Is Jamaica Mavis Bank Blue Mountain Coffee NO.1 Real? FrontStreet Coffee's Authentic Blue Mountain Experience

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange & More Coffee Bean Information

Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

Is Jamaica's Mavis Bank Blue Mountain Coffee No.1 Authentic? How Much Does a Cup of Authentic Blue Mountain Coffee Cost at FrontStreet Coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee's authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Beans - Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee 100g Roasted

The Legacy of Mavis Bank Blue Mountain Coffee

Jamaica's Mavis Bank Blue Mountain No.1 beans: Mavis Bank is located approximately 10 miles northeast of the capital Kingston, and is one of the green bean processing plants certified by the Jamaican government. The Munn Family has operated it since 1885. The MBCF trademark and its 100% Blue Mountain Coffee are renowned worldwide, particularly praised for their meticulous green bean processing procedures and elegant, delicate flavors, floral tea aromas, subtle sweetness, and rich creamy buttery mouthfeel. Jamaica's designated Blue Mountain coffee growing region earned its name "Blue Mountain" due to being constantly shrouded in blue mist.

Mavis Bank is situated approximately 10 miles northeast of the capital Kingston and is one of the green bean processing plants certified by the Jamaican government. The Munn Family has operated it since 1885. The MBCF trademark and its 100% Blue Mountain Coffee enjoy global recognition, particularly acclaimed for their meticulous green bean processing procedures and elegant, delicate flavors, floral tea aromas, subtle sweetness, and rich creamy buttery mouthfeel. Jamaica's designated Blue Mountain coffee growing region derived its name "Blue Mountain" from being constantly enveloped in blue mist. The Blue Mountain region is located in eastern Jamaica, spanning 45 kilometers in length and 20 kilometers in width, with elevations reaching up to 2260 meters, making it the highest mountain range in the Caribbean region.

Exceptional Growing Conditions

True Blue Mountain coffee is among the world's most superiorly cultivated coffees, with Jamaica's weather, geological structure, and topography combining to provide an exceptionally ideal environment. Designated Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee can only be grown within the Blue Mountain region, located in the eastern part of Jamaica near Kingston. Coffee grows on mountains reaching up to 1800 meters (approximately 6000 feet), which is quite high for Arabica coffee. Moreover, the terrain is extremely rugged, making the harvesting process very challenging (coffee harvesting is performed almost entirely by women). The Blue Mountains are covered with fertile soil with excellent drainage, perfectly suited for coffee cultivation. Mavis Bank is located within Jamaica's designated Blue Mountain region and is one of the green bean processing plants certified by the Jamaican government, situated approximately 10 miles northeast of the capital Kingston, and operated by the Munn Family since 1885.

Initially, the Munn Family cultivated and processed harvested coffee cherries at Strawberry Hill on the western side of the Blue Mountains. In 1920, Victor Munn established the current Mavis Bank processing plant, which was later taken over by Victor's nephew, Keble Munn. Keble was not only an agricultural operator but also Jamaica's first certified cupper.

Currently, Mavis Bank has become Jamaica's largest coffee collection point. To ensure coffee quality, the processing plant collects green beans from single farms or small farmers within specific Blue Mountain growing regions. Coffee cultivation and processing areas are situated in mountainous regions averaging 1600 to 900 meters in elevation. Sufficient altitude, gentle afternoon clouds enveloping the mountain forests for shade, adequate sunlight, and mineral-rich planting soil provide excellent growing conditions for coffee trees and also extend the maturation period of coffee cherries. During the green bean processing stage, only fully ripe red cherries are harvested, followed by manual selection and floating fruit elimination procedures as basic requirements. Farmers send the selected remaining coffee cherries to another washing station for a second selection, with pulp removal completed before evening.

Subsequently, they are placed in large water tanks to carefully screen out any over-fermented, unripe, or insect-damaged cherries before proceeding with mucilage removal. After mucilage removal, the parchment beans are placed on cement stone slabs and sun-dried for 5 days, then bagged and stored in warehouses for at least 10 weeks. Finally, the hulled green beans undergo one final manual defect screening process.

Mavis Bank possesses Jamaica's most complete green bean processing facilities, with 6000 farmers under its management. Under the Munn Family's stewardship, the M.B.C.F trademark has been established as globally renowned and quality-assured.

