What is Blue Mountain Coffee? What does Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee offer? And what is CIB?

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat official account: FrontStreet Coffee

Whether you're a coffee enthusiast or not, you've likely heard of FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica. As soon as you open Taobao, you're flooded with "Blue Mountain flavor" and "Blue Mountain blend" options. What makes Blue Mountain so special that it leaves such a lasting impression? Let's explore some fascinating facts about Blue Mountain!

The History of Jamaican Coffee

The history of Jamaican coffee can be traced back to the 18th century. In 1717, King Louis XV of France ordered coffee to be cultivated in Jamaica. In the mid-1720s, Jamaica's Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes imported Arabica seeds from Martinique and began promoting cultivation in the St. Andrew region. He introduced coffee trees to Jamaica, planting them in the Blue Mountain range. The coffee was divided into different grades: high-altitude Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, High Mountain coffee, and Jamaican coffee, with different grades determining different prices.

The Blue Mountain Range

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 peaks reflect 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. Located in the coffee belt, this area has fertile volcanic soil, fresh and unpolluted air, a humid climate, and is consistently foggy and rainy (with average precipitation of 1,980 mm and temperatures around 27°C). Such climate conditions have created the world-renowned Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, as well as the world's most expensive coffee.

True Blue Mountain coffee is one of the coffees grown under the most superior conditions in the world. Jamaica's weather, geological structure, and topography together provide an ideal, naturally blessed location. Designated Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee can only be grown in the Blue Mountain area, located in the eastern part of Jamaica, north of Kingston. The mountain ridge that traverses Jamaica extends to the eastern part of the island, with the Blue Mountain range reaching heights of over 2,100 meters. The cool, foggy, and frequently rainy weather makes this fertile land well-balanced with rainfall. Here, people use mixed planting methods to grow coffee trees, cultivating them on terraces alongside banana and avocado trees.

Harvesting Challenges

Moreover, the mountains are extremely rugged, making the harvesting process very difficult (coffee harvesters are almost exclusively women). All their coffee trees grow on steep mountain slopes, making the picking process extremely challenging. Only skilled local women workers can handle this task. When picking, selecting appropriately ripe coffee cherries is crucial, as under-ripe or over-ripe cherries will affect the quality of the coffee.

Processing Method

Washed Processing Method: Blue Mountain coffee only uses the washed processing method.

The washed method uses water and fermentation to remove the pulp and mucilage. Farms using the washed method must build washing pools and have access to a continuous supply of fresh water. During processing, the pulp is first removed, allowing the beans to ferment for 12-18 hours. The fermented beans are then placed in the pool and 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 parchment, with a moisture content of 50%. They must be dried to reduce the moisture content to 12-14%; otherwise, they will continue to ferment and become moldy and spoiled. Afterward, the coffee beans are sorted and then stored in special warehouses. These procedures must be strictly controlled, otherwise the quality of the coffee will be affected.

The Three Major Growing Regions of Blue Mountain Coffee

The Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. Another 12,000 hectares of land are used to grow two other types of coffee (non-Blue Mountain coffee): High Mountain Supreme coffee and Jamaican coffee.

Today, the St. Andrew growing region remains one of the three major growing regions for Blue Mountain coffee. The other two major regions are the Portland region and the St. Thomas region. Some small estates also grow Blue Mountain coffee, such as Wallenford Estate, Silver Hill Estate, and J. Martinez's Atlanta Estate. Even the largest estate owners in this region are considered small-scale by international standards, and many of these estate owners are small landholders whose families have worked this land for two centuries.

Currently, the symbols that can represent the origin of Blue Mountain coffee include M.B.C.E (Mavis Bank Central Factory), M.H.C.C.T. (Mavis Hill Coffee Cooperative Terminal), P.X.X.S.H. (Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative), the Coffee Industry Board (Wallenford), the Coffee Industry Board (St. John's Peak), and J.A.S (Jamaica Agricultural Society), among others. Some estate-level coffees will also be indicated on wooden barrels.

