This coffee is available in limited quantities on our greens page as part of the Colombia Varietal Series.
The History
Discovered in the 1980s, Pink Bourbon was initially thought of as a mutation between red and orange bourbon. In an article for Sprudge, Zac Cadwalader wrote that “the history of Pink Bourbon is more folklore than hard science”. After years of coffee professionals mulling it over, it turns out to be an Ethiopian Landrace varietal. Landrace is an umbrella term used to identify coffee that grows wild, cross-pollinates, and evolves naturally over time. It is estimated that over 10,000 Landrace varieties exist in Ethiopia.
A nursery of coffee seedlings
In 2017, Cafe Imports started testing this varietal and struggled to find conclusive genetic data. In 2023, technology had advanced enough that they revisited the research. Testing four Pink Bourbon and one Orange Bourbon, they found each sample contained Pink Bourbon markings, but had nothing to do with the Bourbon varietal at all.
Seeds have a way of getting shared. Maybe Pink Bourbon was brought over from Ethiopia to be used in a hybrid test, maybe it was gifted from a traveler, or maybe it fell out of the sky. What we do know is that the flavor profile is beautiful and offers huge potential to roasters and cafes.
The Producer
Carlos Cerquera is the owner of the 3-hectare farm, La Esperanza, located near the small town of Pitalito in southwestern Colombia. Carlos is a young producer who is new to specialty coffee, but he is driven by his passion for discovering what creates the best cup profile.
Carlos Cerquera's Finca La Esperanza, photo courtesy of Cafe Imports
During the harvest season, Carlos measures the sugar content of the cherries and harvests when the cherries read 22° brix, a measurement used to determine the concentration of sugar. After harvest, the cherries are sorted, then fermented for 40 hours in a hopper, pulped, and then fermented for another 40 hours in a tank to remove the mucilage. The coffee is dried parabolically in a greenhouse for the next 14 days, where it is moved every 2 hours for consistency in moisture release.
Our Experience
I remember hearing about Pink Bourbon while working as a barista. An exciting variety that mutated from two Bourbons with dominant flavors of heavy florals and sparkling acidity, like a washed Ethiopia. Now we know the reason for that flavor profile, but the hype was real, and it was exciting to develop our palates with a new varietal.
Cupping with the team at Banexport, where I first met this coffee.
As a washed lot, this coffee made a real impression on the cupping in Colombia. Many buyers remarked that they wanted to buy this lot, and I wasn’t sure there was going to be enough to go around. Luckily for us (and you), we were able to reserve one bag.
In the roastery, we experienced candy-like sweetness reminiscent of pink, purple, and red fruits. The acidity is winey with a jammy body.
