Is Freshly Ground Hand-Drip Blue Mountain Flavor Coffee Black Coffee? What Machine is Suitable for Brewing Authentic Blue Mountain Coffee Beans?

Understanding Coffee: Black Coffee and Blue Mountain

Coffee comes in numerous varieties, and for many coffee enthusiasts, it can be challenging to distinguish what makes certain coffees black coffee versus espresso coffee. In our perception, Blue Mountain coffee represents the pinnacle of premium coffee, with international acclaim. But is this type of coffee also considered a form of black coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee is here to clarify: When we drink coffee, we often add sugar, cream, and other ingredients - those are not black coffee but espresso drinks. So-called black coffee is simply coffee brewed from ground coffee beans without adding anything else. Black coffee is unadorned coffee that delivers the original experience of tasting coffee, best expressing local coffee flavors. Black coffee combines the five characteristics of coffee - fragrance, sweetness, mellowness, acidity, and bitterness. It is primitive yet robust, profound yet intriguing. Blue Mountain is one of the coffee bean varieties and is a world-class premium coffee bean. Coffee developed from Blue Mountain coffee beans is Blue Mountain coffee, and when served without sugar or milk, it becomes Blue Mountain black coffee.

What Makes Blue Mountain Coffee Special?

Blue Mountain coffee is renowned as a world-class coffee, known as the "King of Coffee." FrontStreet Coffee explains: Authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee comes from coffee beans grown at altitudes above 1000 meters in Jamaica's Blue Mountain range. True Blue Mountain coffee features rich aroma, balanced and mellow body, with a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and bitter notes that makes it exceptionally pleasant to drink. It possesses an elegant quality befitting royalty, making it truly exceptional among coffees.

Where Does Blue Mountain Coffee Come From?

Blue Mountain coffee originates from Jamaica. The history of coffee cultivation in this country dates back to the 18th century. Beginning in 1717 when French King Louis XV ordered coffee cultivation in Jamaica, followed by the Jamaican governor introducing Arabica varieties from Martinique for widespread promotion, coffee crops took root in Jamaican soil. These coffees are known as Jamaican coffee.

Growing Altitude and Environment

The Blue Mountain range is located in eastern Jamaica. The mountain got its name because on clear days, when sunlight directly strikes the azure Caribbean Sea, the peaks reflect the brilliant blue glow of the seawater. The highest peak of Blue Mountain reaches 2,256 meters, making it the highest point in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination.

Located in the coffee belt, this area boasts fertile volcanic soil, fresh unpolluted air, and a humid climate with year-round fog and rainfall (average precipitation of 1,980mm and temperature around 27°C). Such climate conditions have created the world-renowned Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, as well as the world's highest-priced 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 advantaged location. Designated Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee can only be grown in the Blue Mountain region, located in the eastern northern part of Kingston, Jamaica. The mountain ridge stretching across Jamaica extends to the eastern part of the island, with Blue Mountain ranges reaching over 2,100 meters. The cool, foggy, and frequently rainy weather makes this fertile land well-balanced with moisture. Here, people use mixed cultivation methods, growing coffee trees alongside banana and avocado trees on terraced slopes.

Furthermore, the mountains here are extremely uneven, making the harvesting process very difficult (coffee harvesting is almost entirely done by women). Their coffee trees all grow on rugged mountain slopes, making the picking process extremely challenging. Only local skilled female workers can accomplish this task. It's crucial to select properly ripe coffee beans during harvesting, as under-ripe or over-ripe beans can affect coffee quality.

What Variety are Blue Mountain Coffee Beans?

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans are of the Typica variety. Typica has bronze-colored terminal leaves, elliptical or slender-pointed beans, tall tree structure with slightly inclined branches at 50-70 degrees, elegant flavor but weak constitution with poor disease resistance, resulting in very low yield per tree. Blue Mountain's Typica was transplanted from Martinique to Jamaica's Blue Mountains in the 1720s. After over 200 years, Blue Mountain Typica has evolved better disease resistance, particularly superior resistance to coffee berry disease compared to regular Typica. However, when Blue Mountain Typica is grown outside Jamaica, it cannot replicate its distinctive sweet and subtle fragrance.

Blue Mountain Coffee Bean Processing Method

Blue Mountain coffee uses the washed processing method, which is a crucial step in establishing Blue Mountain coffee's clean taste. For over 200 years of coffee cultivation in Jamaica, the washed processing method has been consistently used. First, ripe coffee cherries are harvested, then stones and defective beans are removed through flotation in water pools. This is followed by pulping to remove the skin and fruit flesh.

