Authentic Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee Beans Flavor Profile Characteristics Why Blue Mountain Coffee is So Famous and Expensive

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is undoubtedly one of the most expensive coffees in the specialty market. Its flavor profile encompasses all the characteristics of excellent coffee - not only is it rich and mellow, but the sweetness, acidity, and bitterness are perfectly balanced. It lacks any unacceptable bitterness and instead offers a moderate, perfect acidity, making it highly beloved by coffee enthusiasts. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce Frontsteet's Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Classification and Grading

The history of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee dates back to the 18th century when the British introduced coffee trees to Jamaica, cultivating them on the Blue Mountain range. These are 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 each divided into four grades. By quality, from highest to lowest, they are: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB, with PB being peaberries. According to CIB standards, only coffee grown above 666 meters altitude can be called Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. The finest of the finest, coffee produced in the Jamaican Blue Mountain region at approximately 2000-2256m altitude, is recognized worldwide as premium quality. Due to its location on steep mountain slopes with low production yield, large beans, excellent quality, and harmonious flavor that perfectly balances appropriate acidity, bitterness, aroma, richness, and sweetness, the national treasure-grade Jamaican Blue Mountain No.1 commands the highest price 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, also known as the second-best quality coffee after Blue Mountain coffee. Industry professionals refer to it as the brother variety of Blue Mountain coffee. Due to the extremely limited production of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, if you want to taste Jamaican-style coffee, 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 had a common misconception that only coffee grown above 2000 meters in the Blue Mountain region could be called Blue Mountain coffee. However, in reality, above 2000m on the Blue Mountain range's crown, there is only one estate - Amber, owned by someone of Chinese descent with the surname Lyn (Lin), whose ancestors came from Guangdong, China. This estate has only 30 hectares of land with very limited production. Blue Mountain coffee is mainly distributed across five mountain areas: John Crow, St. John's Peak, Mossman's Peak, High Peak, and Blue Mountain Peak.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Growing Conditions

FrontStreet Coffee often says that the factors determining a coffee's flavor include origin, variety, and processing method. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce Frontsteet's Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee based on these three factors. The Blue Mountain range is located in the eastern part of Jamaica. Because this mountain is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, on clear days when sunlight directly hits the azure sea surface, the peaks reflect the brilliant blue light of the seawater, hence the name Blue Mountain.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, the highest peak of Blue Mountain reaches 2256 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 free from pollution, humid climate with year-round fog and rain, average precipitation of 1980mm, and temperatures around 27°C, making it extremely suitable for growing high-quality Arabica coffee beans. This is also one of the determining factors for premium Blue Mountain coffee beans.

Three Major Production Areas of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

The reason Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans are expensive is not only because of their excellent flavor but also because of their extremely limited production - rarity makes them precious. The Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6000 hectares of cultivation area, so it's impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. Another 12000 hectares are used for growing two other types of coffee (non-Blue Mountain): High Mountain Premium coffee and Jamaican coffee.

Among these, the Saint Andrew production area, Portland production area, and Saint Thomas production area are the three famous major production areas of Blue Mountain. Additionally, some small estates also grow Blue Mountain coffee, such as Wallenford Estate, Silver Hill Estate, and Atlanta Estate of Martinez. Even the largest estate owners in this region are considered small-scale by international standards, with many estate owners being small landholders whose families have worked on this land for two centuries.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, currently there are six certification marks that can represent Blue Mountain coffee origin, such as Mavis Bank Central Factory (M.B.C.E), M.H.C.C.T., Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative (P.X.X.S.H.), Coffee Industry Board (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Board (St. John's Peak), and J.A.S, among others. Some estate-level coffees will also be indicated on the wooden barrels.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Variety - Typica

The Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee introduced by FrontStreet Coffee is of the Typica variety. Typica is the oldest Arabica subspecies, with reddish-copper colored leaf tips, earning it the name "red-topped coffee." The coffee tree's opposite leaves are long oval-shaped with smooth surfaces, long terminal branches with few side branches, and white flowers that bloom at the base where leaf stems connect to branches. The mature coffee fruit looks like a cherry, appearing bright red.

Meanwhile, Typica has an elegant flavor but relatively weak constitution and low disease resistance, making it susceptible to leaf rust disease. Therefore, coffee bean production is low and cannot meet economic benefits. In recent years, Typica in Central and South America has gradually been replaced by Caturra and Catuai. As a result, Typica has become increasingly rare.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Processing Method

Before 2020, the Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans introduced by FrontStreet Coffee were only available in washed processing. This is because washed processing best reflects the original flavor of coffee beans, making the flavor cleaner and brighter while reducing miscellaneous tastes. According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, the washed processing of Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain No.1 coffee beans uses washing and fermentation methods to remove pulp, fruit flesh, and mucilage.

Farms using the washed method must build washing pools capable of introducing continuous fresh water. During processing, the pulp and fruit flesh are first removed, allowing fermentation for 12-18 hours. Then the completed fermented beans are placed in pools, moved back and forth, using the friction between beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until smooth and clean. After washing, the coffee beans are still encased in parchment with 50% moisture content and must be sun-dried to reduce moisture content to 12-14%, otherwise they will continue to ferment, mold, and spoil. Afterward, the coffee beans are screened and then stored in special warehouses. These procedures must be strictly controlled; otherwise, the coffee quality will be affected.

