Coffee dose: 15g. Recommended coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15 (for clearer flavor, use 1:16). Use V60 dripper with 88°C brewing water temperature to achieve smoother acidity. Grind: medium-fine/sugar-sized (80% pass-through on #20 sieve).

Brewing Technique: 30g water for bloom, bloom time 30s. First pour to 125g, vertical water flow, small slow circular motion. Second pour to 225g, slightly faster water flow and circular speed to reduce fine particles clogging the filter and causing over-extraction. (Timer starts from bloom) Total extraction time: 2 minutes.

Yunnan Catimor Coffee

In 1959, Portuguese growers moved Brazil's Bourbon mutation Caturra to East Timor, where it was hybridized with Timor Hybrid (which carries Robusta genetics), successfully creating Catimor with exceptional disease resistance and productivity. As leaf rust devastated coffee-producing countries worldwide, international organizations helped promote Catimor cultivation to resist leaf rust and increase yields.

Starting in 1992, Nestlé established a coffee agriculture department specifically to guide and research Yunnan coffee improvement and cultivation, introducing high-yield, disease-resistant Catimor and purchasing coffee at US spot market prices. Catimor is not pure Arabica – it's a hybrid of Timor Hybrid (Arabica x Robusta cross) and Caturra (Bourbon mutation). Therefore, Catimor contains 25% Robusta genetics, which determines its flavor defects: insufficient aroma richness, overall bitter taste, prone to astringency and stimulating musty flavors.

Currently, Catimor and its improved varieties are the most widely planted coffee varieties in Yunnan. This is what people commonly refer to as Yunnan small-grain coffee in the market (originally Yunnan small-grain coffee referred to Typica, but as Catimor came to dominate Yunnan's coffee production, today's Yunnan small-grain refers to Yunnan Catimor).

FrontStreet Coffee Yunnan Small-Grain Coffee

Origin: Baoshan region, Yunnan, China
Altitude: 1200m
Variety: Catimor
Processing: Washed

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

Yunnan Small-Grain Coffee: Yangjia 800N (300g batch size): Charge at 190°C, heat 120, damper at 3. Return temperature at 1'40", when temperature reaches 145°C, open damper to 4, heat unchanged. When temperature reaches 166°C, beans turn yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When temperature reaches 188°C, reduce heat to 60°C, damper at 5. At 8'37", beans show ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma distinctly transforms to coffee aroma – this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the first crack sound. First crack begins at 9'00", damper unchanged, develop for 3 minutes after first crack, discharge at 198°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Results

Yunnan Small-Grain Coffee cupping: Smooth entrance, Asian herbal plant aroma, lively and bright acidity, mouth-watering on both cheeks. Soft acidity, well-balanced richness, complex layers. Finish distinctly features dark chocolate, honey, and cane sugar flavors. When completely cooled, brown sugar notes emerge.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Coffee dose: 15g. Recommended coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15. Use V60 dripper with 88°C brewing water temperature to achieve smoother acidity and highlight Pu'er tea-like characteristics and tea aroma. Grind: medium-fine/sugar-sized (80% pass-through on #20 sieve).

FrontStreet Coffee's segmented brewing technique: Bloom with 30g water for 30 seconds. Small circular pour to 125g, then segment. When water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g. When water level drops to just expose the coffee bed again, remove the filter. (Timer starts from bloom) Total extraction time: 2'00".

With small-grain Catimor coffee, you can taste nutty aromas, herbal notes, chocolate, caramel, with a finish featuring light fruit acidity.

Yunnan Bourbon Coffee

In 1952, experts from the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences distributed 80kg of coffee seeds (Typica and Bourbon) to farmers in Lujiangba, Baoshan. Several years later, they provided large-scale cultivation guidance, leading to the swaying coffee trees along the Burma Road. Due to huge demand from the Soviet Union, Yunnan's coffee cultivation experienced rapid development. In Professor Ma Xijin's 1981 survey, among the ancient coffee trees in Zhugula Village, Typica accounted for 31% and Bourbon for 69%.

Bourbon is a natural mutation of Typica,最早能追溯到也门的摩卡圆身咖啡，由法国人于1708年在波旁岛(现名留尼汪岛)种植后扩展开来。波旁同样有着美好的香气和丰富的味道，较之铁皮卡在产量和生长力上都要高一些，适合种植在1200～2000米的地区，但是抗病虫能力较弱，而且对强风和强降水比较敏感。波旁咖啡是小粒咖啡中仅次于铁皮卡的变种。主枝最初和主干呈45度向上生长，随果实负荷下垂，侧枝节部较密，结果多，产量较高。但浆果较小，成熟较慢。波旁顶芽嫩叶为绿色，称绿顶咖啡.

Bourbon is a natural mutation of Typica, traceable to Yemen's round Mocha coffee, expanded after French cultivation in 1708 on Bourbon Island (now Réunion). Bourbon also possesses wonderful aroma and rich flavors, with higher yield and growth vigor than Typica. Suitable for cultivation at 1200-2000 meters altitude, but has weaker disease resistance and is sensitive to strong winds and heavy rainfall. Bourbon coffee is the second most important variety after Typica among small-grain coffees. Main branches initially grow at 45 degrees upward from the trunk, drooping with fruit load. Lateral branch nodes are denser, producing more fruit with higher yields. However, berries are smaller and mature slower. Bourbon's terminal buds and young leaves are green, known as green-tipped coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan coffee plantations primarily cultivate Typica and small amounts of Bourbon. Since it's not a main coffee variety, FrontStreet Coffee's Bourbon cultivation remains in the experimental trial stage.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473