Coffee On The Brain: Bourbon & Caturra Coffee Varietals

Written by Felicia
Espresso Guru
Published on Mar 3, 2016
Felicia is an espresso machine and coffee expert with a passion for helping coffee lovers to make the best-quality shots at home.

Bourbon? We’ll take ours on the rocks, please.

In this episode of Coffee On The Brain, Amber explores the Bourbon and Caturra coffee varietals. Check out the full review in the video below!

Sweet, complex and crisp, the Bourbon coffee varietal is one of the first two know varietals from the Typica plant discovered on the island of Bourbon, now called Réunion. If you’re looking for the island, you’ll find it located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. Today, the Bourbon varietal is more commonly grown in Brazil and South America.

The Bourbon’s high bean yield made it desirable (understandably so) and it quickly spawned some other varietals like the Caturra. The Caturra subspecies is favored for its “compact” growth, allowing farmers to grow more plants together and get more beans.

How do they taste?

The Bourbon is sweeter with crisp acidity and is gentle on the palette. A great blend to try is the Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic Espresso, which features the Bourbon and other coffee varietals. Try it as an espresso or cappuccino—either way, it's delicious!

For a sweet and fruity coffee, Counter Culture’s Los Rosales, a Caturra varietal, has a smooth, well-balanced taste with slight cherry undertones.

If you’re curious about trying one the Bourbon or Caturra coffee varietals, check out our tasting wall at the Alderwood store and ask one of our coffee specialist for a sample!

P.S. Hey, Bellevue! The Bellevue SCG Store is celebrating the grand opening of "The Wall" on Saturday, March 12 at 9:00 a.m. and we want you to join us! "The Wall" features forty speciality coffees that you can have freshly ground and brewed on the spot! (Sample the Black Cat Classic while you're there.) RSVP for the grand opening in Bellevue here.

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