VARIETY PROFILE · PINK BOURBONUPDATED · October 22, 2026

Pink Bourbon coffee: Colombian green lots for roasters and importers

Pink Bourbon coffee is a pink-cherry Arabica variety first identified in and around Huila, Colombia. Despite the name, genetic tests published in 2023 point to an Ethiopian landrace, not a Bourbon. It is valued for bright, floral and fruit-forward cups. The green lots we source today come from a partner producer in Cauca, at 1,800–2,100 MASL, with documented process protocols.

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Pink Bourbon coffee: Colombian green lots for roasters and importers

LOT SPECIFICATIONS

Origin: Colombia — Cauca
Typical altitude: 1,800–2,100 MASL (partner producer, Cauca)
Variety: Pink Bourbon / Bourbon Rosado (Ethiopian landrace lineage)
Processes: Thermal shock washed · Anaerobic (single & double) · Koji · Lager yeast
SCA cup range: 87–91 pts (partner producer, Cauca)
Profile: Florals · red fruit · citrus · bright acidity
Availability: Lot availability confirmed on inquiry
Volume: Micro-lots to container volume (producer capacity)

Is Pink Bourbon actually a Bourbon?

For years the coffee trade assumed it was: the usual story was a natural cross between Red and Yellow Bourbon, which would explain the pink cherries. Genetic testing does not support that story.

Cafe Imports, the green importer whose buyer first noticed pink-fruited trees growing among Bourbon in Colombia in 2014, commissioned two rounds of testing. In 2017, DNA Analytica found the plants closest to wild Ethiopian coffee, though the match was imperfect. In 2023, RD2 Vision, the lab led by geneticist Christophe Montagnon, analyzed five samples from Colombia and Costa Rica and concluded that Pink Bourbon 'has nothing to do with Bourbon, as it is an Ethiopian landrace.' Some of those samples were mixed with Bourbon or Catimor, which tells you that farm-level purity varies.

The variety is also distinct from Geisha, which is a different Ethiopian line. The name stuck because it was already on offer sheets and menus. For a buyer, the practical takeaways are two: treat 'Pink Bourbon' as a trade name, and ask how the producer sourced the seed.

Pink Bourbon and Huila: the variety's history

Pink Bourbon is closely tied to Huila, in southern Colombia, where importers report it was first identified and where much of today's supply is still grown. Huila sits around the Colombian Massif, with the upper Magdalena River valley and high Andean slopes that give producers the altitude a delicate, high-acid variety needs.

That is the variety's history, not the origin of our offer. Pink Bourbon is now also grown outside Huila, and the lots we source today come from one partner producer in Cauca, farming at 1,800–2,100 MASL, with national-champion lots, lots used by World Brewers Cup competitors and on-farm microbiology and quality labs among its credentials. We do not currently offer lots from Huila; our producer network is expanding and accepts applications from across Colombia.

What does Pink Bourbon coffee taste like?

Pink Bourbon coffee taste is usually described as bright and expressive: floral aromatics, red fruit such as raspberry and red currant, citrus and sometimes tropical notes, with a sweet, juicy finish. Cafe Imports' sensory team wrote that it consistently delivers standout cups across tasters and roast levels.

Process changes the expression. Washed lots emphasize clarity and acidity; extended and anaerobic fermentations push fruit intensity and body. Our article on anaerobic versus washed fermentation uses Pink Bourbon as its example of how the same variety shifts by process.

Pink Bourbon vs Geisha: which one should you buy?

Both are Ethiopian-lineage varieties and both sit at the top of specialty menus, but they serve different roles:

Cup: Geisha leans tea-like and floral (jasmine, bergamot, stone fruit); Pink Bourbon leans fruit-forward with brighter red-fruit acidity.
Recognition: Geisha has decades of auction history; Pink Bourbon is newer and still building its reputation with consumers.
Supply: both are usually sold as separated, traceable lots, so availability should be checked lot by lot and harvest by harvest.
Menu use: Geisha anchors a top-tier offering; Pink Bourbon fits a seasonal single-origin slot or a second premium tier.

How to evaluate Pink Bourbon green coffee beans

Because naming outruns genetics, check the lot, not the label:

Seed and plot history: when and from where the trees were planted, and whether the lot is separated from other varieties.
Physical analysis: moisture, water activity, screen size and defects on a 350 g sample under the SCA green grading protocol.
Cupping score: an SCA-protocol score on a pre-shipment sample; 80 points is the specialty threshold, and our partner producer in Cauca cups in the 87–91 range.
Process protocol: fermentation type, time and drying method in writing, so you can reorder the same profile next harvest.

Sourcing Pink Bourbon through OriginAlliesCoffes

OriginAlliesCoffes is a B2B sourcing desk connecting roasters, importers and coffee chains with verified specialty producers in Colombia. Today our network includes one partner producer in Cauca, and it is expanding. Buyers do not pay for the connection, and the producer's identity is shared only with verified buyers after a discovery call.

Tell us the process, cup range and volume you are after. We review your request with our partner producer, coordinate pre-shipment samples with their physical and cupping data, and support the introduction so you can negotiate directly.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pink Bourbon a cross between Red and Yellow Bourbon?

That was the common belief, but genetic tests do not support it. Analyses commissioned by Cafe Imports in 2017 and 2023 linked Pink Bourbon to Ethiopian coffee, and the 2023 lab report described it as an Ethiopian landrace unrelated to Bourbon. 'Pink Bourbon' is now best treated as a trade name.

What is the Pink Bourbon varietal's connection to Huila?

Importers report the variety was first identified in and around Huila, Colombia, and the department remains its main source. High altitude and the Andean slopes around the Colombian Massif suit it. It is also grown in other departments: the lots we source today come from a partner producer in Cauca.

Are Bourbon Rosado and Pink Bourbon the same coffee?

Yes. 'Bourbon Rosado' is the Spanish name used by Colombian producers and on many offer sheets. Both names refer to the same pink-cherry variety, which genetic testing links to Ethiopian landraces rather than to the Bourbon family.

What cup score do Pink Bourbon lots reach?

Scores depend on altitude, harvest and process. Our partner producer in Cauca cups in the 87–91 point range under SCA protocol. Always confirm the score on a pre-shipment sample from the specific lot you are buying.

Can I buy Pink Bourbon in larger volumes?

Our partner producer works from micro-lots to container volume, but how much Pink Bourbon is available depends on each harvest. Share your volume and we will tell you what is realistic.