Which Estate Produces the Best Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee & How Long is the Shelf Life of Roasted Blue Mountain No. 1 Beans

When watching Hong Kong television dramas from the late 20th to early 21st century, whenever coffee was mentioned, it was always Blue Mountain Coffee. Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the most famous coffees in the world. Once, Blue Mountain Coffee was a symbol of status due to its low production, high quality, excellent flavor, and high price. Blue Mountain Coffee became a highly sought-after item, making it extremely difficult to obtain. Subsequently, Blue Mountain flavored coffee appeared in the market. At this point, FrontStreet Coffee wants to emphasize that Blue Mountain flavored coffee is not genuine Blue Mountain Coffee in the true sense.

Blue Mountain Coffee Classification

The term "Blue Mountain flavored coffee" actually originated in Japan. Japan is the largest buyer of Blue Mountain Coffee, with at least 80% of Blue Mountain Coffee entering the Japanese market annually. Japan divides Blue Mountain Coffee into three quality and product grades: Blue Mountain Coffee, Blue Mountain Blend, and Blue Mountain Flavor.

Blue Mountain Coffee requires 100% Blue Mountain coffee beans
Blue Mountain Blend requires at least 60% Blue Mountain coffee beans
Blue Mountain Flavor may contain no Blue Mountain coffee beans at all

From this, we can understand that Blue Mountain flavored coffee beans are not actually produced in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.

Jamaican Coffee Cultivation History

Those familiar with the spread history of Arabica know that in 1616, the Dutch, known as the "sea carriage drivers," stole coffee seedlings from Yemen and carefully transported them back to Amsterdam, nurturing them in a large greenhouse. That coffee seedling later became known as the "European mother plant" - Typica. In 1699, the Dutch transplanted descendants of the "European mother plant" to Java and successfully cultivated them.

In 1708, the French also attempted to steal coffee seedlings from Yemen like the Dutch but failed. A few years later in 1714, the mayor of Amsterdam gifted Typica seedlings from Java to French King Louis XIV. In 1720, a French naval officer stole a Typica seedling from the Royal Botanical Garden in Paris and escorted it to the Americas, arriving at the French Martinique island in 1723, where he planted the coffee seedlings on the island, which later bore abundant fruit.

In 1725, British Governor Nicholas Lawes purchased 7 Typica coffee seedlings from the French Martinique island and planted them near the Blue Mountains in eastern Jamaica. Soon after, coffee spread throughout the Blue Mountains.

Growing Region Overview

Blue Mountain Coffee is produced from the Blue Mountain range near Kingston, Jamaica. The Blue Mountains reach an elevation of 2,256 meters and are the highest and longest mountain range in Jamaica. Since the Blue Mountains are surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, whenever the weather is clear and the sun shines directly on the azure sea surface, the peaks reflect the brilliant blue light of the seawater, hence the name "Blue Mountains."

The Jamaican Blue Mountain growing region is located in the coffee belt, with fertile volcanic soil, fresh air, no pollution, humid climate, and year-round fog and rain. The annual average precipitation ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 millimeters, with temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius. Afternoon clouds and mist envelop the mountain peaks, not only providing shade for the coffee trees but also bringing abundant moisture. Such climate conditions have created the world-renowned Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, while also making it the second most expensive coffee in the world.

Blue Mountain Coffee Grading System

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans are graded into three categories based on the altitude of the coffee-growing mountains: Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaican High Mountain Coffee, and Jamaican Premium Washed Coffee.

Among these, Blue Mountain Coffee and High Mountain Coffee are each further divided into four grades, ranked from highest to lowest quality: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB (Peaberry). According to CIB standards, only coffee grown above 666 meters altitude can be called Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. The finest of the finest, coffee produced in the high-altitude mountainous areas of Jamaica's Blue Mountains, due to its location on precarious mountain slopes, has low yield, large beans, excellent quality, and harmonious flavor, while maintaining appropriate acidity, bitterness, aroma, body, and sweetness. It is recognized worldwide as a premium product, making Jamaican Blue Mountain No.1 the most expensive among all Blue Mountain coffees.

Clifton Estate

Clifton Mountain is Jamaica's oldest coffee-producing area still in normal operation today. Clifton Estate is also the only estate in Jamaica with the "Rainforest Alliance" certification. The estate is located in the Newcastle region on the eastern slopes of Catherine's Peak. As early as around 1750, Clifton Estate began cultivating and producing coffee.

According to a survey by the Jamaican Institute in 1810, Robert Hamilton was the owner of the farm at that time. Clifton Mountain was divided into two parts: the mountaintop had 80 acres of coffee and 427 acres of pasture; the foothills had 111 acres of coffee and 264 acres of pasture.

FrontStreet Coffee Jamaican Blue Mountain No.1

Region: Jamaican Blue Mountain Region
Farm: Clifton
Altitude: 1,310m
Variety: Typica
Processing: Washed
Grade: NO.1

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

FrontStreet Coffee's roasters have adopted a medium roast for the Blue Mountain No.1 coffee beans to highlight the balanced and full-bodied flavor of Blue Mountain. Taking 500g of green beans roasted in a Yangjia 600N semi-direct fire roaster as an example.

Charge temperature at 165°C, heat at 130, damper set to 3; Return point at 1'32", with chamber temperature at 95.8°C, heat unchanged; At 3 minutes, adjust damper to 4, increase heat to 140 at 4 minutes. When chamber temperature reaches 153.3°C, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. At 8'36", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 10'06", develop for 3 minutes after first crack, drop beans at 198.5°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions

Other parameters: 15g coffee, water temperature 86-88°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, medium-coarse grind (Chinese standard 75% pass rate through 20-mesh screen)

Filter cups generally include several options: V60, Kalita wave, and Kono. FrontStreet Coffee mainly demonstrates brewing with the Kono filter cup. FrontStreet Coffee chose the Kono filter cup mainly because Blue Mountain Coffee uses a dark roast, and high temperatures can easily lead to over-extraction, so FrontStreet Coffee chose a water temperature of 86°C. At this temperature, using a V60 filter cup or other faster-flowing filter cups would easily lead to under-extraction, while the Kono's fewer and shorter ribs can isolate the gap between the filter paper and the filter cup, increasing water retention time and providing an immersion function. Therefore, considering all brewing parameter test results, FrontStreet Coffee ultimately chose the Kono filter cup.

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, which is the three-pour method. Use 30g of water for bloom, blooming time is 30s. First segment: small circular pour to 125g, wait until the liquid level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, then continue with the second segment pour to 225g to finish extraction. Total extraction time (including bloom) is 2'00".

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473