Is Brazilian Yellow Bourbon a Higher-Grade Coffee Bean? Flavor Profile and Pouring Techniques for Medium-Dark Roast Brazilian Coffee

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Brazilian Yellow Bourbon Coffee Beans: A Rare Variety

Brazilian Yellow Bourbon coffee beans are an exceptionally rare coffee variety. Generally, Bourbon coffee cherries appear red, but some Red Bourbon coffee trees have mutated to produce cherries that remain yellow when ripe instead of turning red, hence the name "Yellow Bourbon." The probability of Red Bourbon mutating into Yellow Bourbon is typically around 10%.

Characteristics of Yellow Bourbon Coffee

This brings us to Fazenda Rainha (Queen's Farm) in the Mogiana region, whose Yellow Bourbon is selected by FrontStreet Coffee as a premium single-origin bean representing Brazilian coffee. As the world's largest coffee producer, Brazil not only grows Arabica coffee beans but also Robusta coffee beans. Additionally, there are the famous Santos coffee beans. Here FrontStreet Coffee would like to clarify that Santos is not actually a coffee-producing region but a port city that serves as the export hub for Brazilian coffee beans. Over time, coffee beans from Santos became known as "Santos coffee beans." Furthermore, the translation "Santos" comes from Hong Kong and Taiwan terminology, referring to the same place we call "Santos" in mainland China.

With the popularization of specialty coffee concepts, traceability of origin has become increasingly important. Therefore, coffee origin names like Cerrado and South Minas are now becoming familiar to the consumer market.

Due to Brazil's highland terrain, which is flat and open, it's highly suitable for large-scale mechanical farming. Currently, most coffee-producing regions in Brazil adopt production models of large-scale mechanized farming on plantations, which has given them pricing power in the futures market due to their significant output volume. Therefore, for Brazilian coffee, exquisite flavor profiles are not the primary goal—production volume is.

However, Brazil also has some small-scale estates that focus on quality and flavor. For example, the Mogiana region has many exquisite small farms. Fazenda Rainha (Queen's Farm) stands out as an exceptional example in this region. Fazenda Rainha covers 280 acres, which is considered a micro-scale estate in Brazil. The owner of this estate is the renowned and respected Carvalho Dias family in the coffee industry. The four major estates under the Carvalho Dias family have won awards every year since the first Brazil Cup of Excellence competition in 1999, winning more than 12 awards over 7 years. In 2004, they even swept the championship, 9th place, and 11th place. Many Brazilian estates, large and small, have struggled for years to qualify for awards, yet the estates under this family have taken home multiple awards year after year. Fazenda Rainha also boasts an impressive record: 2nd place in 2000, 3rd place in 2001, and 29th place in 2005. To date, Fazenda Rainha has won 3 awards.

The family is also a founding member of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association, and their commitment to coffee quality and environmental protection is evident to all. Within their family farms, they utilize natural waterfalls to develop pollution-free hydroelectric power, making them self-sufficient in electricity needs (another award-winning estate in the family is named after this waterfall—Waterfall Estate). They have built churches, classrooms, nurseries, and medical stations, and they insist on preserving original forests with native flora and fauna while continuously engaging in reforestation. Taking Fazenda Rainha as an example, environmental protection is quite thorough. Due to its higher elevation and non-flat terrain, mechanical harvesting is not possible, so all cherries are hand-picked. They cultivate the low-yield, high-quality Yellow Bourbon variety, making it a representative estate of premium Brazilian coffee!

FrontStreet Coffee also greatly appreciates the Yellow Bourbon coffee beans from Fazenda Rainha. This coffee bean is exceptionally versatile—suitable for almost all coffee brewing methods. FrontStreet Coffee uses medium roasting to highlight the sweetness of Fazenda Rainha's Yellow Bourbon coffee beans.

Pour-Over Brewing Guide

Pour-over is the most common method for brewing specialty coffee beans, so FrontStreet Coffee would like to share how to brew this particular coffee bean.

Like most single-origin coffee beans, this Brazilian coffee bean offers better flavor within 30 days of roasting. Therefore FrontStreet Coffee recommends that when purchasing coffee beans, try not to buy too much at once—finish one package before buying another. When purchasing from FrontStreet Coffee's online store, FrontStreet Coffee ships coffee beans roasted within 5 days. After 1-2 days of logistics, when they reach your hands, they will have undergone a 4-7 day resting period, which is precisely when the flavor is at its best.

For pour-over brewing, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a V60 dripper to highlight the aroma and sweetness of Fazenda Rainha's Yellow Bourbon. Of course, you can also choose a Kono dripper, which can enhance the coffee's rich mouthfeel.

Brewing Parameters

Coffee Dose: 15 grams

Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium grind, 75% retention rate through #20 sieve

Water Temperature: 88°C

Pouring Technique: Three-stage pour

Pouring Process:

First stage: Pour 30ml of water, bloom for 30 seconds;

Second stage: Pour water to reach 150ml;

Third stage: Pour water to reach 225ml;

Total extraction time: 2 minutes.

Flavor Description

High sweetness, clean, and when processed using the pulped natural method, the acidity becomes slightly bright yet harmoniously balanced with sweetness. Some varieties even exhibit tropical fruit notes, with the abundant aroma during brewing being particularly delightful. Fresh sweetness reminiscent of sugarcane juice, black tea, and a smooth, pleasant fruit sweetness, with distinct nutty flavors. Balanced and gentle acidity, with subtle and clean bitterness, containing rich chocolate aroma and nutty flavors. The mouthfeel is bright and refreshing, with a smooth and delicate texture.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473