Common Blue Mountain Coffee Brands

Coffee Trades

The estate is named CLYDESDALE, and the company's coffee factory is located in the backyard of the CIB office building. The estate is situated on the mountainside of Blue Mountain at around 1,200 meters altitude. Jamaica's other two most famous Blue Mountain coffee companies are Wallenford and Mavis Bank. Both companies were originally state-controlled enterprises. Wallenford's production exceeds 60% of all Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee production, while Mavis Bank's production exceeds 20%. Moreover, Mavis Bank is one of the few Jamaican Blue Mountain companies that handles all three grades of coffee: Jamaican Blue Mountain, Jamaican High Mountain, and Jamaican Prime coffee.

WALLENFORD

WALLENFORD Estate is located on the slopes of Mount Catherine, the main peak of Jamaica's Blue Mountain range, at around 1,524 meters above sea level. WALLENFORD Estate began planting Blue Mountain coffee in 1790. The consistently cold and foggy climate produces sweet and plump coffee fruits, yielding extremely unique, high-quality Blue Mountain coffee beans.

Furthermore, while the Jamaican government sold and privatized most estates, WALLENFORD ESTATE is the only estate retained and directly managed by the Jamaican government. Its quality control processes are the strictest, and it does not excessively pursue commercial operations, but rather takes maintaining the reputation of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee as its mission.

1. Officially registered logo of the Jamaican Coffee Board, used for certification and inspection of exported Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee;
2. Officially registered BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE® trademark of the Jamaican Coffee Board (CIB), identifying the outer packaging of authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee;
3. WALLENFORD COFFEE COMPANY registered trademark, identifying the outer packaging of WALLENFORD Blue Mountain coffee.

Mavis Bank

The Munn family began operating Mavis Bank Company in 1885. The original location was at a slightly higher altitude than the current site and was called Strawberry Hill. Mavis Bank processes coffee cherries at high altitude. They invested in brand new equipment, and the trial production of coffee beans has greatly improved because they have a truly flawless processing process. The flavor of this coffee is very mild and smooth with good body, sometimes reminiscent of the aroma of high-altitude Dongding Oolong tea.

R.S.W Blue Mountain

R.S.W Blue Mountain Estate is located in the mountainous area of southeastern Jamaica. R.S.W refers to 100% Blue Mountain coffee produced by its Resource, Sherwood Forest, and Whitfield Hall estates. Coffee grown in these three regions is at altitudes between 700 to 1,600 meters. The mountains are often shrouded in cool clouds and mist, which is very beneficial for the growth of coffee trees. After harvesting, all fruits are concentrated at the Sherwood Forest washed processing plant for processing.

Clifton Mount Estate

Clifton Mount is the oldest coffee-producing area in Jamaica that is still in normal operation. Moreover, only Clifton Farm in Jamaica has the "Rainforest Alliance" certification. FrontStreet Coffee Blue Mountain No.1 coffee comes from Clifton Farm and uses traditional washed processing.

As early as the mid-18th century (around 1750), Clifton Farm began planting and producing coffee. The coffee cultivation and processing area here is located at an average altitude of 4,300 feet (1,310.64 meters). Sufficient altitude, gentle afternoon clouds and mist enveloping the mountain forests for shade, abundant sunlight, and mineral-rich planting soil provide excellent growing conditions for coffee trees and also extend the maturation of coffee cherries.

Gold Cup

Founded in 2003, Gold Cup is a company jointly established by Dr. Charles Lyn and a team of farmers from the designated Blue Mountain region. Located in St. Andrew, Mount Lebanon at an altitude of approximately 975-1,280 meters, and Abbey Green Estate in St. Thomas at an altitude of approximately 1,158-1,585 meters, are all partners. The well-known Abbey Green is also currently one of the largest estates in the Jamaican Blue Mountain region.