However, in 2020, Jamaica began introducing natural processed Blue Mountain coffee beans. This move was made for innovation and to adapt to changing times, but changing the processing method will inevitably alter its flavor structure. This is why FrontStreet Coffee always recommends washed processed coffee beans when introducing coffee from a specific region to customers, because washing best represents the flavor characteristics of that region.

The above are the three characteristic factors that determine the flavor of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans as compiled by FrontStreet Coffee. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will provide some information about the Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain No.1 coffee beans introduced by Frontsteet.

FrontStreet Coffee · Jamaican Washed Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee Beans

Country: Jamaica

Region: Blue Mountain (Clifton Estate)

Altitude: 1310m

Variety: Typica

Processing: Washed

Flavor: Brown sugar sweetness and berry acidity on entry, with nut and cocoa flavors in the middle to later stages, creamy mouthfeel with rich and distinct layers, and a walnut aroma in the aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee · Jamaican Natural Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee Beans

Country: Jamaica

Region: Blue Mountain (Clifton Estate)

Altitude: 1310m

Variety: Typica

Processing: Washed

Flavor: Dark chocolate and nut flavors on entry, high cleanliness, very bright with good body, balanced sweet, sour, and bitter notes.

Clifton Estate

Both Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain coffees introduced by FrontStreet Coffee are produced at Clifton Estate, the oldest estate in the Blue Mountains, and it's also the only one with "Rainforest Alliance" certification in Jamaica. Obtaining this certification is not simple because farms that meet the standards established by the "Rainforest Alliance" receive protection for their farm and surrounding ecosystems, restrictions on pesticide use, and evaluation of waste management benchmarks. Only coffee that passes evaluation and certification can be called "Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee." This also demonstrates the exceptional strength of this estate.

The symbol of "Rainforest Certification" is a green frog, so Blue Mountain coffee in wooden barrels with this green frog must come from Clifton Estate. This is also one way to identify authentic Blue Mountain coffee.

How to Distinguish Authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee?

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is expensive due to its scarce production, which has attracted the attention of many unscrupulous profit-seeking merchants, leading to many fake Blue Mountain flavored coffees appearing in the specialty market rather than authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. So how exactly can one identify genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans? For this reason, FrontStreet Coffee has compiled three standards to teach coffee enthusiasts how to identify authentic Blue Mountain coffee.

(1) Quality Certificate issued by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board

(2) Authorized Sales Certificate issued by Blue Mountain coffee manufacturers (Blue Mountain coffee is distributed by 4 Jamaican government-licensed processing producers and exported by 16 licensed exporters)

(3) Certificate of Origin for Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Additionally, as Frontsteet mentioned above, only coffee beans grown above 2000m in Jamaica can be called Blue Mountain coffee, and Blue Mountain coffee bean grading is based on coffee bean size and quality. Of course, different grades also determine different prices. Next, Frontsteet will introduce the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee bean grading standards to all coffee enthusiast friends.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Grading

Blue Mountain coffee is divided into four grades by quality; from highest to lowest they are: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB, with PB being peaberries. FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee beans are specifically Blue Mountain No.1 coffee beans, also known as the finest among Blue Mountain coffees, making them the most expensive variety among Blue Mountain coffees. The Blue Mountain coffee introduced by FrontStreet Coffee is indeed the highest grade No.1 Blue Mountain.

Blue Mountain No.1 is grown in the Jamaican Blue Mountain region at altitudes up to 2000-2256m. Because the coffee trees are located on steep mountain slopes with low production yield, large beans, excellent quality, and harmonious flavor, they simultaneously possess appropriate acidity, bitterness, aroma, richness, and sweetness. Therefore, they are recognized by coffee enthusiasts worldwide as premium quality, naturally making Blue Mountain No.1 the most expensive among all Blue Mountain coffees.

In addition to altitude, Blue Mountain coffee bean grading also screens for defect rates according to the following standards:

The above is the relevant information about Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee compiled by Frontsteet. Before introducing any new beans for coffee enthusiasts to taste, Frontsteet conducts extensive roasting, cupping, and brewing data to determine the most delicious roasting and brewing parameters, allowing coffee enthusiast friends to experience the best flavors of coffee. Next, Frontsteet will share the brewing parameters for Frontsteet Washed Blue Mountain and Frontsteet Natural Blue Mountain with all coffee enthusiast friends.

Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Bean Brewing Data Sharing

Frontsteet uses a KONO dripper when brewing Frontsteet Blue Mountain coffee because it produces a rounder and richer mouthfeel. However, the KONO dripper has relatively poor exhaust performance.

Brewing Parameters:

15g coffee grounds

Dripper: KONO

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: Sugar granule coarseness

Water temperature: 86°C

Brewing Method:

Segmented extraction. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then continue center pouring with small water flow to 125g in segments. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Extraction time is 2:00.

Frontsteet Blue Mountain Coffee Bean Brewing Flavor Comparison:

[Frontsteet Natural Jamaican Blue Mountain] Brown sugar sweetness with berry acidity on entry, nut and cocoa flavors in the middle to later stages, creamy mouthfeel with rich and distinct layers, bringing out a walnut aroma in the aftertaste.

[Frontsteet Washed Jamaican Blue Mountain] Dark chocolate and nut flavors on entry, high cleanliness, very bright with good body, balanced sweet, sour, and bitter notes.

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Important Notice :

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