How to Brew Blue Mountain Coffee with a Siphon Pot?

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Elegance, as the saying goes, never goes out of style. Today FrontStreet Coffee is bringing out a treasured piece from the collection, the siphon brewer, and pairing it with the renowned FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain to brew a fresh pot of siphon Blue Mountain. Let's get started.

Flavor Characteristics of Blue Mountain Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain enjoys a high reputation, limited production and a long history. Even people who have never touched specialty coffee have probably heard of Blue Mountain No. 1. The market, meanwhile, is crowded with Blue Mountain specialty coffee, Blue Mountain flavored coffee and Blue Mountain blends, which makes the whole category confusing. Not every product bearing the name is authentic FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1. Without paying attention, you may end up drinking a fake. So how do you tell the genuine ones apart? First, FrontStreet Coffee will walk through where Blue Mountain coffee came from.

FrontStreet Coffee · Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Beans

Region: Blue Mountain Region

Farm: Clifton

Altitude: 1310 meters

Variety: Typica

Processing: Washed

Grade: NO.1

The FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 sold by FrontStreet Coffee comes with certificates issued by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board. The wooden barrels that hold FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain green beans also carry a green frog logo, as seen in the photo below from the import. That is because FrontStreet Coffee specifically chose estates producing Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 that hold Rainforest Alliance certification, namely Clifton Farm. Jamaica is also the only region in the world that packages green coffee in wooden barrels. Then there is the most recognisable part, the flavour itself: authentic FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain has a very intense aroma and a balanced taste, with no single note crowding out or missing from the cup. It also sells for more than other coffees, and FrontStreet Coffee sees three reasons for that: limited quantity, excellent flavour and strict quality control.

How to Brew Authentic Blue Mountain Coffee with a Siphon Pot?

Siphon coffee wants a finer grind than pour-over. By FrontStreet Coffee's measurements, roughly 90% should pass through a #20 sieve. On the EK43s grinder used in our stores that is a setting of 9; on the C40 hand grinder it is 20.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Siphon ratios generally run from 1:10 to 1:12, with 1:12 the more common choice. For a single home serving you might use FrontStreet Coffee's standard parameters: 18 grams of coffee and 200 millilitres of water.

Specific Brewing Method

Using FrontStreet Coffee's preferred method as the example:

1. Pour in 200 millilitres of hot water, wipe the bottom chamber dry and turn on the heat source.

2. Insert the top chamber into the bottom chamber at an angle, making sure the pressure-relief ball touches the base of the lower chamber.

3. Once a steady stream of small bubbles appears in the bottom chamber, straighten the top chamber and press it firmly into place. Wait for the water to be drawn up into the top chamber.

4. Add FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain grounds and start the clock. In the first stage, use the stirring stick to pat the grounds down into the water so they absorb evenly.

5. In the second stage, at 25 seconds, begin stirring the way FrontStreet Coffee recommends, so the coffee separates clearly into three layers: liquid, grounds and foam.

6. In the final stage, at 50 seconds, stir again in the same direction. At 60 seconds, remove the heat source and wait for the coffee to descend.

This method yields a very aromatic, full-bodied siphon Blue Mountain. It may not be as clean and clear as pour-over, but the oils floating on the surface add real weight and richness.

In FrontStreet Coffee's view, the siphon is noticeably more trouble than pour-over. You need a heat source, you cannot look away during the whole extraction, and afterwards you have to clean up promptly, including washing the cloth filter that catches the grounds. In a busy shop with high output, siphon production would be even more of a burden.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For the siphon method above, FrontStreet Coffee suggests the Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 from Clifton Estate. It carries Jamaica Coffee Industry Board certificates and origin documentation, and the wooden barrels it ships in are printed with the estate's name and the green frog logo. Jamaica is the only country that still exports green coffee in traditional wooden barrels, which come in 15 kg, 45 kg and 70 kg sizes, so the packaging is a genuine part of the provenance.

FrontStreet roasts this Blue Mountain No. 1 to a medium-dark level, which suits the siphon's fuller extraction: expect nut, dark chocolate and cream caramel with a soft, layered sweetness, all held in the balance that defines the origin. Jamaica's Blue Mountain region produces under 2,500 tonnes a year, and Japan has historically taken more than 70% of it, so the coffee is scarce by nature.

Blue Mountain is not a one-trick bean, though. If you prefer to drink it without the siphon ritual, FrontStreet suggests pour-over at a 1:15 to 1:16 ratio, 87-88°C water and a medium-coarse grind, or a moka pot with a slightly finer grind and hot water in the base for a denser, sweeter cup.