To ensure the best quality and quality control, Gold Cup has invested significantly in coffee post-processing, such as updating post-processing hardware equipment including new pulping machines. It also maintains control at stages such as green bean processing, drying, and roasting sample testing. It is also the largest shareholder of the well-known BMCP processing plant. Fully ripe red fruits harvested from high-altitude areas of St. Thomas and St. Andrew are sent to the company's affiliated washed processing plant. The first stage of processing still pre-eliminates floating beans, then they enter the Blue Mountain Coffee Processors LTD processing plant for drying. After selection and sun-drying, they are rested for 8 weeks, and then graded again according to green bean size, density, color, and appearance. Finally, cupping is performed to confirm any potential imperfections. All procedures are completed simultaneously under the guidance and control of the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board (CIB), with all specifications executed according to Jamaica's highest domestic standards. The quality of green beans is particularly reflected in its flagship brand "Amber Estate."

Gold Cup currently has two brands: "Amber Estate" and "BMCP" from the Blue Mountain Coffee Processors LTD processing plant. Among them, the independent Amber Estate is its top-tier flagship brand. Coffee cherries are 100% harvested from Abbey Green and Mount Lebanon estates, and strictly selected as the highest quality green beans graded by the Blue Mountain Coffee Processors.

Blue Mountain Coffee Varieties

The variety of Blue Mountain coffee is Typica.

Typica's top leaves are bronze-colored, and the beans are oval or slender and pointed. The tree is tall, with slightly inclined branches at angles of 50-70 degrees. It has elegant flavor but weak constitution and poor disease resistance. The coffee yield per tree is very low.

A characteristic of the Typica variety is the reddish-copper color of its leaf tips, earning it the name "red-topped coffee." The opposite leaves of the coffee tree are long oval, with smooth leaf surfaces. The terminal branches are very long with few branches. The flowers are white, growing at the base where the petiole connects to the branch. Mature coffee cherries look like cherries and are bright red.

How Did Japan Get Priority Purchasing Rights?

When mentioning Blue Mountain coffee, everyone knows that a large portion of Blue Mountain coffee was purchased by Japan back in the day, making it very difficult to find Blue Mountain coffee outside of Japan. There's a history behind this!

In 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board. This board set quality standards for Jamaican coffee and supervised the implementation of these standards to ensure the quality of Jamaican coffee. The board awarded special official seals to Jamaican exported green and roasted coffee. Because Japanese loans were used to improve production quality, market access was guaranteed.

By 1981, Jamaica had opened another 1,500 hectares of land for coffee cultivation, followed by investment in another 6,000 hectares of coffee land. In fact, today's Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. Another 12,000 hectares of land are used to grow two other types of coffee: High Mountain Supreme coffee and Jamaican coffee.

According to 2013 Jamaican Coffee Board export statistics, of the limited Blue Mountain coffee bean quota, 85% is exported to Japan, 5% to the United States, 5% to Europe, and 5% to other countries. However, in the global consumption distribution of authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, according to International Coffee Association statistics, China accounts for 15% of consumption. This is because some of the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee shares from Japan, Australia, and Europe are exported to Taiwan through direct subsidiaries.

Classification and Grading of Blue Mountain

The history of Jamaican coffee can be traced back to the 18th century, when the British introduced coffee trees to Jamaica and planted them in the Blue Mountain range. These were further divided into high-altitude Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, Jamaican High Mountain coffee, and Jamaican coffee, with different grades determining different prices.

1. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Both Blue Mountain coffee and High Mountain coffee are further divided into four grades each. From highest to lowest quality, they are: 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 supreme among coffee treasures, coffee produced in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica at altitudes of about 2,000-2,256 meters, due to its location on precarious mountainsides, has low production, large beans, excellent quality, and harmonious flavor. It simultaneously possesses appropriate acidity, bitterness, aroma, body, and sweetness. It is recognized worldwide as a supreme treasure, so the price of national treasure Blue Mountain No.1 is the highest among all Blue Mountain coffees.

