Bourbon Coffee Guide: Red, Yellow, Orange & Pink Bourbon

You may have seen “Red Bourbon” or “Yellow Bourbon” printed on a bag of specialty coffee beans — or perhaps you’ve tasted a Bourbon coffee that left a surprisingly sweet and memorable impression.

Bourbon is one of the most historically important Arabica varieties, and it has shaped the way coffee is grown across many producing regions.

In this guide, we take a clear look at where Bourbon comes from and how it developed into several well-known types found in today’s specialty coffee.

What Is Bourbon Coffee?

Bourbon coffee is a variety of Coffea arabica recognized for its gentle sweetness and refined aromatics, and it remains a familiar presence across many specialty coffee origins today.

Its story begins on Bourbon Island—now Réunion.

In the early 18th century, French missionaries carried coffee seeds to the island, setting the stage for one of the most influential chapters in Arabica’s history.

Believed to descend from an early Typica lineage, these plants gradually adapted to Réunion’s unique growing conditions. Through natural mutation and careful selection over generations, they eventually took shape as the distinct variety we now know as Bourbon.

From Réunion, Bourbon spread throughout Central and South America and into parts of East Africa, taking root in producing countries such as Brazil, El Salvador, Colombia, and Rwanda.

As the variety settled into new landscapes, it produced several naturally occurring color mutations, including the red, yellow, and orange Bourbons recognized in specialty coffee today.

The Character of Bourbon Coffee

Bourbon trees can grow remarkably tall in the wild—often reaching 9 to 12 meters—with thin, glossy leaves arranged in opposite pairs.

When the cherries ripen, their color varies depending on the specific mutation, appearing in shades of red, yellow, or orange. Once harvested, processed, and roasted, the seeds of these cherries become what we know as Bourbon coffee.

Caffeine, Moisture, and Lipid Content

Like most Arabica varieties, Bourbon naturally contains less caffeine than Robusta. Some related cultivars, such as Bourbon Pointu (Laurina), are even lower in caffeine and are considered naturally low-caffeine coffees.

Properly stored green Bourbon beans typically maintain a moisture content of around 10–12%, while their lipid content averages 15–17%—similar to other Arabicas and crucial for aroma development during roasting and brewing.

Acidity, Sweetness & Flavor Profile

Bourbon tends to exhibit medium to soft acidity, supported by a clear sweetness and an overall sense of balance. Its acidity is generally gentle and approachable, contributing to the variety’s smooth and harmonious cup profile.

Typical flavor characteristics include caramel, chocolate, nuts, citrus, stone fruit, and occasional floral notes. Bourbon also tends to show a smooth, rounded body in the cup.

Actual flavor expression, however, varies with the specific Bourbon mutation, growing environment, and processing method.

Processing Methods

Bourbon is commonly processed using washed, natural, and honey methods.

Washed processing—especially prevalent in Latin America and East Africa—highlights Bourbon’s clarity and brings out its clean, well-defined acidity, while natural and honey processing emphasize fruit-driven notes and add depth and weight to the cup.

【Related】：A Guide to Coffee Flavor Wheel

Where Bourbon Coffee Thrives

Bourbon flourishes in mild climates with steady rainfall and higher-altitude environments—conditions that not only support healthy plant growth but also help the variety express its balanced sweetness and clean cup structure. Like all coffee, Bourbon reflects the climate, soil, and altitude in which it is grown, making site selection essential for quality.

Ideal Growing Conditions

Bourbon is typically cultivated at elevations between 1,000 and 2,000 meters, with annual rainfall ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 millimeters distributed throughout the year.

Ideal temperatures generally fall between 15°C and 24°C, providing the cool, stable conditions that Bourbon favors.

Main Producing Regions

Today, Bourbon is widely grown across Central America—including El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua—as well as in South American origins such as Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.

In East Africa, Bourbon has a strong presence in Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania.

Smaller plantings can also be found in parts of Asia, including India and Indonesia, as well as in the Pacific region, such as Hawaii, where Bourbon and Bourbon-related cultivars are produced in limited quantities for specialty markets.

Types of Bourbon Coffee: Red, Yellow, Orange & More

As Bourbon spread across different landscapes, it adapted to new environments and developed several natural mutations. These variations—often distinguished by the color of their ripe cherries—have become some of the most recognized Bourbon types in specialty coffee.

