Bourbon: one of the historic varieties of Arabica coffee

Bourbon descends from the historic Typica/Bourbon line and was associated with Bourbon Island, today Réunion. From there, the genetic material gradually spread through Africa and Latin America.

Bourbon is important not only as a cultivated variety, but also as a genetic parent for varieties such as Caturra, Mundo Novo, and many modern hybrids.

In the history of Arabica, Bourbon appears after part of the genetic material that left Ethiopia through Yemen reaches Bourbon Island, today called Réunion. There, the coffee adapts locally and becomes one of the great historic lines of Arabica.

From Réunion, Bourbon reaches Brazil and then spreads strongly through Latin America. The reason was not just flavor: Bourbon was also valued for better production than some Typica lines, which mattered enormously for farms.

Bourbon is important in many countries across Latin America and East Africa. You can find it in Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Rwanda, Burundi, and other origins where coffee history has included Bourbon lines or their descendants.

In El Salvador, Bourbon and its mutations or relatives, such as Pacas, played an important role in local coffee identity. In Rwanda and Burundi, Bourbon is also very present in specialty coffee discussions, especially in washed, clean, sweet lots.

Bourbon does not have a fixed flavor, but in specialty coffee it is often sought after for:

• good sweetness;
• round body;
• balanced profile;
• ripe fruit;
• chocolate, caramel, or nuts, depending on origin and processing.

Bourbon can offer good quality, but it is not the easiest option agronomically. It is sensitive to major diseases and can have lower yield than modern varieties. That’s precisely why, when a Bourbon is very good, the result comes from a combination of genetic material, place, farm labor, processing, and roast.

• Buena Vista – El Salvador;
• Malitza – Mexico.