2. Jamaican High Mountain Coffee

Coffee produced below 666 meters in the Jamaican Blue Mountain region is called High Mountain coffee. It is also second only to Blue Mountain coffee in quality and is called the brother variety of Blue Mountain coffee by industry insiders. Due to the extremely low production of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, if you want to taste Jamaican-style coffee, then Jamaican High Mountain coffee is your best choice.

3. Jamaican Coffee

Coffee grown outside the Blue Mountain range is called Jamaican coffee. Originally, Chinese coffee professionals generally had a misconception that only coffee grown above 1,800 meters in the Blue Mountain region could be called Blue Mountain coffee. In fact, on the mountain crown above 1,800 meters in the Blue Mountain range, there is only one estate: Amber, owned by descendants of Chinese people. The owner's surname is Lyn (Lin), with ancestral roots in Guangdong, China. The estate only has 30 hectares of land and very low production. Blue Mountain coffee is mainly distributed in five mountainous areas of the Blue Mountain range: John Crow, St. John's Peak, Mossman's Peak, High Peak, and Blue Mountain Peak.

Authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Has Certificate Certification:

The Jamaican government always insisted in the past that all Blue Mountain coffee should be roasted in Jamaica to ensure consistent quality. In fact, roasting is a delicate art that requires experience, training, and expensive equipment. From a consumer's perspective, coffee beans should be obtained and consumed immediately after roasting. Coffee roasted in Jamaica cannot meet this requirement. Now, Jamaican green coffee beans can already be exported.

CIB

Jamaica is the only country in the world with a government coffee management agency - the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board (CIB), which is subordinate to the Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. CIB's functions include cultivation technical guidance, processing training, fair trade, quality supervision, and other matters related to the quality and brand of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. Members of CIB's board of directors are all estate owners who own a certain amount of planting estates in Jamaica (due to industry shifts, newly certified Jamaican Blue Mountain estates now need an area of over 50 hectares).

CIB stipulates that only Blue Mountain coffee beans produced in regions above 2,200 feet in Jamaica can be called Jamaican Blue Mountain. Its grades are divided into NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB, which are manually selected according to bean size. Among them, the basic standards for NO.1 Blue Mountain green beans are beans above 17 mesh, defect rate below 3%, moisture content around 13%, etc. To date, Blue Mountain coffee green beans have only one processing method - washed, with no sun-dried or other processing methods.

Currently, the Jamaican Coffee Board can issue certificates for all exported Blue Mountain coffee on the market.

There are three types of certificates:

1. Quality certification certificate issued by the Jamaican Coffee Board
2. Authorization sales certificate issued by Blue Mountain coffee manufacturers
3. (Blue Mountain coffee is distributed by 4 Jamaican government-licensed processing manufacturers and exported by 16 licensed exporters)
4. Certificate of origin for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

Quality certification certificates indicate time and quantity. The Jamaican Coffee Board randomly selects a package from submitted Blue Mountain coffee for inspection. If it meets the conditions for Blue Mountain coffee, a certificate is issued.

FrontStreet Coffee imported Blue Mountain coffee from the origin recently, which has this certificate.

Among all coffees, only Blue Mountain uses barrel packaging; other coffees are exported in jute bags. It is said that this dates back to the mid-18th century during the British colonial period, when flour shipped from Britain to Jamaica left empty barrels that were then used to transport coffee and rum. The wooden barrels used today are made from wood from temperate forests in the United States. The advantage of wooden barrels is that they absorb and release internal and external humidity without significant changes, which can alleviate sudden temperature changes during transportation. Additionally, barrel packaging seals and isolates coffee aroma, maintaining the best coffee quality, but the additional costs are higher.

How Should Blue Mountain Coffee Be Roasted?

