Cuban Coffee Brand Crystal Mountain: Coffee Variety History, Story, and Flavor Characteristics

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The Origin of Crystal Mountain Coffee

The world-renowned Crystal Mountain Coffee owes its fame to the unique microclimate of the Cambra Mountains in Cuba, which cultivates the distinctive soil conditions.

The fertile soil, combined with a mild climate and frequent rainfall, produces this classic coffee bean rich in elegant aromas, exquisite sweetness, and perfect balance of flavor.

Cuba's Coffee History

Cuba began growing coffee as early as 1820 and is renowned for producing high-quality coffee, with quite a long history. At that time, coffee beans ranked first in national exports, even exceeding the essential commodity "sugar." In the late 19th century, due to government policies and international political turmoil, local coffee prices plummeted, causing farmers to switch to growing other crops. Most coffee plantations in Cuba are state-owned; however, in 1990, the government released some land for the original coffee farmers to cultivate, but current coffee production still doesn't match previous years, making it rare to obtain high-quality Cuban coffee.

Cuban Coffee Growing Regions

Cuba's coffee growing areas are divided into three main regions, all cultivated on mountain slopes and canyons at elevations of 1000-2000 meters. The eastern region of Santiago de Cuba and Granma accounts for up to 70% of the country's total, followed by the central region of Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus at 20%, while the western region of Pinar del Rio accounts for 10%. These regions provide quite comfortable growing conditions for coffee beans, with average temperatures of 21°C in winter and 25°C in summer, moderate rainfall, evenly distributed humidity throughout the year, and deep, fertile soil. All are planted with Arabica varieties.

The Cuban Coffee Association classifies coffee beans into nine grades according to size and flavor: Crystal Mountain, Extra Turquino, Turquino, Altura, Montana, Cumbre, Serrano Superior, Serrano Corriente, and Caracolillo. Cuban coffee is mainly sold to Japan and France, with Japan virtually monopolizing the highest quality Crystal Mountain.

Crystal Mountain Coffee Characteristics

Cuban Crystal Mountain Coffee is a typical island coffee, characterized by a clean and delicate taste, with mild but persistent acidity and a sweet aftertaste with melon and fruit notes.

Processed using natural washing methods and sun-dried in the later stages, it has few defective beans and empty shells, with high consistency in coffee bean moisture content.

Variety: Typica

Dry Aroma: Goji berries, cucumber, fresh cream, light clove, cedar, maple sweetness, vanilla, fresh tree roots, white grapes

Wet Aroma: Aged tangerine peel, sweet orange, rice aroma, hawthorn, cream, white grapes, juniper

Flavor Profile: Fresh and aromatic

Aftertaste: Strong nasal aroma, long throat finish, lingering cucumber and hawthorn fragrance, with pronounced sweetness

About FrontStreet Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee is a roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online store services at https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473