What is the history of the Bourbon variety?

The history of the Bourbon variety is a cornerstone of the global coffee trade. Its journey began in the early 18th century when French colonists transported coffee plants from Yemen to the island of Réunion, which was then called Île Bourbon. Isolated from the original Yemeni stock, these plants underwent natural mutations, eventually stabilizing into the distinct cultivar we recognize today.

By the mid-19th century, the French began introducing these plants to mainland Africa and eventually to Brazil. From Brazil, the variety spread rapidly across Latin America. As it moved into new environments, it cross-pollinated with other local cultivars, creating a diverse family of Bourbon-related plants that are now essential to specialty coffee production.

For the modern drinker, Bourbon is synonymous with high-quality, sweet, and complex flavor profiles. It is genetically significant because it serves as the parent or ancestor to many of the most popular varieties grown today, including Caturra, Catuaí, and SL28. Its success in the coffee trade is due to its ability to produce excellent results at high altitudes, though it remains susceptible to common pests and diseases like coffee leaf rust.

In practice, when you see 'Bourbon' on a bag of coffee, you are often tasting a lineage that has been refined over three centuries. Whether it is a Red, Yellow, or Pink Bourbon, the variety is celebrated for its dense chemical composition, which requires careful roasting to highlight its signature silky body and inherent sweetness. It remains a benchmark for quality in the industry.