Coffee Bean Origins and Varieties - Exploring the Quality Excellence of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Blue Mountain Coffee comes from Jamaica, an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. In 1723, King Louis XV of France sent three coffee plants to the French colony of Martinique, a lush and fertile small island about 1,900 kilometres southwest of Jamaica. In 1728, Sir Nicholas Lawes, the Governor of Jamaica, received a coffee plant as a gift from Martinique, and coffee has been grown in Jamaica ever since. Between 1800 and 1840, Jamaica was the world's largest coffee-producing country.

In Jamaica, only what is known as Blue Mountain Coffee is truly high-quality coffee, and it must be genuine Blue Mountain. The true Blue Mountain lies between Kingston, Port Maria and Port Antonio, with its highest elevation at approximately 2,350 metres. Blue Mountain Coffee is a derivative of Typica and therefore inherits the excellent flavour characteristics of that variety.

Reasons for the High Quality of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Reason 1: High-quality assurance in processing the berries. The berries are processed on the same day they are harvested; they go through a series of treatments until reaching approximately 11.5% moisture content; they are left to rest for 8 weeks under controlled storage conditions; and the beans are handpicked to ensure quality.

Reason 2: Blue Mountain Coffee is grown at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,500 feet; the annual production of genuine Blue Mountain Coffee is only 4-5 million pounds, quite limited, while Panama's Blue Mountain production is 13 million pounds; the flowering period lasts 10 months; much of the coffee is grown on slopes approaching 70 degrees, so harvesting demands significant manual labour; before export another manual selection is performed, a process that means only 85% of the crop can be exported; and three highly professional cuppers conduct cupping and evaluate quality.

Different elevations in the Blue Mountains produce different grades. Authentic Blue Mountain Coffee must be made from beans grown between 910 and 1,700 metres. Coffee grown between 460 and 910 metres is called Jamaica High Mountain Coffee, while coffee grown below 460 metres is called Jamaica Prime Coffee.

There is much to say about Blue Mountain Coffee, which has standards and strict monitoring at every stage from cultivation, production and certification to quality control and sales. In short, the Blue Mountain Coffee seen in coffee shops is unlikely to be genuine. The Blue Mountain from FrontStreet Coffee is made from beans graded at the highest cultivation site, Blue Mountain No. 1.

Coffee Details

Origin: Jamaica

Processing Method: Washed method

Altitude: 900-1525m

Varieties: Typica, Catalan, Geisha

Acidity: Medium      Body: Medium

Description: Floral aroma, accompanied by cocoa and citrus-like flavors.

Food Pairing: Citrus fruits, dark chocolate

Additional Knowledge: The sweetness, acidity and bitterness of Blue Mountain Coffee are perfectly balanced, with no bitterness at all and only a moderate, perfect acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 comes from the historic Clifton Mount estate, where coffee has been grown and processed since around 1750. The estate's growing and processing area sits at an average of 4,300 feet (1,310.64 metres), and the combination of elevation, gentle afternoon cloud that shades the slopes, ample sunshine and mineral-rich soil gives the trees excellent growing conditions and extends the ripening of the cherries.

Blue Mountain No.1 is the highest grade of the crop, and FrontStreet Coffee roasts it medium-dark so the classic balance comes through: clean, complex and very gentle, chocolate-sweet with a powerful body. Acidity, sweetness and bitterness are in perfect harmony, with no bitterness at all, only a moderate and rounded acidity, and a long fruity finish. Each lot ships within 5 days of roasting, so it is at its best once rested for 4 to 7 days.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends a Kono dripper, which reinforces the full body: 15g of coffee, a 1:15 ratio and 87-88C water, ground a little coarser than for a light roast, about the texture of white sugar. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, pour vertically in slow, small circles to 120g, then continue to 225g, pouring slightly faster through the last stage so the bed does not clog the filter and over-extract.