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

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

FrontStreet's Blue Mountain coffee, grown in Jamaica's Blue Mountain range, is defined by balance. Its acidity, sweetness, body and bitterness harmonize to near perfection, showing off every superior quality a coffee can have. That is why Jamaica Blue Mountain commands an extremely high price and ranks among the ten most expensive coffees in the world. To enjoy a truly authentic cup you should expect to pay at least $49 per pound; at FrontStreet Coffee, the genuine Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is priced at 158 yuan per 100g package.

The Blue Mountains' highest peak reaches 2,256 meters — the tallest in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination. Sitting in a seismic zone, the range enjoys fertile volcanic soil, fresh unpolluted air, and a humid climate of year-round fog and rain, averaging 1,980 millimeters of precipitation annually with temperatures around 27 degrees. It is precisely this climate that produces a coffee with such a near-perfect combination of acidity, sweetness, body and bitterness.

In 1960, a hurricane struck the Blue Mountain region, destroying most estates' facilities and coffee trees. Foreign capital — including crucially from Japan — helped the region through those difficult years. As a result, Japan acquired shares in most Blue Mountain estates along with priority import rights, locking in as much as 90% of Jamaica Blue Mountain's export quotas, while the rest of the world shares the remaining 10%.

Jamaica's total production has always been small — roughly 40,000 bags (60kg each) per year, while Brazil, the world's largest exporter, harvests some 30 million bags (60kg each) annually. With low output and Japan's near-monopoly on export shares, genuine Blue Mountain has long been in short supply outside Japan. (In practice, Blue Mountain coffee is mostly packed in 70kg wooden barrels, though volumes are still measured against the international standard of 60kg burlap bags — Blue Mountain being one of the very few coffees still shipped in 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, so unlike paper — which strips out virtually all the oils — it retains a portion of the coffee's oils. Coffee brewed through flannel is therefore richer and smoother than coffee brewed through paper.

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

Ratio: 1:10

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

Flavor: Aromas of smoke and cocoa, with chocolate, herbal notes, cream and licorice in the cup, and pronounced caramel sweetness. The body is heavy, yet the fruit acidity remains distinctly present.

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. On July 15, local Jamaica time, they signed a letter of intent making the association China's exclusive general agent for Blue Mountain green beans, committing to supply China with at least 70 tons annually (1,000 of the standard 70kg wooden barrels) during the cooperation period. On May 26, 2011, the first container of Blue Mountain green beans arrived at China's Ningbo Port.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1, from the historic Clifton Estate at 1,310 meters, is roasted medium-dark and shipped in the traditional wooden barrels that certify its origin. Brewed as described above — or simply at 87–88°C with a 1:15 ratio in a Kono dripper — it delivers chocolate, cream, caramel and nutty sweetness in perfect balance with a clean, lingering finish.

For those who enjoy flannel or other gentle brewing methods, FrontStreet's Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird is a natural companion: Typica of Blue Mountain lineage grown at 1600-1800 meters on volcanic soil, AA grade, triple washed — a smooth, sweet cup often nicknamed the "little Blue Mountain."