What is Cuban Cubita Coffee and How Does Duquesa Coffee Rank - It's Top Quality

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange

Here is your guide to one of the Caribbean's most storied coffees — where it comes from, what makes it special, and how it stacks up against the world's finest.

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Cuban Crystal Mountain Coffee

Coffee arrived in Cuba from the Dominican Republic in 1748, and the island has been cultivating coffee ever since. Cuba's fertile land, humid climate, and abundant rainfall make it a natural gift for coffee growing, offering precisely the conditions coffee trees need to flourish. In Cuba, coffee cultivation is managed by the state. The country's best growing region sits in the central mountain range, an area so rich in precious minerals like quartz and crystal that it has earned the name Crystal Mountain. Today, Crystal Mountain coffee has become synonymous with the very top of Cuban coffee.

Unique Characteristics of Cubita Coffee: Noble, Gentle, Elegant

Cubita adheres to a principle of perfect coffee and focuses exclusively on single-origin lots. The beans are harvested by hand and strictly sorted to a sieve size of 17-19, then washed-processed so that defective beans and other impurities are largely eliminated, guaranteeing consistent quality. It enjoys a high reputation throughout the coffee industry. Anyone who tastes it attentively will notice an ineffable quality that sets Cubita apart. It has none of the heavy bitterness of Italian espresso with its knight-like boldness, nor the aloof pride of Blue Mountain coffee with its imperial bearing.

Instead, Cubita is like an elegant princess — gentle, noble, tender, and refined. Its balance is superb, with bitterness and acidity beautifully coordinated. On the palate it is delicate, smooth, refreshing, and graceful, making it a rare pleasure among coffees.

Cigars, coffee, and sugarcane are the three great industries of the Republic of Cuba, each renowned worldwide. Cuban coffee holds an equally high standing in the coffee world, and Cuban Crystal Mountain coffee ranks among the best on the planet. Crystal Mountain lies geographically adjacent to Jamaica's Blue Mountains and shares similar climatic conditions, so its coffee is often compared to Jamaican Blue Mountain. Like its neighbor, Cuban Crystal Mountain coffee is produced in modest volumes, which is why it is frequently in short supply despite steady demand. Cubita also represents an important economic trade relationship between Cuba and China, a symbol of friendly diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Cuban coffee has been acclaimed as "the uniquely Caribbean flavored coffee" and "the special coffee bean among island coffees."

Knowledge Point

Coffee roasting is the process that triggers Maillard reactions and caramelization within green beans, unlocking the wonderful flavors we taste in the cup.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Since Crystal Mountain sits just across the water from Jamaica's Blue Mountains, a cup of authentic Blue Mountain coffee is the natural companion to this article. FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 comes from the historic Clifton Estate, which has been growing coffee since around 1750 at an average altitude of roughly 1,310 meters (about 4,300 feet). The high elevation, gentle afternoon cloud cover, ample sunshine, and mineral-rich soils all help the cherries ripen slowly and fully.

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain beans are roasted medium-dark and shipped within five days of roasting, so they arrive brimming with flavor. For pour-over, FrontStreet suggests a Kono dripper to accentuate the coffee's body, 15 g of coffee per serving (rested 4-7 days from the roast date), a grind slightly coarser than for light roasts — around the texture of white granulated sugar — water at 87-88°C, and a 1:15 water-to-coffee ratio. Expect a cup that is clean, complex, and remarkably gentle, with chocolatey sweetness, a strong yet silky body, and a long, fruity finish.