Introduction to Why Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is Exported to Japan and Proper Brewing Methods

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FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee: Reasons for Export to Japan and Brewing Parameters

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee, produced in Jamaica's Blue Mountain range, is characterized by its perfect balance. Its acidity, sweetness, body, and bitterness balance to near perfection, truly showcasing all superior aspects of coffee. Therefore, Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee commands an extremely high price, ranking among the ten most expensive coffees in the world. If you want to enjoy a cup of authentic Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, you need to bear the high price of at least $49 per pound. At FrontStreet Coffee stores, the authentic FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee is priced at 158 yuan/100g per package.

Jamaica Blue Mountain's highest peak reaches 2,256 meters, making it the highest peak in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination. Located in a seismic zone, it boasts fertile volcanic soil, fresh and pollution-free air, a humid climate with year-round fog and rain, averaging 1,980 millimeters of precipitation annually, with temperatures around 27 degrees. It is precisely these climate conditions that produce coffee like Jamaica Blue Mountain with its nearly perfect combination of acidity, sweetness, body, and bitterness.

In 1960, the Jamaica Blue Mountain region was struck by a hurricane, destroying most estates' facilities and coffee trees. Fortunately, foreign capital, including from Japan, provided tremendous help to Jamaica Blue Mountain during this difficult time. Consequently, Japan acquired shares in most Blue Mountain estates and priority import rights. Japan secured up to 90% of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee import quotas, while other countries could only share from the remaining 10%.

Furthermore, Jamaica's coffee production has always been minimal, with annual harvests of approximately 40,000 bags (60kg each), while the world's largest coffee exporting country—Brazil—can harvest 30 million bags (60kg each) annually. Due to low production and Japan's near-monopoly on coffee export shares, a supply shortage of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee exists outside Japan. (In reality, Blue Mountain coffee mostly uses 70kg wooden barrels, but the measurement method still follows the international standard of 60kg/burlap bag. Blue Mountain coffee is also one of the few coffees still packaged in 70kg wooden barrels.)

FrontStreet Coffee · Jamaica Clifton Blue Mountain Coffee

Region: Jamaica Blue Mountain

Estate: Clifton Farm

Altitude: 1,310 meters

Processing: Washed

Variety: Typica

Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee Brewing Parameters

Flannel filter cloth has larger capillary pores than filter paper, allowing it to retain some of the coffee's oils, unlike filter paper which typically filters out all oils. Therefore, coffee brewed using flannel filter cloth will be richer and smoother than coffee brewed with filter paper.

Parameters: Water temperature 85°C, medium grind (BG 6S: China standard 64% pass-through rate through #20 sieve); 16g of coffee grounds.

Ratio: 1:10

Technique: 35g water for 30-second bloom, then pour water to 123g in segments. When the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, continue pouring to 164g of water, then remove the flannel filter cloth just before exposing the coffee bed. (Timing starts from bloom) Extraction time: 1 minute 50 seconds.

FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor: Aromas of smoke and cocoa, with flavors of chocolate, herbal notes, cream, and licorice upon tasting, with noticeable caramel sweetness. Overall body is heavy, but fruit acidity is also quite distinct.

Knowledge Bonus:

In May 2010, with support from the Hangzhou municipal government, the Hangzhou Coffee and Western Restaurant Industry Association signed a memorandum of understanding on Blue Mountain green bean trade cooperation with the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board in Hangzhou. On July 15th local Jamaica time, they signed a letter of intent for cooperation as China's exclusive general agent for Blue Mountain green coffee beans, providing at least 70 tons (1,000 barrels of 70kg standard wooden barrels) of Jamaica Blue Mountain green coffee beans to China annually during the cooperation period. On May 26, 2011, the first container of Blue Mountain green coffee beans arrived at Ningbo Port, China.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473