Is There Real Blue Mountain Coffee in Blue Mountain Blend? How is it Blended? True Blue Mountain Washed Processing

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The World-Renowned Blue Mountain Coffee

The world-renowned "Blue Mountain Coffee" has won the hearts of coffee enthusiasts with its mellow taste and perfect balance of acidity, bitterness, aroma, richness, and sweetness. Due to the rarity and expense of Blue Mountain coffee itself, it is generally consumed as a single-origin coffee. Only siphon and pour-over brewing methods can best showcase the mellow aroma and long-lasting aftertaste of Blue Mountain coffee.

Many "Blue Mountain Coffees" on the market are actually so-called "Blue Mountain blended coffee" or "Blue Mountain flavored" coffee. With a little attention, you'll find labels indicating "Blended" or "Flavor." By definition, "Blue Mountain blended coffee" contains no less than 30% Blue Mountain beans. Many people use such Blue Mountain blended coffee beans to prepare milk-based coffees like lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas. If roasters adhere to the concept of seven-day fresh roasting, using absolutely high-quality coffee beans, supplemented with fresh and perfectly appropriate roasting, every cup of coffee will leave a lasting fragrance in your mouth and an unforgettable aftertaste.

What is True Blue Mountain Coffee?

The Blue Mountain Range is located in the eastern part of Jamaica. The mountain gets its name because on clear days, when the sun shines directly on the azure Caribbean Sea, the peak reflects the brilliant blue light of the seawater. The highest peak of Blue Mountain reaches 2,256 meters, making it the highest peak in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination. This area is located in the coffee belt, with fertile volcanic soil, fresh air without pollution, humid climate, and year-round fog and rain (average precipitation of 1,980 mm, temperature around 27°C). Such climate and ultra-high altitude have created the world-famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Clifton Farm Introduction

Clifton Mountain is the oldest coffee producing area in Jamaica that is still in normal operation today, and only Clifton Farm in Jamaica has the "Rainforest Alliance" certification.

It is recognized as a very high-quality and world-famous Blue Mountain coffee producing area. Its elegant great house farm is located in the Newcastle area of the island, situated on the eastern slope of Catherine's Peak at an altitude of 4,300 feet.

History

As early as the mid-18th century (around 1750), Clifton Farm began planting and producing coffee.

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

The Blue Mountain area is a small place with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, so it's impossible for all coffees labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. Today's Clifton Farm is the largest estate in this area, which is still considered small-scale cultivation by international standards. Many estate owners are small landholders whose families have worked on this land for two centuries.

The famous British painter and writer Mrs. Marian North visited Jamaica and spent 5 months on Clifton Mountain. In her autobiography "Recollections of a Happy Life," she mentioned the Clifton Hotel where she stayed: "The Clifton Hotel belongs to a local gentleman who lost his wife. He was unwilling to live in the hotel anymore, but instead rented it to different people weekly, allowing more people to experience the cold air at 5,000 feet altitude and have the opportunity to stroll among Jamaica's best and oldest coffee plantations."

Clifton Mountain Village

The coffee cultivation and processing area is located at an average altitude of 4,300 feet (1,310.64 meters). Sufficient altitude, afternoon gentle clouds and mist surrounding the forest for shade, adequate sunlight, and mineral-rich planting soil provide excellent growing conditions for coffee trees and also extend the ripening of coffee cherries.

In 1953, the Jamaican government established the Coffee Industry Board (CIB) to regulate and guarantee the quality of Jamaican coffee. Jamaica was the first country in the world to designate a specific geographical location to a particular coffee brand, somewhat similar to how France created the AOC system for its wine industry.

All coffee exported from Jamaica is certified by the CIB. And through strict testing by trained quality control experts, they guarantee that all exports are 100% authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

The Sharp Family - Jason, Lawrence (father), and Richard

As early as the mid-18th century (around 1750), Clifton Farm began planting and producing coffee. According to a survey by the Jamaica Institute in 1810, Robert Hamilton was the owner of the farm at that time, and it is now managed by the Sharp family.

