Bourbon coffee


Bourbon is a cultivar of Coffea arabica. It is one of the two main cultivars from which new cultivars are bred, the other being Typica. Both originated in Yemen.
Bourbon coffee was first produced in Réunion, which was known as Île Bourbon before 1789. It was later taken by the French to mainland Africa and to Latin America.
Bourbon grows best at heights between 1,100 and 2,000 meters and gives a 20–30% higher yield than Typica, but produces a similar quality of coffee. Bourbon has a commercially viable level of yield potential and growth habit but is generally susceptible to disease and pests. Bourbon quality is generally accepted to be standard to good.

Description

Young leaves may be green or bronze in color and mature leaves are generally larger than Typica leaves. Plagiotropic branches grow at a slight angle, roughly 60° from the main stem. Bourbon cherries are generally more round than Typica cherries. Bourbon accessions from Yemen tend to have a single main stem whereas accessions from Ethiopia tend to form multiple stems.