Jamaica Mavis Bank Blue Mountain No.1 Characteristics & Story | Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee

Jamaica Mavis Bank Blue Mountain NO.1 FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee Beans

Mavis Bank is located in Jamaica's designated Blue Mountain No.1 coffee region and is one of the Jamaican government-certified green bean processing facilities. Situated approximately 10 miles northeast of the capital Kingston, it has been operated by the Munn Family since 1885.

Initially, the Munn Family cultivated and processed coffee cherries on Strawberry Hill, west of the Blue Mountains. In 1920, Victor Munn established the current Mavis Bank processing facility, which was later taken over by Victor's nephew, Keble Munn. Keble was not only an agricultural operator but also Jamaica's first certified cupper. Today, Mavis Bank is Jamaica's largest coffee collection center. To ensure coffee quality, the facility gathers green beans from single farms or smallholders in specific Blue Mountain growing regions. The coffee cultivation and processing areas sit in mountainous terrain averaging 900 to 1,600 meters in elevation. Sufficient altitude, gentle afternoon clouds and mist providing shade, ample sunlight and mineral-rich growing soil offer excellent conditions for coffee tree growth and extend the maturation period of the coffee cherries.

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No.1 coffee also comes from the designated coffee growing region of Jamaica's Blue Mountains, which derives its name from the constant blue mist that envelops the area. The Blue Mountain growing region is located in eastern Jamaica, spanning 45 kilometers in length and 20 kilometers in width, with elevations reaching up to 2,260 meters, making it the highest mountain range in the Caribbean region. The Blue Mountains are covered with fertile soil that has excellent drainage, making it ideal for coffee cultivation.

Processing Method

During the green bean processing stage, only mature red cherries are harvested, followed by manual hand-sorting and flotation elimination as basic requirements. Farmers deliver the selected coffee cherries to another washing station for a second round of selection, with depulping conducted before evening. The cherries are then placed in large water tanks to carefully screen out any over-fermented, unripe or insect-damaged cherries before mucilage removal. After mucilage removal, the parchment beans are placed on concrete slabs and sun-dried for 5 days, then bagged and stored for at least 10 weeks. Finally, the hulled green beans undergo a final hand-sorting process to remove any defects.

Tasting Profile

This batch is carefully selected from 17/18 screen size beans with less than 2% defect rate, classified as No.1 grade. FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No.1 coffee beans are medium-dark roasted, featuring rich nutty and walnut aromas. The brewed black coffee offers a chocolate and caramel-like aftertaste, leaving a very pleasant sensation.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the story of Mavis Bank and the certified Blue Mountain region appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain No.1 is the direct way to taste it. It carries the highest grade in the Jamaican system, with strict standards on bean size, defect rate and overall quality, and the beans come with full origin certification and the original wooden barrels in which Blue Mountain is traditionally shipped, in the classic 15, 45 and 70 kg sizes.

The beans are medium-dark roasted, which lets the classic balance of Blue Mountain come through: nuttiness, dark chocolate, creamy caramel and gentle sweetness unfolding layer by layer, with acidity, sweetness, bitterness and aroma all in harmony. Blue Mountain is famously the specialty coffee that most people find easiest to like, and pour-over is the best way to show its fine layering and rich sweetness. FrontStreet suggests a 1:15 to 1:16 ratio with water at 85-88°C and a medium-coarse grind, which keeps the creamy, caramel and nut notes forward while preserving its soft, bright acidity.