A Colombian story with Ethiopian roots
Few coffees arrive carrying quite the intrigue of Pink Bourbon. With its blush-coloured cherries, its extraordinary flavour complexity, and a story that stretches back further than anyone imagined, this remarkable varietal has quietly captivated the speciality coffee world — and for very good reason.
Pink Bourbon is found primarily in the lush highlands of south-western Colombia, most notably in the Huila and Quindío departments — regions celebrated for producing some of the world's finest arabica coffee. The rolling terrain, fed by volcanic soil and grown at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,000 metres above sea level, provides near-perfect growing conditions.
Yet the story of how Pink Bourbon arrived there is one of coffee's great mysteries. For years, it was believed to be a natural hybrid between Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon, spontaneously appearing on Colombian farms as far back as the 1980s. Because it bore strikingly pink cherries and grew amongst traditional Bourbon plants, producers assumed it was a crossing of the two well-known varieties — and the name stuck.
The research that unlocked a very different truth began in 2014, when genetic testing revealed that Pink Bourbon shares a striking similarity with wild Ethiopian coffee trees. Further testing confirmed it conclusively: Pink Bourbon belongs to the Ethiopian landrace family, a lineage far older and more storied than any Bourbon cultivar. The name, though a misnomer, has remained — it is simply too established and undeniable in the cup to change.
A flavour profile unlike any other
What makes Pink Bourbon so extraordinary is its cup. It sits at a beguiling crossroads — carrying the depth and stone-fruit richness typical of Colombian coffees, while simultaneously expressing the floral, citrus, and exotic qualities of a fine Ethiopian. It is this duality that has made it so beloved in speciality circles, earning top placements at the Colombia Cup of Excellence. For the team here at Horsham Coffee Roaster it's without doubt one of our favourite varietals bringing a uniqu complexity and fruit character seldom found in any other varietal.
Depending on how it is processed, Pink Bourbon can express very different but equally captivating characteristics:
- Washed: Floral and precise — expect raspberry, lemongrass, honey, and bright citrus acidity with a clean, lingering finish.
- Natural / fermented: Bold and fruit-forward — passion fruit, cranberry, and dark chocolate with a rich, complex body.
The cherries possess a significantly higher glucose content than standard varieties, providing a rich foundation for complex fermentation, exceptional sweetness, and a silky body. Many producers are experimenting with complex post-harvest processing methods using this varietal with some incredible results. Our job at Horsham Coffee Roaster is to make sure we roast profile these coffees to showcase the very best possible flavour profile with full respect for the varietal, terroir and post harvest processing.
The challenges of growing something this rare
Growing Pink Bourbon is, in the words of those who know it best, no mean feat. The same qualities that make it so distinctive in the cup also make it genuinely demanding to cultivate.
Isolation for pollination. Because the Pink Bourbon colour trait is recessive, plants must be carefully isolated from other varieties. Cross-pollination with Red or Yellow Bourbon will gradually dilute the varietal's characteristics, so producers must plan their farms with real precision.
Harvest difficulty. Rather than turning the familiar deep crimson of ripe arabica, Pink Bourbon cherries ripen to a soft salmon-pink. This subtle colour change makes it hard for pickers to distinguish ripe from under-ripe fruit by eye alone, demanding exceptional skill and attention during selective hand-picking.
Slow ripening and low yields. Pink Bourbon cherries ripen more slowly than many commercial varieties, and plants tend to produce comparatively modest harvests. Combined with the labour-intensive selective picking required, this makes each lot genuinely precious.
Quality inconsistency. Not all Pink Bourbon is created equal. Because of genetic diversity across plants and variations in terroir, some lots cup far better than others. Producers with the deepest understanding of the varietal consistently produce the finest results — making producer relationships all the more important.
Try our Pink Bourbon coffees from Luz Helena Salazar
At Horsham Coffee Roaster, we've had several Pink Bourbon coffees over the last 10 year. Most recently these have been from Luz Helena Salazar, a producer based in Quindío, Colombia. She is married to Jairo Arcila — a third-generation coffee grower — and together their family co-founded Cofinet, an export business dedicated to bringing their exceptional coffees to the world. The care and expertise that goes into every lot is evident from the very first sip.
We've had the opportunity to showcase two of their coffees, each showcasing a different side of Pink Bourbon's character:
Luz Helena Salazar Pink Bourbon — Natural (45hr fermented)
Tasting notes: Passion Fruit | Cranberry | Dark Chocolate
Process: 45-hour fermented natural
Roast: Light
This microlot scores an impressive 87 points and showcases Pink Bourbon at its most expressive and packed with tropical fruit notes. Harvested following strict ripeness criteria, floated and hand-sorted, then fermented for 45 hours before being moved to dry on raised beds. The result is a bold, fruit-forward cup with incredible brightness and complexity.
Shop the Natural Pink Bourbon →
Luz Helena Salazar Pink Bourbon — Washed
Tasting notes: Raspberry | Lemongrass | Honey
Process: Fermented washed
The washed post harvest process of this same varietal and producer reveals a completely different dimension — delicate and precise, with vibrant floral notes, bright acidity, and a clean honey sweetness. Still super juicy and fruity but with less of the intense fermentation and full body found in the natural processed version.
How we roast Pink Bourbon coffee
For those interested in the roasting data of the natural processed version on our Loring S35 - We aim to roast these coffees with a short roast time in the region of 8:30 to 9 min and an end temperature of about 208.5 degrees C. The development percentage is around 11%. This type of roast profile helps to highlight acidity and fruit character, while retaining as much of the floral character as possible.
Why it matters
Pink Bourbon is a reminder of just how much we are still discovering about coffee varieties. Here is a varietal that farmers had grown and shared seeds of for decades, that earned a name based on an honest misunderstanding, and that turned out to carry the genetic fingerprint of Ethiopia's ancient wild forests — the cradle of all arabica coffee.
At Horsham Coffee Roaster, we believe that every cup is an opportunity to understand something deeper about coffee and the producers that grow it. Pink Bourbon, with its blushing cherries and its improbable journey from the Ethiopian highlands to the mountains of Colombia, is precisely the kind of coffee that reminds us why this pursuit matters so much.
