What is Bourbon Coffee?

by Marcus McCombe | Aug 6, 2026

What Is Bourbon Coffee?

TL;DR

Bourbon is one of the oldest and most important Arabica coffee varieties. It takes its name from Réunion Island (formerly Île Bourbon) in the Indian Ocean, where French colonists first planted Yemeni coffee seeds in the early 1700s. Bourbon produces caramel sweetness, red fruit, stone fruit, and a rounded body that makes it one of the most prized varieties in specialty coffee. Furthermore, Bourbon is the genetic parent of many modern varieties, including Caturra, Pacas, and SL28. Sub-varieties include Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, Orange Bourbon, and Pink Bourbon, each with a slightly different flavour character.

The Quick Answer

If Gesha is the rarest and most celebrated variety in specialty coffee, Bourbon is the most foundational. It sits at the root of the modern coffee family tree, and its genetics run through a huge proportion of the coffees you drink today. Moreover, Bourbon does not just matter historically. It still produces some of the sweetest, most balanced, and most complex cups in specialty coffee, which is why producers continue to grow it despite its lower yields and disease susceptibility.

This article explains where Bourbon comes from, what it tastes like, how its sub-varieties differ, and why it matters. For the broader picture of how variety shapes flavour, read our pillar guide on why coffee tastes the way it does. For the variety that many consider Bourbon’s most famous relative, read our guide on what Gesha coffee is.

The Origin Story

Bourbon’s history begins with Typica, the other great ancestral Arabica variety. All Arabica coffee traces back to Ethiopia, but the two lineages that shaped the modern coffee world took different routes out of the country. Typica travelled east through Yemen and India to Indonesia and eventually the Americas. Bourbon took a different path.

In the early 1700s, French colonists brought coffee seeds from Yemen to Île Bourbon, a small volcanic island in the Indian Ocean now called Réunion. Over the following decades, these seeds adapted to the island’s conditions and developed into a genetically distinct variety. Furthermore, the isolation of the island meant Bourbon evolved separately from Typica for generations, developing its own flavour characteristics, growth habits, and disease responses.

From Réunion, Bourbon eventually spread to East Africa and then to Latin America, where it became one of the dominant varieties in countries like Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia. Today, Bourbon and Typica together form the genetic foundation of the vast majority of Arabica coffee grown worldwide.

What Does Bourbon Coffee Taste Like?

Bourbon produces a sweet, balanced, and full-bodied cup that many roasters and cuppers consider the benchmark for specialty coffee. Common tasting notes include:

Caramel and brown sugar. The defining Bourbon characteristic. A rich, rounded sweetness that forms the backbone of the cup. Moreover, this sweetness is consistent across origins and processing methods, which is one reason blenders love Bourbon.
Red fruit. Cherry, plum, red grape, and cranberry. Furthermore, red fruit notes in Bourbon tend to be soft and rounded rather than sharp or aggressive. For more on fruity flavours in coffee, read our guide on why coffee tastes fruity.
Stone fruit. Peach, apricot, and nectarine, especially in well-grown, high-altitude lots. Moreover, stone fruit notes often pair with the caramel sweetness to create a layered, dessert-like cup.
Chocolate. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and cocoa. Bourbon’s chocolate notes appear most prominently in medium roasts and in Latin American origins. For more on sweetness in coffee, read our guide on what makes coffee sweet.
Honey and toffee. A lingering, sticky sweetness that carries through the finish. Furthermore, this quality makes Bourbon particularly appealing in espresso and milk-based drinks.
Rounded body. Bourbon tends to produce a medium to full body with a smooth, silky mouthfeel. This sets it apart from higher-acid, lighter-bodied varieties like SL28 or Gesha.

The specific expression varies by sub-variety, origin, altitude, and processing. A Pink Bourbon from Colombia tastes different from a Red Bourbon from Guatemala, which tastes different again from a Yellow Bourbon from Brazil. However, the underlying sweetness and balance are almost always present.

The Bourbon Sub-Varieties

Bourbon has produced several natural mutations that differ in cherry colour, flavour profile, and growing characteristics. Each sub-variety brings its own character to the cup:

Red Bourbon. The original and most common form. Red Bourbon cherries ripen to a deep red and produce the classic caramel, red fruit, and chocolate profile. Moreover, Red Bourbon is the benchmark against which other sub-varieties are compared. Our Banoffee Pie blend features Red Bourbon alongside Caturra and Castillo, delivering toffee, ripe banana, cinnamon, and cream.
Yellow Bourbon. A natural mutation discovered in Brazil. Yellow Bourbon cherries ripen to a bright yellow instead of red. Furthermore, Yellow Bourbon tends to taste sweeter than Red Bourbon, often with citrus, tropical fruit, and a cleaner acidity. The yellow colour comes from a recessive gene that prevents the cherry from producing red pigment.
Orange Bourbon. A cross between Red and Yellow Bourbon that produces orange cherries when ripe. Moreover, Orange Bourbon sits between the two in flavour, combining the sweetness of Yellow Bourbon with some of the body and red fruit of Red Bourbon. It remains relatively uncommon but is gaining popularity among producers in Central and South America.
Pink Bourbon. A distinctive sub-variety that produces pink cherries and a flavour profile unlike any other Bourbon. Pink Bourbon delivers floral notes, passion fruit, honey, and a bright, sparkling acidity. Furthermore, Pink Bourbon has become one of the most sought-after sub-varieties in specialty coffee, particularly from Colombia. Our Colombia: Las Flores, Pink Bourbon from Huila showcases this beautifully, with tasting notes of passion fruit, honey, and blood orange.