Sharp Inspecting Red Cherries

Clifton's high altitude and long history, combined with its unique processing methods, give it a wonderful and distinctive character. This unique processing method allows Clifton to not only have the characteristic roundness and smoothness of Blue Mountain No. 1 but also rich flavors with subtle floral notes.

This is also why Clifton is loved by many and sold at high prices... a standard of over ten thousand per barrel.

Washed Processing Method

Blue Mountain only uses washed processing.

It uses washing and fermentation methods to remove the skin, pulp, and mucilage. Farms using the washed method must build washing pools and be able to introduce a continuous supply of fresh water. During processing, the skin and pulp are first removed, allowing fermentation for 12-18 hours. Then the fermented beans are placed in the pool, moved back and forth, using the friction of the beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until they are smooth and clean.

After washing, the coffee beans are still encased in the parchment, with a moisture content of 50%. They must be sun-dried to reduce the moisture content to 12-14%. After this, the coffee beans are screened and then stored in special warehouses. These procedures must be strictly controlled, otherwise, the quality of the coffee will be affected.

Certification: Rainforest Alliance Certification. Coffee with certification marks on coffee bags or barrels is certified product coffee. Farms must comply with "Sustainable Agriculture System Standards" to obtain certification. (Rainforest Alliance frog logo), Clifton Estate is the only coffee estate to receive (RFA) Rainforest Alliance certification.

Green Bean Analysis

Blue Mountain is divided into four grades. From top to bottom in terms of quality: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB (PB stands for Peaberry). According to CIB standards, only coffee grown at an altitude above 666 meters can be called Jamaican High Mountain Coffee; coffee grown outside the Blue Mountain range is called Jamaican Coffee.

Among them, the basic standards for NO.1 Blue Mountain green beans are beans above 17 screen size, defect rate below 3%, moisture content around 13%, etc.

Variety: Typica

Blue Mountain Coffee Cupping

Cupping characteristics: A perfect and subtle balance of acidity, body, and aroma. Its acidity is bright and delicate. Its body is as smooth as velvet. Its aroma has slight penetrating qualities, accompanied by floral, spicy, and lemon-citrus notes. There's a hint of cocoa aftertaste in the mouth.

The taste is very clean, complex, and very mild, with chocolate sweetness and very strong body. The flavor is rich and mellow, with a perfect balance of coffee's sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. It has no bitterness at all, only moderate and perfect acidity, with a persistent fruity finish.

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

Wet aroma: oolong tea, caramel, honey, dark chocolate, almond skins, silky mouthfeel, brightness

Brewing Analysis

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

KONO parameters: 15g coffee, water temperature 89°C, grind size 4, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15, total time around 2:00

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

Other extraction suggestions:

French Press: 3.5-4 grind size / water temperature 90°C

Siphon: grind size 4, water temperature: 89°C

AeroPress: 2.5 grind size, water temperature 88°C

How to Identify Authentic Blue Mountain?

1. Appearance: Blue Mountain coffee green beans are blue-green in color, very uniform in appearance, medium to small in size, with slightly raised ends. After roasting, they increase significantly in volume and become very full.

2. Grinding: True Blue Mountain coffee beans grow at high altitudes, their cellular structure is relatively loose. When grinding by hand, they feel very crisp, smooth, and continuous, without any sense of resistance.

3. Aroma: The aroma is very rich and dense; so-called blended Blue Mountain coffee does not have this kind of aroma.

4. Taste: True Blue Mountain coffee has a balanced and rich taste, without any one flavor being prominent or lacking. This is also something that no other coffee bean can achieve, making it the most key identification point. The aroma of Blue Mountain Peaberry is more subtle, while the taste is relatively stronger.

True Blue Mountain and Blue Mountain flavor are two different concepts. Generally, other bean varieties are roasted to imitate the taste similar to Blue Mountain coffee. The beans of "Blue Mountain blended coffee" are mixed, with relatively large differences in shape, making them easier to identify. Also don't believe in "premium Blue Mountain" for tens of yuan per pound or "Blue Mountain coffee" for a dozen yuan per cup.

Not everything labeled "Blue Mountain" is true Blue Mountain. Hope this helps everyone distinguish—

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

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