Kurasu Talks Coffee

INTRODUCTION

“Who said Pink Bourbon isn’t ‘in’ anymore?” Roaring, Kosuke came back with a 50kg micro lot of  Ecuador Leopold Andrade Pink Bourbon from his cupping session with our importer. 

Newer, more resilient and high-yielding varieties are indeed taking up more and more space in the market, pushing the old-timers like Bourbon aside. However, the reason we hear less about Bourbon these days isn’t because of its taste- on the contrary, Bourbon is one of the best varieties when it comes to that. 

The Bourbon variety is known for its incredible cup balance and most notably its characteristics that give both a bright, refreshing flamboyant acidity and a heavy, syrupy sweetness- two qualities you rarely find in one coffee, and that’s what makes this variety so special.

Pink Bourbon especially has stronger traits of the positive quality, andKosuke describes this Leopold Andrade as “very interesting coffee that gives a light, cheerful impression while it’s hot then transitions to a heavy sweetness as it cools down, like its ‘center of mass’ moves lower and lower with time.”

As if there isn’t enough to make us obsessed with this unique coffee already, you can completely adjust the balance of its acidity and sweetness to your liking by a little tweak of a recipe. 

In this article we will cover from the quick basics of the variety Bourbon, to the fail-proof recipes to enjoy theEcuador Leopold Andrade Pink Bourbon to its fullest!

What’s Pink Bourbon? A Quick Summary

World Coffee Research (WCR) calls the variety Bourbon “One of the most culturally and genetically important C. arabica varieties in the world”, known for an excellent cup quality with relatively low yield and high susceptibility to diseases. 

The Bourbon was first introduced to Bourbon Island (now La Réunion) - its namesake- in the early 1700s, by French missionaries arriving from Yemen. Today, producers in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru still cultivate it.

The variety can largely be categorized into two to three types, and the most visually noticeable difference is their colors.  The major two are Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon,  and the Pink Bourbon we are offering at Kurasu is a hybrid of the two, believed to be first grown in Colombia. The cherry has a warm, salmon pink color and is known for its silky smooth body and mouthfeel.

Pink Bourbon also has superior cup quality, yield and adaptability compared to other types of Bourbon, but still the variety is steadily losing its presence in the market- what’s the reason behind it?

What a Future Holds for The Bourbons

Unfortunately, being the very original can also mean that it’s not equipped with the latest skillsets- what’s holding the Bourbon variety back is how difficult it can be to cultivate it, especially because of its susceptibility to diseases such as coffee rust. 

Newer varieties modified to be more resistant and have higher productivity have been more and more dominant in the market, with the 2050 crisis also looming over the industry. However, the star quality of the Bourbon makes the challenge come with the cultivation worthwhile- some predict that the future of the Bourbon is to become a coffee of luxury and rarity. A limited production of a premium quality cultivated with all the care and attention it needs can turn this variety into a diamond of its market.

The Ecuador Leopold Andrade Pink Bourbon we offer this time is almost a glimpse of that future already- an exclusive micro lot of (50kg) of superb quality. Don’t miss this opportunity to fall in love with the floral flamboyance and the syrupy sweetness only Pink Bourbon can offer- just like we did.

Click here to check out the product page

How to Make a Delicious Cup with Ecuador Leopold Andrade Pink Bourbon

Kosuke describes his first impression of this coffee as “wild, boisterous acidity and sweetness.” Just like polishing a rough gemstone, he refined this coffee to offer a syrupy mouthfeel starting with a floral, refreshing breeze of acidity gradually turning into a rather heavy, mellow sweetness of apricot and yellow peach with a hint of fermentation.  

With our regular recipe you can enjoy an all-round, well-balanced cup, but you can also bring it up to the next level of personalization, only by adjusting the recipe a little. 

Dialing up the brightness or focusing on the sweetness, it’s all up to you! Try out the recipes below to adjust the cup to fit just how you like it. You don’t need a different dripper or to change your regular grind size- all you need to change is a brewing time. 

To Focus on the Floral Aroma and Enhance its Bright Acidity

At Kurasu we usually recommend dividing the pour into 4 times with the consistent intervals. Sollubles of coffee are extracted in several stages, with each stage extracts different types of flavor: acidity goes first, then sweetness, aftertaste, finally followed by bitterness and any unpleasant flavor. Playing with this system, you can get more of your desired flavor by extending the interval after the pour. If you love a refreshing, floral cup, try focusing on the acidity by extending the time after the first pour. 

00:00- 40g

01:00- 60g

01:20- 50g

01:40- 50g

To Get a More Syrupy, Sweet and Full-bodied Cup, Try This

Applying the same principle, try extending the time after the second pour if you are craving a fuller-bodied, more syrupy cup. (Generally speaking, the longer the brewing time gets the sweeter the cup becomes. )

00:00- 40g

00:30- 60g

01:30- 50g

01:50- 50g

A versatile classic that keeps giving- what’s not to love? We are so excited to share this coffee with you all around the world, and to see what the future holds for this special variety! 

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A day with our head roaster Kosuke：A Day in the Life of Head Roaster Kosuke