Tasting Notes

Dry Aroma:

Jasmine, grape, citrus, hazelnut, honey

Wet Aroma:

Chamomile, vanilla, black plum, fresh peanut, dark cocoa, nuts

Sip:

Balanced and multi-layered fruity notes, lingering floral aroma, very sweet! The finish has a high-mountain oolong tea sensation.

Coffee Varietals and Quality

The trees are primarily of the Arabica "Geisha High Bred" type. Seeds from these trees have been exported to other countries like Hawaii, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, and other regions, but nowhere else have they been able to recreate the flavor of Blue Mountain coffee beans. The small quantity but high-quality Typica is the finest Arabica variety. Most coffee-producing countries prefer to grow other varieties with higher yields but inferior quality, while Jamaica prioritizes quality, willing to sacrifice Blue Mountain coffee production volume to achieve the best possible quality. 100% pure Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee possesses a strongly appealing elegant aroma that other coffees cannot match. When undergoing grinding, brewing, and tasting steps, its flavor is brought to its fullest potential, with the surrounding coffee aroma making it difficult not to be enchanted! Its caffeine content is quite low, approximately only half that of other coffee varieties, meeting modern health requirements.

Carefully cultivated and harvested on rugged, high-altitude mountains, all Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is ground, tasted, and distributed by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board. The coffee in the cup tastes very clean, and it is one of the sweetest coffees in the world. This flavor has been described by Jim Reynolds in Peet's Coffee and Tea as: "The finest examples of Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee have an aromatic, smooth richness that gives me the feeling of gemstone quality. It's as precious as a gemstone. It's complex but very gentle, it's sweet, it has very strong body. You have to taste it to know what I'm talking about." Unique growing conditions and meticulous attention to all production processes have made Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee very famous.

Jamaica is one of the world's smaller coffee producers, with annual harvests of approximately 40,000 bags of 60kg each (Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is actually shipped in 70kg wooden barrels - they are the last country to still use this traditional packaging method, but their production is measured by 60kg bags because that's the international standard for coffee production measurement). In comparison, Brazil, the world's largest coffee exporter, produces approximately 30,000,000 bags of 60kg each annually.

Japanese investors have made substantial investments in Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee cultivation regions and secured 90% of the annual production share. Other countries worldwide must bid for the remaining 10%, which amounts to 3,500 barrels. True Blue Mountain coffee has a unique flavor that makes it one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Its demand is particularly high, creating a supply shortage in the market.

Quality Standards and Growing Environment

Exceptionally favorable growing conditions have nurtured the unique flavor of Blue Mountain coffee, elevating it to the ranks of "premium coffee." All 100% pure Blue Mountain coffee worldwide refers to coffee produced within specific ranges of the Blue Mountain Mountains in eastern Jamaica. Every step during its cultivation and processing must meet the rigorous standards of the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board to be certified as "Pure Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee." Special conditions in the Blue Mountain region, including abundant rainfall, year-round mist with low average temperatures around 20°C, and fertile new volcanic soil, create an excellent growing environment for Blue Mountain coffee. Located in high-altitude regions between 2500 to 5000 feet, this creates a unique subtle acidity that doesn't feel stimulating or uncomfortable. Seedlings are nurtured in nurseries for about 2 years, organic fertilizers are used throughout the growing period, and harvesting is done manually by picking each cherry individually. All processing, roasting, and packaging procedures must meet the high standards established by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method:

Dripper:

KONO dripper

Water Temperature:

88°C

Grind Size:

Small Fuji grind setting 4

Brewing Technique:

Water-to-coffee ratio 1:14, 17g coffee grounds, first pour 25g water, 30s bloom, second pour to 238g water, extraction time approximately 2:30 seconds

Analysis:

The KONO dripper doesn't have many ribs at the bottom, causing the filter paper to adhere closely to the dripper, achieving the purpose of restricting airflow. This allows water and coffee grounds to have longer contact and infusion time in the dripper, ensuring extraction time and extraction rate for coarse grinding. This enables the coffee grounds to be fully extracted, enhancing the rich mouthfeel and making the flavor more concentrated.

Flavor:

High balance, clean, rich and substantial mouthfeel, persistent dark chocolate finish.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473