Is Blue Mountain Coffee American Coffee? Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee Bean Brewing Method and Flavor Profile

Coffee is a good friend to working professionals. Many coffee enthusiasts frequently drink black coffee to reduce their fat and sugar intake. When visiting coffee shops, they typically order Americano coffee to get their coffee fix quickly. This unsweetened black coffee not only appears guilt-free but also offers an enticing aroma. Similarly, Blue Mountain coffee is also a type of black coffee that is consumed without sugar or milk. So does this mean Blue Mountain coffee is just a type of Americano coffee?

Yes, black coffee is coffee without sugar or milk, but Blue Mountain coffee is not the same as Americano coffee. The fundamental difference between them lies in their preparation principles. As a single-origin coffee bean, Blue Mountain coffee is most commonly brewed using pour-over drip methods; whereas Americano coffee, as an espresso-based beverage, is made by mixing a certain proportion of iced or hot water with espresso as the base.

What is Americano Coffee?

The emergence of Americano coffee is said to be related to American soldiers who supported the European battlefield during World War II. Since Europeans prefer to drink rich, aromatic coffee, American soldiers found it too intense and difficult to accept, so they added hot water. After dilution, they discovered it was surprisingly delicious. However, to Europeans, this way of drinking coffee was practically sacrilege, so they named this water-mixed coffee "Americano," which translates to Americano coffee in Chinese.

Since Americano coffee is based on espresso, the process of extracting espresso becomes extremely important. It should be noted that the extraction principle of espresso involves using pressure as high as 9 bar to force near-boiling hot water through a compact coffee puck in a relatively short time.

When making espresso at FrontStreet Coffee, they use Sunflower Warm Blend coffee beans. This espresso blend consists of 70% Honduras Shirley and 30% Ethiopia natural red cherry, offering rich vanilla and cream flavors with whiskey notes and a hint of berry acidity. After parameter adjustments, FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 40 grams of espresso, with an extraction time of approximately 28 seconds.

For making hot Americano coffee, FrontStreet Coffee mixes 40 grams of coffee liquid with 70°C hot water at a 1:4.5 ratio. Hot Americano coffee made at this ratio allows one to clearly taste the vanilla cream flavors of this espresso blend, with whiskey notes and a rich, smooth mouthfeel.

For making iced Americano coffee, FrontStreet Coffee mixes 40 grams of coffee liquid with ice and water at a 1:2.5:3 ratio. The iced Americano coffee made at this ratio by FrontStreet Coffee won't be too concentrated initially, and as the ice melts, the coffee flavor won't become too weak either.

What is Blue Mountain Coffee?

Blue Mountain coffee beans get their name because they are grown in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica. The so-called Blue Mountain is actually a mountain range in Jamaica surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. On clear sunny days, direct sunlight hits the azure sea surface, and the brilliant blue light from the water reflects onto the Blue Mountain.

Jamaica's coffee cultivation history can be traced back to the 18th century, when in 1717, French King Louis XV ordered coffee to be planted in Jamaica. Jamaica's Governor, Lord Nicholas Lawes, introduced Typica cultivation from Martinique in the mid-1720s and began promoting coffee cultivation from the Saint Andrew region.

Today, Jamaica's coffee-producing region is mainly the Blue Mountain area, which spans four administrative regions: Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Mary, and Saint Thomas.

Those familiar with Jamaica's green coffee bean grading system should know that not all coffee beans grown in the Blue Mountain range can be called Blue Mountain coffee. Although the highest peak of the Blue Mountain range reaches over 2,000 meters, the area suitable for coffee cultivation is below 1,700 meters. First, areas above 1,700 meters are designated as protected zones where coffee cultivation is not permitted; second, as altitude increases, the risk of frost grows.

Jamaica's coffee beans are graded into three levels based on cultivation altitude: Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is grown between 1,000 and 1,700 meters; Jamaica High Mountain coffee is grown between 500 and 1,000 meters; and Jamaica Prime coffee is grown in areas below 500 meters. With such strict regulations, only one-quarter of Jamaica's coffee beans meet the requirements for Blue Mountain coffee beans.

Due to the extremely strict grading system for coffee beans by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, there are four grades within Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and Peaberry.

Among these, Blue Mountain No. 1 is the highest grade, with cultivation altitude requirements between 1,000 and 1,700 meters, green bean particle size of 17/18 screen, and a defect rate below 2%.

Strict standards create exceptional Blue Mountain coffee flavor and also determine Blue Mountain coffee prices. Some merchants label their products as "Blue Mountain Blend" or "Blue Mountain Flavor" to sell at Blue Mountain coffee prices, but the truth is that they might not contain a single coffee bean actually produced in Jamaica's Blue Mountain region.

The Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans sourced by FrontStreet Coffee come from Clifton Mount Farm, located near Catherine's Peak in the Blue Mountain range. Clifton Mount Farm is the oldest coffee estate in the region, with over 200 years of history. The farm also holds Rainforest Alliance certification, demonstrating its excellent growing environment.

After comparing multiple Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee believes that Clifton Mount Farm's Blue Mountain No. 1 beans show outstanding performance and can serve as an excellent representative of Blue Mountain coffee.

Those familiar with coffee bean import and export should know that green coffee beans are typically exported in jute bags. However, Jamaica is now the only growing region that uses wooden barrels to package green coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee's shop displays wooden barrels containing Blue Mountain green coffee beans. Additionally, there is a Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee certification certificate. These two items proving Frontsteet's Blue Mountain coffee beans originate from Jamaica's Blue Mountains are displayed inside Frontsteet's store.

Since Blue Mountain coffee, this premium coffee, is known for its balanced acidity, bitterness, and sweetness with a rich mouthfeel, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster uses a darker roast level for these washed Blue Mountain coffee beans. As for how to maximize the flavor of this Blue Mountain coffee, you can refer to Frontsteet's brewing parameters:

Filter: KONO filter
Water temperature: 88°C
Coffee dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: 75% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve

A darker roast level was used to highlight the rich mouthfeel of Blue Mountain coffee, so during brewing, the rate of flavor extraction accelerates, meaning that overly high brewing water temperature and overly fine grinding will lead to burnt, bitter flavors. At the same time, to achieve a richer mouthfeel, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a coffee filter with immersion capabilities, such as the KONO filter.

Pour 30 grams of hot water for a 30-second bloom, then pour from the center with a fine stream in slow circles to 125 grams. When the water level in the filter drops to just about to expose the coffee bed, continue circular pouring to 225 grams. Total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.

Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee brewed using these parameters by Frontsteet offers balanced acidity, bitterness, and sweetness, with rich nutty and chocolate flavors and a rich mouthfeel.

Some people who are unsure about the proper grind size might think of asking FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans for them. FrontStreet Coffee, of course, provides this service. Here, Frontsteet reminds everyone that once coffee beans are ground into powder, degassing accelerates, and coffee flavor compounds dissipate accordingly, so it's recommended to purchase whole beans and grind fresh before brewing for better flavor. FrontStreet Coffee ships coffee beans freshly roasted within 5 days, so when customers receive them, they have just undergone a 4 to 7-day resting period, when the flavor is at its best.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473