Red Bourbon
Colombian growers were steered away from Bourbon for thirty years. Planting it now means trading yield and rust resistance for what the cup can do.
- Lineage
- Bourbon, the Yemeni-descended stock that reached Réunion in the early 1700s
Red Bourbon in Colombia is a decision, not an inheritance.
For decades the national growers' federation pushed Castillo and Colombia varieties for leaf rust resistance and yield, and for good reason, since rust nearly broke the country's coffee sector. The tradeoff was that a lot of Colombian coffee started tasting the same.
Planting true Red Bourbon means accepting rust susceptibility and meaningfully lower yield per tree in exchange for what the cup can do. A grower who does it has made that trade on purpose, usually on a small block, usually with somewhere to sell it.
What you get for it is depth underneath the fruit. Bourbon carries a cacao and red-fruit structure that the rust-resistant varieties tend to flatten.
For decades the national growers' federation pushed Castillo and Colombia varieties for leaf rust resistance and yield, and for good reason, since rust nearly broke the country's coffee sector. The tradeoff was that a lot of Colombian coffee started tasting the same.
Planting true Red Bourbon means accepting rust susceptibility and meaningfully lower yield per tree in exchange for what the cup can do. A grower who does it has made that trade on purpose, usually on a small block, usually with somewhere to sell it.
What you get for it is depth underneath the fruit. Bourbon carries a cacao and red-fruit structure that the rust-resistant varieties tend to flatten.
