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Blue Mountain Coffee Grading System - Authentic Flavor Profile and Pricing Analysis

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Blue Mountain Coffee Grading System What is the flavor of Blue Mountain coffee? Is it authentic? Blue Mountain No. 1 beans require 96% of coffee beans to be screen size 17/18, with no more than 2% defective beans. Blue Mountain No. 2 beans require 96% of coffee beans to be screen size 16, with no more than 2% defective beans. Blue Mountain No. 3 beans require 96%

Blue Mountain Coffee Grading: What is the Flavor and Taste of Blue Mountain Coffee? Is it Authentic?

Blue Mountain No. 1

96% of coffee beans must be screen size 17/18, with no more than 2% defective beans.

Blue Mountain No. 2

96% of coffee beans must be screen size 16, with no more than 2% defective beans.

Blue Mountain No. 3

96% of coffee beans must be screen size 15, with no more than 2% defective beans.

Blue Mountain Peaberry

96% of coffee beans must be single round beans of screen size 10, with no more than 2% defective beans.

Blue Mountain Triage

A blend of Blue Mountain No. 1, 2, and 3 beans, with a small amount of minor defects that do not affect the cup quality.

Blue Mountain Fine Beans

Coffee beans with screen size below 15, with no more than 2% defective beans. This portion of beans is only sold in sample mode, with prices determined by demand status.

Blue Mountain Triage Peaberry

A blend of Blue Mountain peaberries with minor defects but excellent cup quality, with no more than 4% defective beans.

What is the True Flavor of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee Cupping Notes

Cupping characteristics: A perfect and subtle balance of acidity, body, and aroma. Its acidity is bright and delicate. Its body is velvet-smooth. Its aroma has a slight penetrating quality, accompanied by floral, spicy, and citrusy notes. There's a hint of cocoa aftertaste upon entry.

The taste is very clean, complex, and exceptionally mild, with chocolate sweetness and very strong body. The flavor is rich and mellow, with a perfect balance of coffee's sweet, sour, and bitter notes—completely without bitterness, with only moderate and perfect acidity, and a persistent fruity finish.

Dry aroma: Roasted peanut, hazelnut, melon, chocolate-like

Wet aroma: Rose-tea, caramel, honey, black-chocolate, almond skins, silky mouthfeel, brightness

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Analysis

Daily brewing filter choices: V60, Kalita wave, and KONO are all suitable

KONO parameters: 15g coffee, water temperature 86°C, grind size 4, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:14, total time around 1:50

Technique: 25-30g water for bloom, bloom time 30s, first pour to 120g then stop; vertical water flow, small slow circular motions; second pour to 225g, with slightly faster water flow and circular speed to reduce fine particles clogging the filter and causing over-extraction.

Other Extraction Recommendations:

French Press: Grind size 3.5-4, water temperature 90°C

Siphon: Grind size 4, water temperature 89°C

AeroPress: Grind size 4, water temperature 88°C

How to Identify Authentic vs. Fake Blue Mountain?

1. Appearance: Green Blue Mountain coffee beans are blue-green in color, very uniform in appearance, medium to small in size, with slightly curved ends. They expand significantly and become very plump after roasting.

2. Grinding: True Blue Mountain coffee beans grow at high altitudes, giving them a relatively loose cytoplasmic structure. When ground by hand, they feel crisp, smooth, and continuous, without any sense of resistance.

3. Aroma: The aroma is very rich and dense; so-called "Blue Mountain blends" do not have this characteristic aroma.

4. Flavor: True Blue Mountain coffee has a balanced and rich flavor profile, with no single taste being overly prominent or lacking—this is the most crucial identification point that no other coffee bean can match. Blue Mountain peaberries have a more subtle aroma but relatively stronger mouthfeel.

True Blue Mountain and "Blue Mountain-style" are two different concepts. Generally, the latter uses other bean varieties roasted to imitate the flavor profile of Blue Mountain coffee. "Blue Mountain blend" beans are mixed with noticeable size differences, making them relatively easy to identify. Don't believe in "premium Blue Mountain" that costs only tens of dollars per pound or "Blue Mountain coffee" that costs only a dozen yuan per cup.

Not everything labeled "Blue Mountain" is authentic Blue Mountain—hope this helps everyone distinguish~