Red Bourbon

Red Bourbon is the most widely cultivated Bourbon type, grown throughout Central and South America as well as East Africa, including Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Rwanda. It thrives in high-altitude regions with well-drained, organically rich soils.

• Cherry Color: Red

• Flavor Profile: Red Bourbon is known for its balanced, sweet cup character and can show notes of red fruit, caramel, nuts, chocolate, or vanilla depending on origin and processing. Well-grown Red Bourbon often delivers a smooth mouthfeel and a refined, delicate acidity.

Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon was first identified in Brazil in the 1930s as a natural mutation of Red Bourbon. The trees grow slowly but flower and fruit more quickly, and they are generally more susceptible to leaf rust and nematodes, resulting in lower yields compared with Red Bourbon.

• Cherry Color: Yellow to golden yellow

• Flavor Profile: Yellow Bourbon is known for its pronounced sweetness. Flavor variations depend strongly on origin—for example, Brazilian Yellow Bourbon often carries honey-like sweetness and rounded fruit notes, while Colombian examples may lean lighter with citrus tones and delicate floral acidity.

Orange Bourbon

Orange Bourbon resembles Yellow Bourbon in appearance but is considered a separate natural mutation. It is less common than both Red and Yellow Bourbon and is primarily cultivated in El Salvador and Colombia. The trees are vulnerable to leaf rust and pests, making them more demanding to manage.

• Cherry Color: Orange, between Red and Yellow Bourbon

• Flavor Profile: Orange Bourbon typically offers high sweetness with layered complexity, often showing citrus-like fruit notes, gentle florals, and acidity that is bright yet rounded.

Pink Bourbon

Pink Bourbon was identified in Colombia—likely in Huila or Cauca—around the late 2000s to early 2010s. It takes its name from the distinctive pink hue of its ripe cherries and is typically grown at elevations between 1,700 and 2,000 meters, where cooler climates and careful farm management support its development.

Although its cultivation has expanded within Colombia’s specialty regions, Pink Bourbon remains relatively rare.

• Cherry Color: Pink to rose-colored

• Flavor Profile: Pink Bourbon often shows pronounced sweetness and a smooth, silky texture, with bright yet delicate floral and fruit notes such as citrus, peach, red berries, and jasmine.

** Note: Although commonly referred to as “Pink Bourbon,” its genetic origin remains debated, and current evidence does not conclusively confirm that it belongs to the Bourbon lineage.

Bourbon Pointu／Laurina

Bourbon Pointu—also known as Laurina—has a distinctive elongated, tapered seed shape that gives the variety its name. The trees are relatively short with dense, conical branching, and the variety is considered quite rare. Its most notable characteristic is its naturally low caffeine content, roughly half that of typical Arabica varieties.

• Cherry Color: Red

• Flavor Profile: Bourbon Pointu is known for its pronounced sweetness and minimal bitterness. It often presents bright, delicate acidity with a clean, refreshing cup profile. Floral and refined fruit notes—such as apricot and peach—are common, and some lots may carry subtle spicy undertones, giving the variety an elegant and distinctive flavor structure.

Where Bourbon Fits in the Coffee Species Tree

To understand where Bourbon belongs, it helps to look at the broader classification of coffee species. Among the commercially significant members of the Coffea genus, three species dominate global production:

• Coffea arabica (Arabica)

• Coffea canephora (Robusta)

• Coffea liberica (Liberica)

Although they share the same genus, these species differ in genetics, plant structure, and cup characteristics.

Bourbon—along with Typica, Geisha, Caturra, Catuai, and many other familiar names—is a cultivar of the Arabica species, not a separate biological species. These cultivars have emerged through natural mutation and human selection, each expressing its own flavor potential and terroir depending on where it is cultivated.

Femobook Electric Grinders

A consistent grind is the foundation of any great cup, and Femobook’s electric grinders are designed to make that step effortless. 

Despite their compact size, these grinders deliver a performance that feels remarkably close to commercial-level equipment. Their burrs offer stable, precise grinding, and most models provide over 300 adjustment steps, allowing you to dial in the ideal particle size for pour-over, espresso, and other brewing methods.

Model Overview
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• A4 — optimized specifically for espresso
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The magnetic assembly makes cleaning simple and tool-free, helping to prevent retention from affecting flavor. Reassembly is quick and does not require recalibration, ensuring consistent performance over time.