Bourbon: The Sweet Coffee From a Small Island
Not the Whiskey
Bourbon coffee has nothing to do with Kentucky. It is named after Bourbon Island, the old name of La Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. It is one of the two great family lines of Arabica, along with Typica , and many of the varieties you will meet on bags today are its children or grandchildren.
If you like coffee that tastes sweet, round and a little like caramel or red fruit, there is a good chance you like Bourbon.
From Yemen to Réunion to the World
Like all Arabica, Bourbon’s ancestors came from Ethiopia by way of Yemen. In the early 1700s, French missionaries brought coffee seeds from Yemen to Bourbon Island. While Typica traveled east to Java and then west to the Caribbean, Bourbon took a separate path and stayed on the island for over a century.
In the mid-1800s it finally spread:
- To Brazil around 1860, and from there north through South and Central America.
- To East Africa, carried by missionaries. Many East African varieties are Bourbon-like, though none match the Latin American Bourbon exactly. Kenya’s famous SL28 is Bourbon-related.
In Latin America, Bourbon also crossed with other varieties, which is why “Bourbon” on one farm can differ a little from “Bourbon” on another.
How It Grows
| Trait | Bourbon | Typica, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Tall | Tall |
| Yield | Low to moderate; often cited as 20–30% more than Typica | Low |
| Leaf rust | Susceptible | Very susceptible |
| Coffee berry disease | Susceptible | Susceptible |
| Best altitude | High: above about 5,250 ft (1,600 m) near the equator | Same |
| Cup quality | Exceptional at high altitude | Very good at high altitude |
Source: World Coffee Research variety catalog.
Bourbon gave farmers more coffee than Typica, but it is still a tall tree that is vulnerable to leaf rust (a fungus that strips the leaves). Through the 20th century most farms replaced it with higher-yielding varieties, many of them its own descendants: Caturra , a dwarf mutation of Bourbon found in Brazil; and Mundo Novo (a natural Bourbon × Typica cross from Brazil) and Catuaí (Mundo Novo × Caturra).
Red, Yellow and “Pink”
Bourbon cherries are usually red, but you will see color names on bags:
- Red Bourbon: the standard form.
- Yellow Bourbon: cherries ripen yellow. Common in Brazil.
- Pink Bourbon: popular from Colombia. Despite the name, DNA tests commissioned by importer Cafe Imports found it is mostly Ethiopian landrace genetics, not Bourbon.
The color describes the ripe fruit, not the roasted bean. Taste differences between red and yellow are real but small; the farm and processing matter more.
Where It Grows Now
Bourbon is still grown in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru, and in Brazil, often as Yellow Bourbon. Rwanda and Burundi grow mostly Bourbon-type coffee too, and you will often see “Red Bourbon” on their labels.
Tip: Rwanda and Burundi Bourbons are some of the best values in specialty coffee: bright, sweet, often with red-fruit and black-tea notes, at everyday single-origin prices.
What It Tastes Like
Bourbon’s calling card is sweetness. Typical notes:
- Caramel, brown sugar, milk chocolate
- Red apple, cherry or plum
- Balanced, medium acidity
- A round, smooth body
Compared with Typica, Bourbon is usually a bit sweeter and fuller. Compared with Ethiopian coffees, it is less floral and more like dessert.
Reading the Bag and Paying for It
Look for “Bourbon”, “Red Bourbon” or “Yellow Bourbon”. Mixed lots like “Bourbon, Caturra” are common in Central America and are not a red flag.
Bourbon is not a luxury variety. Most Bourbon bags cost about the same as other single-origin coffees from the same roaster. Rare forms, especially Pink Bourbon from Colombia and competition lots from El Salvador, can cost more. Our buying guide covers how to read the rest of the label.
Best Roast and Brew
- Roast: light to medium . Medium brings out caramel and chocolate; light shows more fruit.
- Brew: pour-over at 15 g coffee to 250 g water (1:16) and 203 °F (95 °C). Bourbon is also forgiving as espresso, where its sweetness shines.
- Process: washed for clean caramel and fruit; natural or honey for more body and jam. See our processing guide .
For a first Bourbon, buy a washed Red Bourbon from Rwanda or a Bourbon from El Salvador. It is one of the easiest ways to taste how sweet coffee can be without any sugar at all.