Simply put, roast Blue Mountain coffee thoroughly from inside to out, and use better roasting techniques on the basis of full roasting to express the flavor of this bean.

Caramelization is the most significant factor affecting coffee flavor. After 6-7 minutes of roasting, green beans absorb a large amount of heat energy, initiating pyrolysis reactions and the first crack. Some sugars convert to carbon dioxide, moisture continues to evaporate, new aromatic components gradually develop, forming so-called coffee oils, and combine with hundreds of aromatic substances such as nicotinic acid, citric acid, quinic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, caffeine, etc.

Roasting curve: Enter the drum at 170°C, air vent at 3. After 1 minute, adjust heat to 140°C, air vent unchanged. Roast to 5'10'', temperature 153°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, dehydration complete. Adjust heat to 115°C, air vent to 4.

At 8'00" minutes, ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toast smell clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of the first crack. At 8'12", first crack begins, reduce heat to 90°C, air vent fully open (adjust heat very carefully, not so low that there's no crack sound). Exit the drum at 201.3°C.

Cupping

A perfect and subtle balance of acidity, body, and aroma. Its acidity is bright and delicate. Its body is velvety smooth. Its aroma has a slight penetrating quality,伴随着花香、辛辣、和柠檬酸的色调。入口后有一丝丝可可的回味。

The flavor is very clean, complex, and very mild, with chocolate sweetness and very strong body. The taste is rich and mellow, with a perfect balance of coffee's sweet, sour, and bitter notes. 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: Rose tea, caramel, honey, black chocolate, almond skins, silky mouthfeel, brightness

How Should We Brew Blue Mountain Coffee Beans?

Filter cup selection for daily brewing: V60 filter cup, Kalita wave, and KONO can all be used

Using KONO filter cup as an example:

Parameters: 15g coffee, water temperature 86-88°C, grind to medium sugar coarseness (Chinese standard 20 mesh sieve, 75% pass rate), which is EK43s setting 10.5, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15, total time about 2 minutes

Technique: 30g water for bloom, bloom time 30s, slowly pour water to about 125g and stop pouring. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, start pouring to 225g.

Tips:

Blue Mountain coffee has a relatively dark roast degree. If the water temperature used is too high, it will easily produce astringency and have a very obvious smoky flavor.

How to Identify Authentic vs. Fake Blue Mountain?

1. Appearance: Blue Mountain coffee green beans are blue-green in color, very neat in appearance, medium to small in size, with slightly upturned ends. They expand significantly in volume after roasting and become very full.
2. Grinding: Authentic Blue Mountain coffee beans grow at high altitude, and their cytoplasmic structure is relatively loose. When ground 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 aroma.
4. Flavor: Authentic Blue Mountain coffee has a balanced and rich taste, without any flavor being too prominent or lacking. This is also the most crucial identification point that no other coffee bean can match.

What is Blue Mountain Style Coffee?

So-called "Blue Mountain blend" actually has nothing to do with Blue Mountain. The reason this situation arose is that early Blue Mountain coffee was rare and expensive. Operators created coffee that mimics the taste of Blue Mountain by mixing different beans and using dark roasting based on the flavor profile of Blue Mountain. Therefore, conscientious merchants in domestic and international markets will tell customers that this is blended Blue Mountain, Blue Mountain blend, Blue Mountain style, or Blue Mountain-style coffee beans, not authentic Blue Mountain coffee.

Authentic Blue Mountain and Blue Mountain style are two different concepts. Generally, other coffee varieties are roasted to imitate the taste similar to Blue Mountain coffee. "Blue Mountain blend" beans are mixed, with relatively large differences in shape, making them easier to identify. Also, don't believe in "premium Blue Mountain" that costs dozens of yuan per pound or "Blue Mountain coffee" that costs only ten plus yuan per cup.

Not all coffees labeled "Blue Mountain" are authentic Blue Mountain. Hope this helps everyone distinguish!

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473