How Much Does Authentic Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Cost? Is Blue Mountain Coffee Bitter? Flavor Characteristics

Blue Mountain Coffee has an exceptional reputation, and due to its high price, many imitation and counterfeit Blue Mountain coffee beans have emerged. FrontStreet Coffee will teach you how to identify authentic Blue Mountain coffee beans.

Why is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee so expensive?

Jamaica produces approximately 2,000 tons of Blue Mountain coffee beans annually, which is less than Ethiopia's monthly export volume. This scarcity dates back to 1969 when Jamaica was severely devastated by a hurricane. At that time, Japan's UCC Ueshima Coffee Company introduced agricultural technology to coffee cultivation, assisting in the revival of Jamaica's coffee industry. To express gratitude, the Jamaican government signed a contract with Japan in 1971, agreeing to ship 90% of their annual production to Japan. The remaining 10% mostly ends up in the hands of wealthy individuals or royalty before reaching the market.

Because of the extremely limited circulation of genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, the Blue Mountain coffee that we can easily purchase in convenience stores or coffee shops is typically only Blue Mountain "flavored" coffee. Usually, to imitate the slightly bitter and acidic taste of Blue Mountain coffee, vendors use blends of different coffee bean varieties. More conscientious establishments might mix Jamaican High Mountain coffee with Hawaiian Kona or Colombian coffee, while less scrupulous vendors blend Brazilian, Guadeloupe, or other inexpensive coffees. Even so, these coffees from other countries have seen increased sales due to "imitating" Blue Mountain coffee. As for authentic Blue Mountain coffee, although only a very limited number of stores in China sell it, enjoying a cup can be quite costly.

One reason for the high price of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is the monopoly by Japanese merchants. As Japan's preferential purchasing rights expired, import quotas for other countries have increased. Mainland China officially imported its first batch of Blue Mountain coffee beans in 2004, making it possible to find authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans in China.

How to identify authentic FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee

1. Genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans come with certification

The Jamaican government previously insisted that all Blue Mountain coffee be roasted in Jamaica to ensure consistent quality. In reality, roasting is a refined art that requires experience, training, and expensive equipment. From a consumer's perspective, coffee beans should be obtained and consumed immediately after roasting. Roasting coffee in Jamaica cannot meet this requirement. Today, Jamaican green coffee beans can now be exported.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) sources its Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain green beans directly from the origin. Currently, the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board can issue certificates for all exported Blue Mountain coffee.

Certificates come in three types: (1) Quality certificates issued by the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board, (2) Authorized sales certificates issued by Blue Mountain coffee manufacturers (Blue Mountain coffee is distributed by 4 Jamaican government-approved processing producers and exported by 16 licensed exporters), and (3) Certificates of origin for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

2. Judge by price

Essentially, any Blue Mountain coffee priced below three figures per 100g is unlikely to be genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans. Additionally, products labeled as "Blue Mountain flavored coffee beans," "Blue Mountain blend coffee beans," or "Blue Mountain No. 1 blend coffee" are typically not authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans.

3. Observe the appearance of the coffee beans

Due to Jamaica's strict coffee grading system, Blue Mountain No. 1 standard requires beans to be screen 17 or larger with less than 2% defects. Therefore, after obtaining roasted beans, we can observe whether the coffee beans are uniform in size.

Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans

This Frontsteet Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee bean sourced by FrontStreet Coffee comes from Clifton Mountain Farm in Jamaica. This farm has over two hundred years of history and is the only farm in the Blue Mountain region certified by the Rainforest Alliance. That's why their Blue Mountain barrels feature a frog logo, making them easily recognizable.

The Frontsteet Blue Mountain coffee beans purchased by FrontStreet Coffee in 2021 are the washed processing version. Washed Blue Mountain beans represent the traditional Blue Mountain flavor and are of guaranteed quality.

How should Blue Mountain coffee be brewed for the best taste?

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee uses the following brewing parameters: Kono dripper, 88°C water temperature, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g coffee dose, and grind size (70-75% pass-through rate with standard #20 sieve).

Considering that this Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain bean is roasted to a darker degree, and darker roasts result in faster dissolution of coffee compounds, FrontStreet Coffee uses a lower water temperature for extraction to avoid over-extraction. Simultaneously, they use the slower-flowing Kono dripper to ensure maximum extraction of coffee compounds under lower temperature conditions.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans for brewing to experience the rich flavors to the fullest extent. Coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are all roasted within 5 days, as FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness greatly impacts flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted good coffee," ensuring that every customer receives the freshest coffee possible. The coffee's degassing period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its peak flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, specifically a three-pour method. They use 30g of water for blooming with a 30-second bloom time. The first pour uses a small circular water flow to 125g, then stops. When the water level drops to just above the coffee bed, they continue with the second pour to 225g, completing the extraction. The total extraction time (including blooming) is 2'00".

This method brings out the clear yet full-bodied flavor of Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain, with a balanced acidity and bitterness that is exceptionally pleasant.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) on WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

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