Is Cuban Crystal Mountain Coffee Expensive? What Are the Characteristics of Crystal Mountain Coffee Beans? What Flavor Profile Can You Expect When Brewing Crystal Mountain?

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Is Cuba Crystal Mountain Coffee Expensive? What are the Characteristics of Crystal Mountain Coffee Beans? What Flavor Profile Does Brewing Crystal Mountain Offer?

The reason Crystal Mountain Coffee is world-famous can be attributed to...

Cuba is both familiar and distant. Familiar because Cuban baseball teams often win world championships at various levels, distant because Cuba is on the other side of the globe in the scenic Caribbean Sea. Like other Cuban industries, coffee is under state production management. The best coffee production area in Cuba is the central mountain region (Escambray). In addition to coffee, the central mountain region also produces precious minerals such as quartz and crystals, which is why the central mountain region (Escambray) is also called Crystal Mountain. Cuba Crystal Mountain Coffee production is very limited, almost monopolized by Japan's Meiwa and France's Cafe Legal coffee companies. Cuban Crystal Mountain Coffee is a typical island bean with a clean and delicate mouthfeel, slight acidity that isn't strong but persistent, and a sweet melon and fruit aroma in the aftertaste. Fertile soil, combined with a mild climate and frequent heavy rains, gives this classic coffee bean elegant aromas, refined sweetness, and a perfectly balanced mouthfeel.

Cuba, which began growing coffee in 1820, is famous for producing high-quality coffee and has a considerable history. At that time, coffee beans were the country's number one export, even more than the essential "sugar." In the late 19th century, due to government policies and chaotic international political situations, the local coffee price plummeted, causing farmers to switch to other crops. In Cuba, most coffee plantations are state-owned. However, in 1990, the government released some land for original coffee farmers to cultivate, but current coffee production still doesn't match previous years, making high-quality Cuban coffee rare. Cuban coffee growing areas are divided into three main regions, cultivated on mountain slopes and canyons at altitudes of 1000-2000 meters. The eastern region of Santiago de Cuba and Granma accounts for up to 70% of the national total, followed by the central region of Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus at 20%, while the western region of Pinar del Rio has 10%. These regions provide quite comfortable growing conditions for coffee beans, with average winter temperatures of 21°C, summer temperatures of 25°C, moderate rainfall, evenly distributed humidity throughout the year, and deep, fertile soil. All are 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 almost monopolizing the highest quality Crystal Mountain.

The Republic of Cuba is located in the West Indies, featuring a transcendent and pristine natural environment, the scenic Caribbean Sea, and the world-renowned Crystal Mountain coffee.

In 1748, coffee was introduced to Cuba from the Dominican Republic, and Cuba has been growing coffee ever since. Cuba's land is fertile, the climate is mild and humid, and rainfall is abundant, making it a natural treasure for coffee cultivation. Suitable natural conditions provide a favorable environment for coffee tree growth, and coffee has been well cultivated and developed here. In Cuba, coffee cultivation is managed by the state, and the best coffee growing area is located in the central mountain region. Because this area produces precious minerals such as quartz and crystals in addition to coffee cultivation, it is also known as Crystal Mountain. Currently, Crystal Mountain Coffee is synonymous with top-quality Cuban coffee. A significant characteristic of Crystal Mountain Coffee is its large beans, and the coffee beans have a bright green color.

In Cuba, coffee bean harvesting is mostly done by hand. During the coffee bean maturation period, harvesting occurs approximately every half month. During or after the harvesting process, people sort the coffee beans, removing unripe and defective beans to ensure coffee quality. Cubans typically use two methods to process coffee beans - the natural method and the washed method. The natural method is the simplest, cheapest, and most traditional coffee processing method, which involves drying coffee fruits in the sun without fermentation. The general drying time is about four weeks. The washed method allows more fruit aroma to enter the coffee beans, thus adding a coarse fruit fragrance to the coffee.

Currently, Crystal Mountain Coffee is very precious. This is mainly due to two reasons. The first reason is the US economic sanctions against Cuba, which prohibit importing Cuban goods. The second reason is that most Cuban coffee beans are acquired by the French and Japanese markets, especially Japan, making it difficult to purchase coffee beans directly from Cuba today. Despite this, Cuban coffee's status in the hearts of global coffee enthusiasts can still be compared to Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Crystal Mountain Coffee beans are typical island beans with a clean and delicate mouthfeel, slight acidity that isn't strong but persistent, and a sweet melon and fruit aroma. The coffee made from it has a rare and perfect taste: aromatic bitterness, rich and smooth mouthfeel, slightly wine-like bitterness with a hint of sweetness, and even a faint smoky flavor, delicate and smooth, refreshing and elegant. Numerous flavors blend together in a nearly perfect combination.

Cuban small crystal coffee raw beans have a more yellowish color, and the beans are slightly smaller compared to Caribbean coffee beans. They are processed using the natural washed method, followed by sun-drying. Defective and empty beans are few, and the moisture content of the coffee beans is highly consistent.

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 fragrance, hawthorn, cream, white grapes, juniper berries

Flavor Profile:

Fresh and aromatic type

Aftertaste:

Strong nasal aroma, long throat resonance, lingering cucumber and hawthorn fragrance, with noticeable sweetness

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Methods:

Siphon, pour-over

Grind Size:

3.5 (Japan's small Fuji R440)

V60 Brewing Parameters:

V60 dripper, 15g of coffee, water temperature 88°C, grind size 4, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

Blooming:

30ml of water for blooming, blooming time 30s

Pouring Stages:

Pour water to 120ml, pause, then slowly pour to 225ml

Pouring Sequence:

30-120-225

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473