Bourbon is a tall variety known for medium yields and very good cup quality, but it is susceptible to coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease.
French Missionaries took Bourbon from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now La Réunion) in the early 1700s. In the mid 1800s missionaries introduced Bourbon into Africa and South America. It was introduced into Brazil around 1860 from where it spread across South America and into Central America. It mixed with other varieties introduced from other countries and also underwent several mutations making it responsible for a lot of the diversity we see in the Americas today.