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FrontStreet Coffee - Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Introduction

The earliest "Jamaica Blue Mountain" referred to coffee produced by Wallenford Estate and Silver Hill Estate, the former being the finest and the true Blue Mountain coffee. Today the name refers to beans grown in the Blue Mountain region east of Jamaica's capital, Kingston, above 1,000 meters.

Coffee grown at low altitudes and in other parts of the country can only be called "Jamaica High Mountain beans" or "Jamaica coffee beans". Their flavour is quite different from Blue Mountain. Those other producing areas are twice the size of the true Blue Mountain region and account for 75% of national output, so when buying Jamaican coffee, do not assume you are getting Jamaica Blue Mountain.

Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1

Variety: Typica

Altitude: 1500m

Processing Method: Washed

Flavor: Caramel, Nuts, Plum, Milk Chocolate

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research centre that takes pleasure in sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation for one reason only - to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month we hold three coffee events with significant discounts, because FrontStreet Coffee wants more people to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Jamaica Blue Mountain is one of those coffees where provenance matters more than usual, so it is worth knowing how the real thing is identified. Certified Blue Mountain coffee comes from the Blue Mountain range in eastern Jamaica, the highest range in the Caribbean, whose highest peak reaches 2,256 meters and which is wrapped in cloud year-round - hence the name. High altitude gives a wide day-night temperature swing and a longer ripening period, the volcanic soil supplies nutrients, and steady, well-distributed rain lets the cherries accumulate sugar and flavour slowly. Strictly speaking, only coffee grown in the specific Blue Mountain area and certified by the Jamaican authorities may be called Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

Supply is the reason for the price. The whole Jamaican Blue Mountain area produces fewer than 2,500 tonnes a year, a tiny fraction of world output, and because the Japanese market has long bought more than 70% of it, even less reaches the rest of the world. Official exports of Blue Mountain green beans to China began in 2003, so buyers there can now purchase certified coffee through proper channels. Legitimate Blue Mountain coffee carries no traceability QR code, but importers hold complete export certification and proof of origin, and traditional Blue Mountain is shipped in wooden barrels of 15, 45 and 70 kg - the barrel itself is a mark of the genuine article.

As for which lot to buy, no. 1 is the top grade. FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 comes from the historic Clifton Mount estate, which has been growing and processing coffee since around 1750. Its planting and processing area sits at an average of 4,300 feet (1,310.64 meters), where the altitude, the gentle afternoon cloud that shades the hillsides, ample sunlight and mineral-rich soil give the trees excellent growing conditions and lengthen the ripening of the cherries. FrontStreet roasts it medium-dark to bring out the coffee's full body and that traditional bitter-then-sweet character, and the coffee is shipped within five days of roasting, so it arrives still at its flavour peak.

FrontStreet suggests a Kono dripper for this coffee, because it does more to build body. Use a single 15 g serving and let the beans rest 4-7 days from the roast date - counting the roast day as day one - for a better cup. Grind slightly coarser than you would for a light roast, roughly the texture of white sugar, and brew with water at 87-88°C; scorched, bitter flavours usually come from water that is too hot, though water that is too cool leaves the coffee flat and lifeless. FrontStreet recommends a 1:15 ratio rather than the tighter 1:13 some methods suggest. Pour in three stages: 30 g of water to bloom for 30 seconds, then pour to 120 g and pause, using a vertical, slow, small circular stream; finally pour to 225 g with a slightly faster stream and circle to keep the bed from clogging the dripper and over-extracting. The cup is very clean, complex and gentle, with chocolate sweetness and a strong body; the sweet, sour and bitter notes are perfectly matched, the finish is long with a fruity thread. Many people assume Blue Mountain can only be pour-over, but its balance means it works just as well in a moka pot or as espresso.