How to Drink Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee? What is the Price of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Beans?

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Why Is It Called "Blue Mountain Coffee"?

The Blue Mountain Range lies in the eastern part of Jamaica, ringed by the Caribbean Sea. On clear sunny days, when sunlight falls directly on the azure water, the peaks reflect that brilliant blue light, and the mountains take their name from it. The range has fertile volcanic soil, fresh air and a humid climate, with fog and rain throughout the year. Those conditions created the world-renowned Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, as well as one of the highest-priced coffees in the world.

Blue Mountain Coffee Classification

Coffee from the Blue Mountain Range is divided into three grades: Blue Mountain Coffee (Jamaica Blue Mountain), High Mountain Coffee (Jamaica High Mountain) and Jamaica Coffee (Jamaica Low Mountain or Jamaica Supreme). Coffee grown below 1,500 feet is called Jamaica Coffee; coffee between 1,500 feet and 3,000 feet is called High Mountain Coffee; and only coffee grown between 3,000 feet and 5,000 feet may be called Blue Mountain Coffee. Blue Mountain Coffee costs several times more than High Mountain Coffee. Blue Mountain is further divided into No.2 and No.1, with No.1 the top grade.

Premium Blue Mountain Estates

Today's top-grade Jamaican Blue Mountain No.1 is produced by estates including Wallenford, Mavis Bank, Old Tavern and RSW Estate. Among them, Wallenford is the only special Jamaican state-owned processing plant. The legal production area for Blue Mountain Coffee is 3,000-5,000 feet, and Wallenford Estate selects only Blue Mountain beans grown above 4,000 feet for processing. Blue Mountain Coffee from Wallenford Estate is praised as "Superior Quality." Among coffee connoisseurs' evaluations of all Jamaican Blue Mountain estates worldwide, Wallenford ranks best for quality management, stability, reputation and flavor.

Wallenford Blue Mountain No.1 Flavor Profile

The general assessment is that it is acidic and sweet, mellow without bitterness, and of such quality that one taste leaves an unforgettable aftertaste.

The delicate fragrance and sweet profile of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, with a taste as mellow as wine, has long been a favorite among Japanese coffee enthusiasts. Its scarce production marks it as specialty coffee and as one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Not all coffee produced in Jamaica can carry the Blue Mountain label, however. It must be certified by the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board and produced in specific administrative areas of the Blue Mountains at certain altitudes to earn Blue Mountain certification.

WALLENFORD's Special Status

WALLENFORD's unique position as a Jamaican state-owned entity has led the Jamaican government to entrust it with additional missions, including:

1. Jointly undertaking the management and regulation of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee quality with the CIB (Coffee Industry Board).

2. Guiding all Blue Mountain coffee estates in Jamaica toward management innovation.

In fact, some of the CIB's regulatory functions for Blue Mountain coffee quality sit at WALLENFORD. For instance, there is a consensus in the coffee industry that obtaining a quota to import Blue Mountain No.1 from WALLENFORD is equivalent to receiving that country's or company's quota allocation from the CIB.

Wallenford Estate selects only the best Blue Mountain cherries for processing, with particularly strict process control. Among coffee connoisseurs' evaluations of all Jamaican Blue Mountain estates worldwide, Wallenford performs best in quality management, stability, reputation and flavor.

In the Blue Mountain region, the legal production area for Blue Mountain Coffee is 3,000-5,000 feet, but Wallenford selects only cherries grown above 4,000 feet. Moreover, among Jamaica's four official Blue Mountain processing plants, Wallenford, Mavis Bank, Silver Hill and Moy Hall account for 90 percent of Jamaica's Blue Mountain exports. Blue Mountain Coffee from Wallenford and Moy Hall is praised as "Superior Quality."

Blue Mountain's Unique Geography

This comes down to the region's distinctive location and climate.

The Jamaican Blue Mountain region has fertile new volcanic soil and fresh air with almost no pollution. It rains throughout the year, with large day-night temperature differences. Because of the special geography, clouds and fog wrap the whole Blue Mountain peak every afternoon, shading the coffee trees and bringing abundant moisture. This natural foundation is what makes Blue Mountain's taste and aroma unmatched among coffees produced anywhere in the world. Not all coffee grown in the Blue Mountain region can be called Blue Mountain Coffee: only coffee grown in the region above 1,800 meters qualifies. Beans from lower-altitude Blue Mountain areas, differing in quality, may only be named Jamaica High Mountain Coffee and cannot be called Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain comes from Clifton Farm in Jamaica, which has a very long history. To bring out the Blue Mountain profile, FrontStreet Coffee uses a dark roast. Recommended brewing parameters: KONO dripper / 88°C / 1:14 ratio / time 1 minute 50 seconds. The taste is rich and well balanced, with chocolate flavors blending perfectly with gentle fruit acidity and a persistent caramel sweetness in the finish. At FrontStreet Coffee, authentic Blue Mountain Coffee can be purchased for just 158 yuan, which makes it excellent value.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a genuine taste of Jamaican Blue Mountain, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is the reference bottle. It is one of the top grades in the Blue Mountain system, sourced from the historic Clifton Estate, and the shop backs it with complete origin certification documents and the original wooden transport barrels. Traditional Blue Mountain is shipped in 15 kg, 45 kg and 70 kg barrels, and the barrel itself is one of the clearest markers of the genuine article.

FrontStreet roasts its Blue Mountain No.1 medium-dark so the coffee's classic balance comes through. The cup shows nuts, dark chocolate and cream caramel over a soft sweetness, with acidity, bitterness, aroma and body held in harmony. Because it is so balanced, it is easy to please: FrontStreet suggests pour-over with a 1:15 to 1:16 ratio, water at 85-88°C and a medium-coarse grind, which lifts the cream, caramel and nut notes while keeping a gentle brightness.

For a denser, fuller cup, a moka pot works just as well. Grind slightly finer than for pour-over, start with hot water in the base, heat over medium-low, and remove it from the heat just as the coffee finishes flowing. The moka pot emphasizes the chocolate, caramel and nut flavors and keeps Blue Mountain's signature balance intact, and it also performs beautifully when milk is added for a latte or a flat white.