Introduction:A deep dive into the Bourbon and Catuai coffee beans from Brazil’s South Minas region — exploring their varietal origins, regional characteristics, and flavor profiles, along with practical pour over brewing tips. This article features the classic pulped natural processing method, guiding you through precise grind size for 15g of coffee, water temperature control, pulse pouring techniques, and an analysis of the flavor characteristics of SC14/SC16 grades, making it a comprehensive reference for improving your Brazilian bean brewing performance.
As the world’s leading coffee-producing country, Brazil’s South Minas region cultivates the Bourbon and Catuai varieties, which are highly regarded in the specialty coffee scene. This article takes a practical approach, detailing a Brazilian pulped natural Bourbon pour over brewing plan — including key elements such as grind fineness, water temperature settings, pouring process, and brew ratio — to help you master the brewing essentials of this classic bean.
The Bourbon variety originated on the island of Bourbon in the Indian Ocean (now Réunion) before being introduced to South America, and is one of the parent varieties of many well-known coffee types. It thrives at altitudes above 800 meters, has moderate yields, but under optimal growing conditions, it can exhibit outstanding flavor performance. Compared to other varieties, Bourbon has broad and short leaves, and its cherries are often red or yellow — with red Bourbon being more common and frequently seen in cupping sessions. It’s worth noting that while Bourbon has relatively low yield per plant, it offers balanced flavors and notable sweetness, often serving as the base bean in espresso blends.
Catuai is a hybrid of Caturra and Mundo Novo, known for its strong resistance to wind and rain, short tree stature, and compact fruit that is less prone to dropping during harvest. Its cherries come in both red and yellow varieties, but based on most cupping results, red cherries generally demonstrate better clarity and overall performance. This variety originated in Brazil and is now also widely cultivated in Central American regions.
The sample used here is a pulped natural processed blend of Bourbon and Catuai from Brazil’s South Minas region, using a depulped and sun-dried method. Recommended pour over parameters are as follows: use 15g of coffee grounds with a medium-coarse grind (similar to the 4th setting on the small Fuji Kyocera burr grinder), a V60 dripper, and maintain a water temperature between 88–89°C. First, pour 30g of water for the bloom, lasting about 27 seconds; then continue pouring until you reach 105g, pause until the bed level drops to about half, then pour steadily until you reach a total of 225g. It is recommended to discard the last drops (fading water) to maintain flavor purity. The overall brew ratio is 1:15, and the total extraction time is around 2 minutes.
South Minas is located in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state, where altitudes generally exceed 1100 meters. The region experiences distinct wet and dry seasons, significant day-night temperature variations, and diverse microclimates — all of which create an ideal environment for cultivating high-quality Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon. Coffee from this area often exhibits a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, accompanied by black chocolate aftertaste and roasted melon seed aromas. In addition, the Cerrado Plateau and Mogiana in the northeastern part of São Paulo are also renowned for shade-grown Bourbon, and together these three regions form the three core specialty coffee producing areas of Brazil.
In contrast, much of Brazil has altitudes typically ranging between 600 and 1000 meters, with flat terrain and limited microclimate variation. Local farmers often do not plant shade trees, resulting in Brazilian coffee generally showcasing low acidity, intense nutty tones, and a rich chocolatey flavor. Sometimes there are also subtle background notes of wood or soil, but floral and citrus characteristics are less pronounced.
Minas Gerais, as the heart of Brazil’s highlands, produces over half of the country’s high-quality Arabica coffee. In particular, the South Minas region, as well as the Santo Antônio do Amparo area (which won the 2016 Brazil Cup of Excellence award), are must-visit origins for specialty coffee enthusiasts. The coffee beans from these areas typically fall under the SC14 or SC16 grades, representing a certain standard of quality and consistent flavor expression.
In summary, Brazilian pulped natural Bourbon combines the sweet balance of Bourbon with the dense fruit texture of Catuai. With appropriate medium roasting and pulped natural processing, it can present layers of roasted melon seeds, black chocolate, and a full-bodied mouthfeel. Mastering the correct pour over parameters allows you to fully unlock its unique flavor charm — making it an excellent choice for enthusiasts eager to explore the depths of Brazilian coffee.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
