Limited Reserve : Organic Pink Bourbon from Sitio Santa Maria farm, Brazil
What is Pink Bourbon?
Pink Bourbon is a naturally occurring hybrid of Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. It has a cupping quality very similar to other Bourbons, but Pink Bourbon stands out from the rest with the gorgeous peachy hue of its fruits.
The Bourbon variety is characterized by its taller height, relatively low production, susceptibility to major pests and diseases, and sweet and excellent cup quality. French missionaries brought Bourbon from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now La Réunion) in the early 1700s. By 1860, Bourbon was introduced to Brazil, and it quickly spread throughout farms in South and Central America. While Bourbon is still cultivated in some countries, it has largely been replaced by Bourbon-like varieties that descend from it such as Caturra and Catuai. Today, Pink Bourbon’s rarity and history make it a coveted harvest.
Sitio Santa Maria farm
Our Limited Release Pink Bourbon is grown by the Minamihara Family on their farm, Sitio Santa Maria in the Sao Paulo State of Brazil. Our Chief Coffee Guy, Jeff Chean, says that the Minamiharas grow some of the finest coffee in Brazil. Their Pink Bourbon is grown nestled between rows of avocado trees that provide shade, food, and income diversity. This polyculture system is an important part of sustainable farming that can help save Brazilian coffeelands from climate change.
The importance of agroforestry in Brazil
As the world’s largest coffee producer, Brazil produces coffee mostly in unshaded plantations and few agroforestry systems. The dominance of unshaded plantations makes the Brazilian coffee industry vulnerable to the environmental, social, and economic repercussions of climate change. By 2050, warming temperatures in southeast Brazil is predicted to reduce suitable land for coffee production by 60% – if the status quo remains unshaded coffee plantations. Yet, in that same timeframe, agroforestry systems with 50% shade cover could reduce the region’s temperatures and save 75% of suitable coffeelands.
Tasting notes from Chief Coffee Guy Jeff Chean
“This coffee is a very soft and elegant cup with a very pronounced note of caramel - right up front - followed by hints of sweetness reminiscent of yellow stone fruit as the flavors develop in your mouth. This coffee is full-bodied and, while a naturally processed coffee, some of the usual fig or cascara notes are absent which allows the more subtle elements of this coffee to be appreciated.”
Our most limited release yet- while supplies last.