Can Pink Bourbon Coffee reach the top position as Gesha Coffee?

Rodrigo – producer and owner of Aromas del Sur said that there is verified information about the specific origin of Pink Bourbon. According to some previous documents, Pink Bourbon is a natural hybrid of Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. His team conducted a search and found that this coffee variety first appeared in the San Adolfo area of the Acevedo municipality in Huila during the 1980s. Therefore, it may have originated in southern Huila in Colombia.

However, some recent research shows that Pink Bourbon is not the same as two types of Bourbon as people think. Café Imports collaborated with RD2 Vision on genetic testing and confirmed that Pink Bourbon is likely a native variety from Ethiopia. But this research has not yet been scientifically determined, so the exact origin of this coffee variety is still a mystery that requires more research evidence to verify.

The Pink Bourbon variety stands out with orange-pink or pink coffee cherries, and the tree has more elongated leaves with light green or yellow-green color. Boram – World Barista Champion in 2023 believes that the vitality of the tree is quite weak and is susceptible to certain diseases and fungi. They require meticulous care and their isolation from other varieties to ensure successful cross-pollination. But  Rodrigo believes that this coffee variety is disease resistant and highly adaptable to the environment. They also possess resilience, yield, and the potential to become high specialty coffees.

Isaiah Sheese – Top 4 at the 2023 World Barista Championship said he has noticed subtle differences in the physical characteristics of the variety. In terms of appearance, Pink Bourbon coffee berries are typically long and thin like the Gesha variety or the native Ethiopian variety. Some trees grown at high altitudes produce fruit that is rounder, denser, and has a sweet and unique flavor.

In terms of flavor, according to Isaiah, the taste from a cup of Pink Bourbon coffee is similar to wet-processed Ethiopian or Gesha Panama coffees with floral notes, pink lemonade, honeysuckle and jasmine notes, and the same texture. smooth and very elegant. With Boram, Pink Bourbon coffee especially stands out with its high acidity, like citrus fruit flavors along with delicate aromas of white flowers and honey-like sweetness. As for Rodrigo, he thinks that Pink Bourbon is a particularly rich and balanced coffee in terms of acidity and richness. Its notes can include notes of peach, papaya, and melon as well as scents of jasmine, green tea, and rose.

Coffee production experts all believe that the market potential of Pink Bourbon is huge. According to survey reports, interest in this type of coffee is increasing steadily every year. Furthermore, Pink Bourbon coffee cherries contain higher amounts of sugar (or have higher Brix levels) than other varieties. This makes it possible to combine with experimental processing methods and create as many new flavors and improve the quality point. Based on experiments, Boram found that, if using anaerobic fermentation pre-processing methods, Pink Bourbon can bring out the best potential of the grain and become extremely attractive. In fact, Isaiah used Pink Bourbon processed by a producer Diego Bermudez of Finca El Paraiso famous for creating the heat shock process to enter the World Barista Championship. The resulting flavor of Pink Bourbon undergoing Diego’s two-stage heat shock fermentation method has surprised tasters with its unique layers of flavor.

However, for Pink Bourbon to be as popular and grow as strongly as Gesha is a long road. Some farmers will face some challenges when scaling up production. The coffee industry needs extensive support and promotion of the prominence of this variety to expand the market and encourage farmers to actively cultivate it. Therefore, maybe in the next few years Pink Bourbon will not be as exciting in coffee shops as some people expect.

According to Rodrigo, Pink Bourbon will remain one of the most important varieties on the market. Pink Bourbon produced in Colombia has made a strong impression of its high quality. So if promoted by the industry, it will increase people’s interest in this breed. From there, Pink Bourbon will have a permanent place in the Colombian specialty coffee sector, even globally.

With industry developments and the tendency of today’s specialty coffee consumers to seek new flavors and experiences, varieties like Pink Bourbon coffee have great potential for growth. But this can take a long time and requires research, innovation and production promotion efforts by stakeholders. If you want to experience specialty coffee beans from rare coffee varieties, visit XLIII Coffee!

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