Afterward, they are soaked in water pools for 48 hours, then washed to remove the slippery mucilage layer. They are then placed on raised beds to dry until reaching 12% moisture content. Due to the strict processing procedure, Blue Mountain coffee beans have exquisite appearance - full, uniform, with even color emitting a subtle jade green.

In 2020, a batch of natural-processed Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans was produced.

After proper processing, authentic Blue Mountain coffee is packaged in barrels. Blue Mountain coffee beans are also the only coffee beans in the world exported in wooden barrels. If Blue Mountain coffee beans are imported through legitimate channels, you can apply to Jamaican authorities for certification to prevent counterfeiting. FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans are priced at only 158 yuan/100g, which might raise questions from some friends. However, FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans are imported in whole barrels with accompanying certificates for authenticity verification.

Proper Brewing Method for FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans for brewing to maximize the rich flavors of the coffee. Coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness significantly impacts flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee. The coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive it, the flavor is at its peak.

FrontStreet Coffee considers that Blue Mountain beans typically use a darker roast degree. The darker the roast, the faster the coffee substances dissolve during extraction. To avoid over-extraction, FrontStreet Coffee uses lower water temperature for extraction while also using a slower-flow Kono filter cup to ensure optimal coffee extraction even at lower water temperatures.

Filter cup: Kono filter cup
Water temperature: 87°C
Dose: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: Medium grind (Chinese standard No. 20 sieve with 75% pass-through rate)

Brewing method: Three-stage extraction. Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue pouring with small circular motions to 125g for the first split. When the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop pouring. Wait until the coffee liquid finishes dripping from the filter cup, then remove the filter cup. Time starts from the beginning of pouring, with total coffee extraction time of 2'00".

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Flavor Profile:

Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee delivers a clean taste with chocolate and nutty flavors, where acidity, sweetness, and bitterness reach a perfect balance.

Can Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Beans Be Used for Americano?

FrontStreet Coffee believes that to experience the renowned Blue Mountain flavor, one must choose freshly roasted coffee beans for brewing. Because coffee beans lose aroma rapidly over time, bean freshness is extremely important. Therefore, coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are also freshly roasted within 5 days, and parameters and flavor descriptions for both pour-over and espresso machines are based on fresh beans.

Americano ingredients are very simple: only espresso and water. Therefore, making an Americano with Blue Mountain coffee beans only requires properly extracted espresso, then adding water in a certain proportion. Specific parameters are as follows:

Coffee beans: Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1
Coffee dose: 20g
Espresso yield: 40g
Dose-to-yield ratio: 1:2
Extraction time: 26-32 seconds
Grind setting: Mahlkönig 2.2

FrontStreet Coffee uses a double basket capacity, requiring 20g of coffee grounds each time, with a dose-to-yield ratio of 1:2, meaning 40g of espresso in a reasonable time frame. Extraction time relates to the flow rate of coffee grounds. Generally, single extraction duration is controlled between 20-35 seconds. If less than 20 seconds, coffee tends to taste thin and weak. Exceeding 35 seconds risks over-extraction, leading to burnt and bitter flavors. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee controls espresso extraction time within the 26-32 second range.

Before extraction, we need to first dry the portafilter, turn on the grinder, grind double shot coffee grounds, place on a digital scale for measurement adjustments until reaching 20g. Then use a distribution tool to level the coffee grounds, and apply firm vertical pressure with a tamper to compact the coffee puck, ensuring more stable coffee extraction.

Then turn on the extraction switch and run water for 1-2 seconds to wet the group head while flushing away any stuck coffee grounds. Place an espresso cup on a digital scale underneath and zero it out, keeping it under the group head during extraction.

Gently lock the portafilter into the group head and start the extraction. Observe the changes in the espresso flow. When the digital scale shows 40g of espresso extracted and time reaches approximately 30 seconds, stop the extraction. Brewing parameters may vary subtly based on daily air humidity and coffee bean conditions, requiring adjustments to coffee dose, grind setting, and espresso yield.

After multiple comparisons, FrontStreet Coffee determined that a 1:4.5 ratio best presents the chocolate and caramel aromas of Blue Mountain No. 1, meaning adding 180g of hot water to 40g of espresso. For iced Americano, replace with 100g of large ice cubes and 120g of water, at a ratio of 1:2.5:3. This iced Americano has moderate concentration with refreshing sweet and sour notes.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account, ID: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473