Yellow Bourbon is known as an Arabica coffee line with great potential in the Specialty Coffee segment, originating from the land of Brazil. This coffee variety is believed to be the product of natural cross-breeding between two lines, Red Bourbon and Yellow Botucatu, or possibly a natural genetic mutation from the Red Bourbon line. So what distinctive features make up Yellow Bourbon and what distinguishes it from Red Bourbon? Let’s explore in detail with Hello 5 Coffee!
Yellow Bourbon – What is this special coffee line?
Yellow Bourbon belongs to the group of pioneering Arabica lines in the Bourbon branch, highly regarded for its excellent coffee cup quality along with superior yield compared to many other varieties. First recorded around the 1930s at a Red Bourbon farm near Pederneiras in São Paulo state, Yellow Bourbon is believed to have arisen from the natural combination of Red Bourbon with Yellow Botucatu, or simply a natural variant from Red Bourbon.
Since its discovery, Yellow Bourbon immediately attracted attention from experts at the Campinas Agronomic Institute (IAC), where the first official studies began in 1942. Through three years of rigorous research and selection, 30 different Yellow Bourbon lines were cultivated and thoroughly analyzed. Moving into the 1950s, the most promising lines with the “IAC J” code were widely distributed to farmers. More notably, this variety proved its strength in terms of yield and quality, becoming the preferred choice during that period, with production increasing threefold between 1949 and 1951.
However, Yellow Bourbon gradually gave way to higher-yielding lines in subsequent decades. Nevertheless, this coffee line still maintains a high position among coffee connoisseurs thanks to its distinctive flavor and essential role in elevating the value of specialty coffee on the international commercial market.
Outstanding characteristics of the Yellow Bourbon tree
Growth characteristics
True to its name, Yellow Bourbon possesses brilliant yellow fruit along with biological characteristics quite similar to other members of the Bourbon family. First discovered in 1942 by Professor Krug, the characteristic yellow color of this coffee fruit originates from a pair of hereditary genes called “Xanthocarpa” – derived from Greek with xanthus (yellow) and carpus (fruit).
The Yellow Bourbon tree can grow up to 2.8 meters high, bears fruit early and delivers higher yields compared to many other coffee lines. However, this variety’s weakness is poor resistance to coffee leaf rust and requires meticulous care throughout the cultivation process. Yellow Bourbon typically reveals its best quality potential when grown at a minimum altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level and in areas with professional cultivation, harvesting and post-harvest processing procedures.
Flavor profile and important notes
In terms of flavor, Yellow Bourbon attracts with its balanced sweet-sour notes, prominently featuring characteristic citric acid. Notes of ripe fruit and dried grapes are easily perceived signatures in each cup of coffee.
According to expert Ensei Neto, this rich flavor profile comes from significant fructose content in the beans along with several types of fatty acids and organic acids. He also emphasizes that due to this complex composition, to optimize Yellow Bourbon’s flavor, the roasting process needs to be carefully adjusted, with higher initial temperature over a shorter period helping to extract maximum sweetness and smoothness.
In 2017, at the Cup of Excellence competition, a Yellow Bourbon lot from Brazil recorded 92.33 points in the Pulped Naturals category. These lots were subsequently sold at an impressive price of $126.00 per pound at auction, 100 times the C price at that time.
Comparing Yellow Bourbon and Red Bourbon – Which variety is superior?
Both Yellow Bourbon and Red Bourbon belong to the Bourbon family, but the differences between these two varieties create distinct characteristics in coffee production and experience. Yellow Bourbon is known for its rich, complex sweetness thanks to high fructose content, creating a cup of coffee with distinctive ripe fruit and dried grape aromas. However, this line requires meticulous care, gives low yields and is susceptible to disease. Meanwhile, Red Bourbon contains more glucose, bringing a milder, smoother and more pleasant sweetness but less complexity.
| Criteria | Yellow Bourbon | Red Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit color | Ripe fruit has characteristic yellow color | Ripe fruit has bright red color |
| Origin | Originated from Bourbon Island, discovered in the 18th century | Also originated from Bourbon Island, similar to Yellow Bourbon |
| Composition | Rich in fructose, bringing rich and easily perceived sweetness | Rich in glucose, creating a clean and smooth sweet sensation |
| Flavor characteristics | Complex sweetness, gentle acidity, prominent ripe fruit and dried grape aromas | Full sweetness, soft, smooth body |
| Yield | Yield at medium-low level | Delivers significantly higher yield |
| Disease resistance | Susceptible to leaf rust, requires careful care | Better disease resistance, but still at risk of pests |
| Cultivation altitude | Thrives at altitudes above 1,000m above sea level, ideal environment for top quality | Thrives at altitudes above 1,000m above sea level, ideal environment for top quality |
| Quality potential | Outstanding quality, especially when cared for with proper techniques | High quality if well cared for and processed |
Quality Yellow Bourbon growing regions
Yellow Bourbon is a coffee line commonly cultivated in many prestigious coffee regions globally, from East African countries to Latin America. Particularly, countries like Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania stand out with this coffee line thanks to ideal altitude and nitrogen-rich volcanic soil, contributing to the development of the characteristic sweet and rich flavor of Bourbon. The highland regions in East Africa create a perfect environment for coffee development, bringing sharp acidity and complexity in flavor.
In Latin America, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras remain the main Bourbon-cultivating countries, with El Salvador famous for red, yellow and orange Bourbon lines. Bourbon coffee here is typically grown under shade trees, helping fruit ripen evenly and be harvested at optimal ripeness. This helps develop sweet and aromatic characteristics, particularly evident in the Yellow Bourbon line. Coffee from Colombia also possesses noteworthy quality, with the pink Bourbon line commonly grown, bringing impressive cup scores and stable yields.
Answering questions about Yellow Bourbon
1. Where does Yellow Bourbon originate from?
Yellow Bourbon was first recorded in Brazil in the 1930s, as a result of natural cross-breeding between Red Bourbon and Yellow Botucatu. This variety quickly became popular thanks to high yields and exceptional coffee cup quality.
2. What is special about Yellow Bourbon compared to other Bourbon lines?
The distinctive feature of Yellow Bourbon is its yellow coffee fruit, thanks to a recessive gene mutation, creating a rich sweet flavor, with gentle acidity and complexity in each sip of coffee. Additionally, Yellow Bourbon is also highly rated for quality and yield.
3. What climate and altitude is Yellow Bourbon suitable for?
Yellow Bourbon grows best at altitudes from 1,000 meters above sea level, especially in mineral-rich volcanic soil areas, like Brazil, Rwanda and Burundi, where there is cool climate and fertile soil.
4. What does Yellow Bourbon taste like?
Yellow Bourbon coffee stands out with rich sweetness, the blend of ripe juicy fruit and dried grapes, along with gentle acidity. Many people evaluate that Yellow Bourbon has refined flavor, easy to drink and suitable for those who love light yet flavorful coffee.
5. Is Yellow Bourbon easy to grow and care for?
Although Yellow Bourbon has superior quality potential, cultivating this line requires meticulous care, especially in preventing coffee leaf rust. It needs good soil conditions and thorough harvesting and processing procedures to fully develop its potential.
Yellow Bourbon is a coffee line with prospects for strong development in the Specialty market with rich sweetness, light clean acidity and pronounced sourness, creating different experiences compared to Red Bourbon. The main difference comes from fruit color and genetic factors, but these very factors bring attractive and refined flavor characteristics.
Visit Hello 5 Coffee to enjoy Yellow Bourbon lots from the world’s most famous Specialty Coffee growing regions!
