Jamaica: The Home of Coffee Royalty - An Introduction to Jamaican Coffee Characteristics

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When it comes to coffee, none is more famous than Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. Even those who don't drink coffee have heard of the name Blue Mountain Coffee. Yesterday we talked about Hawaii, the home of KONA, the queen of coffee. Today, let's explore Jamaica, the home of Blue Mountain, the king of coffee.

01 | Cultivation History

In 1717, King Louis XV of France ordered the cultivation of coffee in Jamaica. In the mid-1720s, Sir Nicholas Lawes, the Governor of Jamaica, imported Arabica seeds from Martinique and began promoting cultivation in the St. Andrew area. To this day, St. Andrew remains one of the three major producing regions of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, with the other two being Portland and St. Thomas.

Within 8 years, Jamaica exported over 375 tons of pure coffee.

In 1932, coffee production reached its peak, with harvests exceeding 15,000 tons.

In 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, which sets quality standards for Jamaican coffee and supervises their implementation to ensure the quality of Jamaican coffee. The board issues special official seals to both raw and roasted coffee exported from Jamaica, making it the highest-level national coffee institution in the world.

Currently, there are six symbols that can represent the origin of Blue Mountain Coffee: Mavis Bank Central Factory (MBCE), Mavis Bank High Mountain Coffee Cooperative (MHCCT), Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative (PXXSH), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (St. John's Peak), and JAS (Blue Mountain).

By 1969, the situation had improved as Japanese loans were used to enhance production quality, thus ensuring market stability. Today, this coffee has reached a status of fanatical admiration.

By 1981, Jamaica had opened approximately 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 cultivation, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there.

Jamaica is also the last country to use wooden barrels for packaging and transporting coffee. Only coffee that has passed a series of stringent standards set by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (C.I.B) can receive the government-issued certificate of guarantee and be officially named "Blue Mountain."

02 | Geographical Conditions

Jamaica is an island located in the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica's Blue Mountains are the highest mountains in the western Caribbean (reaching 2,256 meters). The unique flavor of Blue Mountain Coffee is related to the exceptionally favorable geographical location and climate conditions of the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains are located in the coffee belt at 25 degrees north latitude, with fertile new volcanic soil, fresh and unpolluted air, year-round rainfall, high humidity, and significant temperature differences between day and night. The soil here is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, making it very suitable for coffee growth. Fertile volcanic soil, regular rainfall, and the misty clouds on the island protect it from harsh sunlight. All these factors combined create what we know as Blue Mountain Coffee.

The annual harvest period for Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is from June to November, typically done by hand-picking. Since all coffee trees grow on rugged mountain slopes, the picking process is extremely difficult, and only skilled local female workers can handle it. It is crucial to select appropriately ripe coffee beans during picking, as underripe or overripe beans will affect the coffee quality.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Grading

Coffee from the Jamaican Blue Mountain region has three grades: Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaica High Mountain Supreme Coffee Beans, and Jamaica Prime Coffee Beans.

Among them, Blue Mountain Coffee and High Mountain Coffee are each divided into two grades. From highest to lowest quality, they are: Blue Mountain No. 1, Blue Mountain No. 2, High Mountain No. 1, High Mountain No. 2, and Jamaica Prime Coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's basic standards for NO.1 Jamaican Blue Mountain raw beans include: beans above 17 mesh, defect rate below 3%, moisture content around 13%, etc.

Typically, only coffee grown between altitudes of 457 to 1,524 meters can be called Blue Mountain Coffee. Coffee grown between altitudes of 274 to 457 meters is usually called Jamaica Prime Coffee. In terms of price, Blue Mountain Coffee is several times more expensive than High Mountain Coffee. It is mainly distributed across five peaks: John Crow, St. John's Peak, Mossman's Peak, High Peak, and Blue Mountain Peak.

Processing Method

To date, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee only uses the washed processing method.

The washed method utilizes water and fermentation to remove the fruit 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 fruit pulp is first removed, followed by 12-18 hours of fermentation. The completed fermented beans are then placed in pools and moved back and forth, using the friction between 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 enclosed in the parchment skin with a moisture content of 50%. They must be sun-dried to reduce the moisture content to 12-14%. Subsequently, the coffee beans are screened and then stored in special warehouses. These procedures must be strictly controlled; otherwise, the coffee quality will be affected.

Estate Introduction

WALLENFORD

WALLENFORD Estate is located on the slopes of Catherine's Peak, at an altitude of approximately 1,524 meters, in the heart of Jamaica's Blue Mountain range. WALLENFORD Estate began cultivating Blue Mountain Coffee in 1790. The year-round cold and foggy climate makes the coffee fruits sweet and full-bodied, producing extremely unique, high-quality Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee beans.

Moreover, while the Jamaican government sold and privatized most estates, WALLENFORD ESTATE is the only one that remained under direct government management and operation. Its quality control processes are the strictest, not overly pursuing commercial operations, but taking it as its mission to maintain the reputation of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.

1. Official registered logo of the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, used for certification and inspection of exported Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee;

2. Official registered BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE™ trademark of the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (CIB), identifying authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee packaging;

3. WALLENFORD COFFEE COMPANY registered trademark, identifying WALLENFORD Blue Mountain Coffee packaging.

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 altitudes. They invested in brand new equipment, and the trial-produced coffee beans showed significant improvement because they have a truly defect-free processing process. The taste of this coffee is very mild and smooth with good body, sometimes reminiscent of high mountain oolong tea fragrance.

R.S.W Blue Mountain

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

Clifton Mount Estate

Clifton Mount is Jamaica's oldest coffee-producing area still in normal operation today, and Clifton Farm is the only one in Jamaica with the "Rainforest Alliance" certification. 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, afternoon gentle clouds and mist surrounding the mountains for shade, adequate sunlight, and mineral-rich planting soil provide excellent growing conditions for coffee trees and also extend the maturation of coffee cherries.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations for FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee

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

Using a KONO filter cup: parameters include 15g of coffee, water temperature 89°C, grind level 4, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15, total time around 2:00.

Technique: Bloom with 25-30g of water for 30s. First pour to 120g, then stop. Use vertical water flow, slow circular motion with small stream. Second pour to 225g, with slightly faster water flow and circular motion to reduce fine particles blocking the filter, which would cause over-extraction.

The taste of FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain is very clean, complex, and extremely 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.

FrontStreet Coffee Teaches You How to Identify Authentic Blue Mountain Coffee?

1. Appearance: FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee raw beans are greenish-blue, very uniform in appearance, medium to small in size, with slightly curved ends. They expand significantly after roasting and become very full.

2. Grinding: Genuine FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee beans grow at high altitudes, giving them a relatively loose cytoplasmic structure. When grinding by hand, they feel very crisp, smooth, and continuous, without any sense of resistance.

3. Aroma: FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain aroma is very rich and dense; so-called blended Blue Mountain coffee does not have this aroma.

4. Taste: Genuine FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain has a balanced and rich taste, without any flavor being too prominent or lacking, which is also the key identification point that no other coffee bean can match.

Genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee and Blue Mountain-style coffee are two different concepts. Generally, the latter uses other coffee varieties 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 only a few dozen yuan per pound or "Blue Mountain coffee" that costs only a dozen yuan per cup.

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Important Notice :

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