What is the Laurina coffee varietal?

Laurina - also known as Bourbon Pointu - is a dwarf natural mutation of Bourbon, native to Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean. It's characterised by conical-shaped cherries (pointed, giving the name Pointu), small elongated beans, and notably low caffeine content - approximately half that of standard Arabica.

Historically significant on Réunion, where it was among the original cultivated coffees before disease and commercial pressure largely displaced it. Today it's cultivated in very small quantities on the island as a rare, expensive specialty product.

The variety is highly susceptible to leaf rust and produces low yields - economically challenging at any meaningful scale. In the cup, Laurina shows delicate, floral, sweet character, with the low caffeine content sometimes linked to its softer flavour profile. It's attracted research interest as a potential starting point for developing naturally low-caffeine Arabica varieties, which - given the size of the decaf market - is a genuinely interesting breeding direction.