The genetic relationship between these sub-varieties is still debated by researchers. Recent DNA analysis suggests that Pink Bourbon may actually be a hybrid between Bourbon and an Ethiopian landrace variety rather than a simple colour mutation. Regardless of its precise genetics, the flavour quality speaks for itself.

Where Bourbon Grows Today

Bourbon grows across three continents. Moreover, each origin brings out different aspects of the variety’s flavour potential:

Colombia. One of the most exciting Bourbon origins today, particularly for Pink Bourbon. Colombian producers in Huila, Nariño, and Quindío combine Bourbon’s natural sweetness with innovative processing methods to produce some of the most complex cups in specialty coffee. Furthermore, Colombia’s altitude and climate suit Bourbon exceptionally well.
Brazil. The largest Bourbon producer in the world. Brazilian Yellow Bourbon in particular has built a strong reputation for sweetness, clean acidity, and consistent quality. Moreover, Brazil’s vast growing regions allow Bourbon to express a wide range of profiles depending on altitude, soil, and microclimate.
Guatemala. Guatemalan Red Bourbon produces classic chocolate, caramel, and stone fruit with a full body. Furthermore, the volcanic soils and high altitudes of regions like Antigua and Huehuetenango bring out complexity and depth.
El Salvador. One of the traditional Bourbon strongholds in Central America. El Salvadoran Bourbon tends to produce balanced, sweet, and approachable cups with caramel, honey, and citrus notes.
Rwanda and Burundi. East African Bourbon often produces brighter, more citrus-forward cups with cranberry, orange, and red fruit notes. Moreover, the high altitudes across both countries (typically 1,500 to 2,000 metres) develop excellent acidity and complexity in Bourbon.
Honduras. A growing specialty coffee origin where Bourbon performs well at altitude. Furthermore, Honduran producers increasingly experiment with anaerobic and honey-processed Bourbon, producing distinctive and complex results.

Bourbon’s Descendants

Bourbon is not just a great variety in its own right. It is the genetic parent of many of the most important varieties in modern coffee. Its descendants include:

Caturra. A natural dwarf mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in the 1930s. Caturra retains much of Bourbon’s sweetness and flavour complexity but grows as a shorter, more compact tree with higher yields. Moreover, Caturra has become one of the most widely planted varieties in Latin America. Our Tutti Frutti blend pairs Pink Bourbon with co-fermented Caturra for a bright, juicy, sweet, and sparkling cup.
SL28 and SL34. Kenyan selections developed from Bourbon genetics at Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the 1930s. Furthermore, SL28 produces some of the most vivid and intense flavours in all of coffee: blackcurrant, grapefruit, and blood orange with remarkable acidity.
Pacas. A natural mutation of Bourbon discovered in El Salvador. Pacas produces a compact tree with good cup quality, often showing caramel, chocolate, and citrus.
Mundo Novo. A natural hybrid of Bourbon and Typica, widely grown in Brazil. Moreover, Mundo Novo combines the sweetness of Bourbon with the vigour of Typica.
Catuai. A cross between Caturra and Mundo Novo, making it a Bourbon grandchild. Furthermore, Catuai is one of the most widely planted varieties in Central America.

The influence of Bourbon runs through the entire specialty coffee world. Understanding Bourbon helps explain why so many coffees from different origins and different producers share certain flavour qualities: they are all, to varying degrees, Bourbon’s children.

How Processing Shapes Bourbon

Because Bourbon starts with such a strong flavour foundation, different processing methods bring out different dimensions of its character:

Washed. Highlights Bourbon’s clean sweetness, balanced acidity, and chocolate or caramel notes. Moreover, washed Bourbon from Colombia or Guatemala is many people’s entry point into specialty coffee because it tastes complex yet approachable. Read our guide on washed processing.
Natural. Amplifies Bourbon’s fruit character significantly. Natural Bourbon can produce strawberry jam, red wine, dried fruit, and tropical notes alongside the underlying sweetness. Read our guide on natural processing.
Honey. Enhances sweetness and body while adding stone fruit and tropical notes. Furthermore, honey-processed Bourbon from Costa Rica and El Salvador has become a specialty standard. Read our guide on honey processing.
Anaerobic and advanced fermentation. Pushes Bourbon into more experimental territory, often producing intense tropical fruit, wine-like complexity, and dessert-like sweetness. Our Banoffee Pie blend uses advanced fermentation with Red Bourbon to create toffee, ripe banana, cinnamon, and cream. Read our guide on anaerobic fermentation.

