Yellow Bourbon from Huila’s Diamond Estate: A Four-Wash Process Coffee

If you’ve ever wondered why some Colombian coffees deliver both a bright acidity and a deep, dessert-like sweetness—think caramel drizzle over toasted nuts—this Yellow Bourbon from Huila’s Diamond Estate offers a clear answer. Grown at 1,667 meters above sea level and processed using an unusual four-stage washed method, this lot stands out for its balance, texture, and clarity.

This single-origin Yellow Bourbon coffee is processed via a unique four-time water-washed method after skin removal and dry fermentation, resulting in a cup with hazelnut, pistachio, and caramel sweetness, plus a creamy body.

Where This Coffee Comes From

The coffee originates in the Huila region of Colombia, specifically from the Vera Plateau and the high-elevation Diamond Estate. Colombia’s coffee history began in 1808 when a priest introduced coffee from French Guiana via Venezuela. Today, Colombia is the world’s second-largest coffee producer and the top exporter of both Arabica beans and washed coffee. Huila, located in the southern part of the country, is celebrated for its high-altitude farms, many over 1,500 meters, and is known for producing coffees with bright acidity, berry notes, and sweet, caramel-like finishes.

The Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon is a natural mutation of the classic Bourbon variety, itself a mutant of Typica. While Red Bourbon beans turn red when ripe, Yellow Bourbon fruits ripen to an orange-yellow hue. This mutation originated in Brazil and is valued for its balanced acidity and clean profile when grown at elevation. However, it is lower-yielding and more susceptible to weather, which limits its planting. When cultivated at high altitudes like Huila’s 1,667 meters, Yellow Bourbon develops complex sweetness and a smooth mouthfeel—traits clearly present in this lot.

The Unusual Processing Method

This coffee undergoes a distinctive processing approach: after the coffee cherries are depulped (the skins are removed), the sticky mucilage-covered seeds are placed in a fermentation tank without added water. Here, natural microbes and bacteria break down sugars and alcohols in the mucilage over a 24-hour dry fermentation period. Then comes the key step: a ‘four-time washed’ process, where the beans are rinsed and cleaned in four separate water-washing stages to fully remove all remaining fruit material. This careful, multi-step washing ensures a clean cup while enhancing both acidity and sweetness. Finally, the beans are dried mechanically. The result is an exceptionally stable green coffee with amplified sweetness and complex acidity.

Flavor Profile

The cup opens with nutty notes of hazelnut and pistachio, followed by a prominent caramel sweetness. There’s a velvety, creamy mouthfeel throughout, balancing the bright and sugary elements into a cohesive, smooth profile. It’s the kind of cup that feels both dessert-like and refined—ideal for filter brewing methods that highlight sweetness and texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Yellow Bourbon coffee?

Yellow Bourbon is a natural mutation of the Bourbon coffee variety, which itself comes from a Typica mutation. Unlike Red Bourbon, which ripens red, Yellow Bourbon cherries turn yellow when ripe. It typically has a balanced acidity, medium brightness, and when grown at high altitudes like in Colombia’s Huila region, it develops sweet, nutty, and creamy flavor profiles.

Where is the Huila region in Colombia?

Huila is a coffee-growing department in southern Colombia, known for high-altitude farms often above 1,500 meters. It is part of Colombia’s southern specialty coffee zone, alongside Cauca and Nariño, and is famous for producing coffees with bright acidity, berry tones, and sweet, caramel-like finishes.

What is a four-time washed process?

This is a specialized washed processing method where the depulped coffee seeds are rinsed and washed in four separate stages to ensure all mucilage and fruit residue is removed. This extended washing enhances cleanliness in the cup while preserving and amplifying sweetness and acidity, as done with this Yellow Bourbon from Diamond Estate.

Why is dry fermentation used in coffee processing?

Dry fermentation involves allowing depulped coffee seeds to sit without water while natural microbes break down sugars in the mucilage. In this case, it lasted 24 hours and preceded a four-stage wash, helping develop complexity and sweetness before the beans are thoroughly cleaned and dried.

What does this coffee taste like?

The cup profile includes hazelnut, pistachio, caramel sweetness, and a creamy mouthfeel. It balances nuttiness and sweetness with a smooth, silky texture, making it enjoyable as a filter coffee or espresso with notable richness.

Recommended FrontStreet Coffee Beans with Similar Profiles

For fans of this Yellow Bourbon from Huila, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Brazil Queen Manor, a Yellow Bourbon grown at 1,400 meters with notes of cream, peanut brittle, and chocolate. Also consider the BrazilBourbon, an easy-drinking red Bourbon with caramel, bread, and chocolate tones. Both showcase the sweet, rounded qualities of well-processed Brazilian and Colombian Bourbons. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.