Blue Mountain Coffee Grades

Jamaican law stipulates that only coffee beans produced in the Blue Mountain region can be called Blue Mountain Coffee.

The premium grades of Blue Mountain Coffee are classified into three levels: Grade 1 (17-18 mesh and above), Grade 2 (16 mesh), and Grade 3 (15 mesh), where 17 mesh corresponds to a size of 17/64 inches. All three grades deliver identical flavor profiles (confirmed through cupping by certified professionals recognized by the Jamaican government), differing only in bean size.

The green beans of these three grades must be packed in wooden barrels for export, available in three specifications: 70kg per barrel, 30kg per barrel, and 15kg per barrel. The barrel surfaces are imprinted with the name of the producing farm, the English abbreviation of the importer's name, the batch number for each shipment, and the destination port name.

For instance, the Blue Mountain Coffee imported by Shanghai Jialumeng Coffee Company's Japanese parent company, ATAKA Trading Co., Ltd., features the abbreviation "ATC" within a diamond-shaped logo on the barrels. Similarly, Blue Mountain Coffee imported by Japan's Ueshima Coffee Company displays the abbreviation "UCC" in its diamond-shaped logo.

Therefore, when you see a Blue Mountain Coffee barrel, you can immediately identify which specific farm in Jamaica's Blue Mountains produced the coffee, who imported it, and to which port it was delivered.

Additionally, Jamaican exporters provide importers with a green Certificate of Origin. This government-recognized certificate is issued exclusively to importers who purchase coffee in whole-barrel units (70kg, 30kg, or 15kg barrels). The certificate documents the exporting estate's name, importer's name, harvest year, quantity, grade number, batch number, destination port, and other relevant details.

(Notably, among coffee green beans produced outside Jamaica's Blue Mountain region, only High Mountain coffee beans are packaged in wooden barrels.)

Lower Grade Blue Mountain Coffee

The subsequent category includes defective beans and those of inconsistent size. While these beans may have imperfect appearances, their flavor quality remains acceptable. Jamaican government regulations mandate that such green beans can only be exported in burlap bags.

Below this category are coffees with actual flavor defects. Jamaican law strictly prohibits these coffees from being exported as green beans. They must be roasted locally in Jamaica—specifically with a dark roast—before being permitted for export. This requirement exists because only dark roasting can effectively mask or eliminate undesirable flavor characteristics.

However, the exceptional qualities of FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee can only be perfectly expressed through a medium roast. Consequently, when you purchase directly imported, dark-roasted, small-packaged Blue Mountain Coffee in domestic stores, you are buying the lowest grade of authentic Blue Mountain Coffee. While it may be the lowest grade, it remains genuine Blue Mountain Coffee.

Tragically, many domestic consumers pay premium prices for fake Blue Mountain Coffee that contains not a single authentic Blue Mountain bean—a truly regrettable situation!

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473