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Those who have a basic understanding of coffee bean varieties must know about the Arabica variety. Among the three major coffee species (Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica), Arabica beans are the smallest in size, which is why we often refer to small-bean coffee as Arabica. Yunnan coffee is named after the cultivation of the Typica variety, which is also the oldest coffee variety in Yunnan. However, due to Typica’s weaker disease resistance and inability to achieve mass production, other high-yield, high-disease-resistant varieties such as Catimor were introduced. Initially, Yunnan imported S288, which is resistant to leaf rust, and later introduced Catimor, which has higher yields. Catimor is a hybrid of Timor and Caturra. Nowadays, most of the coffee trees planted in Yunnan are of the Catimor variety, with only a small number of Typica varieties remaining.

What are the characteristics of the Typica variety?

Typica is the oldest native variety from Ethiopia, discovered around the 15th to 16th centuries. The characteristics of Typica include taller coffee trees, bronze-colored top leaves, and larger, longer coffee beans that are pointed at both ends, somewhat resembling eggs. Typica coffee often has citrus acidity with a sweet aftertaste, and is praised by many as an elegant and clean coffee bean. Unfortunately, its low yield and poor resistance to leaf rust have gradually led farmers to replace it with other more robust varieties, and the same is true in Yunnan, China.

Before the 1960s, Yunnan extensively planted the two Arabica varieties: Typica and Bourbon. Starting in the 1970s and 1980s, global coffee-growing regions were affected by leaf rust, prompting coffee growers to find solutions. In 1990, driven by the foreign-funded company Nestlé, Yunnan introduced the Catimor variety from Central and South America, which had better disease resistance and higher yields, to replace the “less profitable” Typica coffee trees. This also laid the groundwork for Catimor becoming the dominant variety in Yunnan today.

Growing regions of Typica

At Front Street, we believe that the Typica variety evolves new morphological traits to adapt to different growing environments, gradually developing its own unique elegant flavors. For example, world-renowned varieties like Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona are mutations derived from Typica.

Early on in our exploration of coffee knowledge, the idea of growing coffee ourselves emerged. As a result, in 2013, we went to Lincang, Yunnan, to begin the journey of planting coffee trees. From site selection, variety selection, seedling cultivation, planting, harvesting, processing, to roasting, all were handled by our Front Street colleagues, through which we gained considerable experience and knowledge related to varieties, altitudes, and processing methods. We specifically chose the most original Typica. Typica has an elegant and pure flavor, but it is also notorious for its low yield and poor resistance. Therefore, we put a lot of effort into its cultivation and management. After years of nurturing, we finally harvested the first batch of results in 2020, which were processed using the natural method and named 'Front Street 2013.'

Front Street Coffee: Front Street 2013 Natural Typica Coffee Beans

Region: Lincang, Yunnan

Estate: Front Street Coffee Estate

Altitude: 1300 meters

Variety: Typica

Processing Method: Natural process

Flavor: Chocolate, nuts, dried apricot, brown sugar, plum

Natural Processing Method

Every winter around November, the coffee cherries we grow ripen successively. We arrange for workers to pick the red coffee cherries one by one and spread the fresh coffee fruits in the sun to dry naturally. They are turned at irregular intervals to ensure even dehydration and avoid negative flavors from over-fermentation. We believe that naturally processed coffee has higher sweetness and produces more berry-like flavor tones, with a rounder and smoother finish.

When we talk to customers about the flavor characteristics of Yunnan coffee, some describe it as chocolate, others say it’s like sweet potato, and some friends think it tastes like Sanhua plum. We believe that Yunnan coffee has a balanced and neutral flavor profile, meaning it has a mix of sourness, sweetness, and bitterness. Therefore, our Yunnan coffee is medium-roasted to highlight the roasted aromas of chocolate and nuts while retaining some acidity.

From cupping, this Yunnan natural Typica presents flavors of chocolate, brown sugar, plum, tropical fruit fermentation, and the aftertaste of black tea. The overall profile is clean with rich layers.