How to Brew Yunnan Small Bean Coffee: Brewing Methods, Flavor Descriptions, Taste Profile, and Variety Characteristics

Required Materials and Equipment

Use the same kind of water you would get from a household filtration dispenser, or filtered tap water.

Some coffee beans or ground coffee.

For one cup of siphon coffee, use 110ml of water (the volume will drop by about one-fifth during brewing), which corresponds to roughly 15g of ground coffee.

If conditions allow, it is best to choose beans within 10 days of roasting and to grind them just before brewing.

For fineness, aim for the coarseness of "extra fine granulated" sugar sold in the market.

A complete siphon set (here we use the Hario TCA-3 model), including the top lid, upper chamber, lower chamber, siphon stand, filter, alcohol lamp (using 95% industrial alcohol) and a wind shield for the lamp. Because adjusting the alcohol lamp's flame during use is somewhat difficult, set it slightly low, with the cotton wick exposing only 2-3mm above the top.

One 10-gram coffee measuring spoon.

One bamboo stirring stick.

One filter cloth or filter paper for siphon use; scald the cloth with hot water before its first use to remove any foreign flavors.

One damp cloth.

One analog clock for timing.

Specific Brewing Steps

Add the appropriate amount of pure water to the lower chamber of the siphon; pre-heated pure water will shorten the boiling time. In this operation the amount added is 2.5 cups, approximately 280ml, with two cups for guests or friends and the extra half cup reserved for the brewer to taste beforehand. If the taste seems off at that point, do not serve it to guests.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yunnan coffee is also called Yunnan small bean, and small bean is simply another name for Arabica: among the three original coffee species, Arabica bears the smallest fruit. The story starts in 1904, when the French missionary Tian Deneng brought coffee seed - Typica - from Vietnam into Yunnan and planted the province's first coffee tree in Zhugula village, Binchuan County, Yunnan. Yunnan's favorable geography and climate made the small-bean crop a great success. FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean comes from the Baoshan region, washed and medium roasted, and brews with soft nut and chocolate bittersweetness and a light plum acidity. At its friendly price it has become the first Yunnan coffee many people ever taste.

Baoshan's coffee history began in the mid-1950s, introduced by the patriotic overseas Chinese Mr. Liang Jinshan. Its warm, frost-free climate suits small beans well, and the unique dry-hot valley climate around Lujiangba - small annual temperature swings but large day-night differences - produces Baoshan small bean's distinctive sweet finish, with reasonably low rainfall adding yet another advantage for fruit production. Coffee in Yunnan grows mainly across the province's southwest, in four production areas: Baoshan, Dehong, Pu'er and Lincang. Coffee likes warmth and tolerates heat but not cold, and grows best with ample light, at an optimal 16°C to 21°C. That places it along the world coffee golden belt that circles the equator and includes latitude 25 north, where Yunnan sits. Most of Yunnan is around 1,000 meters in altitude, with fertile slopes, abundant sunshine, plentiful rain and wide day-night temperature swings - all favorable for the trees. For entry-level Chinese Arabica, FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean is the first choice: washed and medium roasted, it accents caramel while keeping some acidity, so it expresses the terroir of the Yunnan region well.

To find Yunnan's terroir, FrontStreet built its own estate in 2013 and planted a block of Typica, one of the oldest coffee varieties with pure Arabica genetics and an elegant, clean flavor long recognized as a great specialty variety. Yunnan's earliest coffee trees were also Typica, brought in by the French missionary, so FrontStreet wanted to rediscover that original regional flavor. If FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean is the beginner's introduction, FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Sun-Dried Typica is the step up. It uses only fully ripe, all-red cherries, natural processing, and a medium roast that makes the cup more balanced and pushes the sweet-tart forward. The result has dark berry character with caramel sweetness, chocolate and a hint of dried apricot, finishing on black tea.

To taste Yunnan in espresso form, FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan small bean with Brazil Cerrado, and it is the blend so many baristas recommend. The Brazilian half supplies mixed nut aromas and balance, while the Yunnan small bean carries the chocolate and citrus. The americano comes out balanced across sweet, sour and bitter with nut and brown sugar sweetness, and the latte is smooth as almond and cream - a very forgiving blend for beginners.