For the full picture of how processing shapes coffee flavour, read our complete guide to coffee processing methods.

Why Bourbon Costs More Than Some Varieties

Bourbon is not as expensive as Gesha, but it typically costs more than high-yield commercial varieties like Catimor or Colombia. Several factors drive the price:

Lower yields. Bourbon trees produce fewer cherries per hectare than compact, high-yield varieties. Moreover, this means less coffee per farm, which directly increases cost.
Disease susceptibility. Bourbon is more vulnerable to coffee leaf rust and other diseases than hybrid varieties bred for resistance. Furthermore, managing disease without compromising quality requires more care and more investment from producers.
Selective harvesting. Because Bourbon cherries ripen unevenly, producers must hand-pick selectively across multiple passes, which increases labour costs.
Quality premium. The specialty market pays higher prices for Bourbon because of its proven flavour quality. Consequently, producers who invest in growing Bourbon well receive better returns per kilogram than they would for commercial varieties.

For more on why specialty coffee costs what it does, read our guide on why specialty coffee is expensive.

Bourbon Coffee at Routes

Bourbon runs through our lineup in several forms:

Colombia: Las Flores, Pink Bourbon is a washed Pink Bourbon from Huila, produced by Johan and Diego Vergara at Finca Las Flores. Tasting notes of passion fruit, honey, and blood orange. This is one of the best examples of how Pink Bourbon produces a flavour profile quite unlike any other Bourbon sub-variety.
Tutti Frutti Co Fermented Premium Blend pairs Pink Bourbon with co-fermented Caturra from Quindío. The Pink Bourbon provides the soft, sweet, balanced foundation while the Caturra delivers the bright fruit and sparkling energy. A showcase of the parent variety alongside its most famous offspring.
Banoffee Pie blends Red Bourbon, Caturra, and Castillo from Colombia and Ecuador using advanced fermentation. The result is toffee, ripe banana, cinnamon, and cream. This demonstrates how Bourbon’s natural caramel sweetness becomes the perfect foundation for dessert-style cups.

Alternatively, a Routes Coffee subscription delivers a rotating selection of specialty coffees to your door, starting from £9 with free UK delivery. Because we source Bourbon and its sub-varieties regularly, subscribers encounter them frequently across different origins and processing styles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bourbon coffee?

What does Bourbon coffee taste like?

Bourbon coffee typically produces a sweet, balanced, and full-bodied cup. Common tasting notes include caramel, brown sugar, toffee, red fruit (cherry, plum, red grape), stone fruit (peach, apricot), chocolate, and honey. Furthermore, Bourbon is known for a rounded and smooth body with moderate, balanced acidity. The specific flavour profile varies by sub-variety, origin, and processing method.

What is the difference between Red, Yellow, Pink, and Orange Bourbon?

Red Bourbon is the original and most common form, producing red cherries when ripe with classic caramel and red fruit sweetness. Yellow Bourbon produces yellow cherries and tends to taste sweeter with citrus and tropical notes. Orange Bourbon produces orange cherries and sits between red and yellow in flavour. Pink Bourbon produces pink cherries and delivers a distinctive floral, passion fruit, and honey character. Each sub-variety has slightly different genetics and flavour potential.

Where does Bourbon coffee grow?

Bourbon grows across Latin America, East Africa, and beyond. Major Bourbon-producing countries include Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Rwanda, Burundi, and Kenya. Furthermore, Bourbon performs best at altitudes above 1,200 metres, where cooler temperatures slow cherry maturation and allow more complex sugars and acids to develop.

What is the relationship between Bourbon and Caturra?

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in the 1930s. It retains much of Bourbon’s sweetness and flavour complexity but grows as a shorter, more compact tree that produces higher yields. Many other commercially important varieties also descend from Bourbon, including Pacas, SL28, SL34, Mundo Novo, and Catuai.

Why is Bourbon coffee special?

Bourbon is special because of its exceptional sweetness, complexity, and the sheer range of flavours it can produce across different origins and processing methods. Furthermore, Bourbon is the genetic foundation of a huge proportion of the specialty coffee world. Many of the varieties that win competitions and top cupping scores trace their lineage directly back to Bourbon.

Is Bourbon coffee related to bourbon whiskey?

Only in name. Both take their name from the French House of Bourbon. The coffee variety takes its name from Île Bourbon (now Réunion), the island where French colonists first cultivated it. Bourbon whiskey takes its name from Bourbon County in Kentucky. The coffee and the whiskey have no direct connection to each other.