Is Cuban Hijo Coffee Expensive? How Does Cuban Coffee Taste and What Are Its Flavor Characteristics?

FrontStreet Coffee - An Introduction to Cuban Crystal Mountain Coffee

Perhaps because it grows at a lower altitude, Cuban Crystal Mountain coffee carries low acidity, making it an easy way for drinkers to slow down and enjoy life. Like an elegant woman from a modest background, it reveals an alluring character through its simplicity.

Balanced and delicate, with a subtle sensation on the tongue, it has become a coffee known for its "gentle and mild" nature. Some even call Cuban coffee the "elegant princess of coffees," and among them Crystal Mountain is said to be the mildest coffee quality in the world.

Such praise is well deserved. Cuban Crystal Mountain beans are classic island beans: a clean, delicate cup, a light acidity that is never harsh but lingers, and a sweet melon-and-fruit aroma. Coffee brewed from these beans carries a rare and near-perfect flavor. Sipped slowly, you find a thread of fragrance inside the bitterness - rich, smooth and deeply satisfying on entry.

Compared with other coffees, Cuban Crystal Mountain also shows a subtle wine-like bitterness and a faint sweetness, with an elusive hint of smokiness - delicate, smooth, refreshing and elegant. The many flavors blend into near-perfect harmony.

Perfect coffee still needs perfect brewing. The essential equipment for Crystal Mountain is an American drip machine or a fully manual pour-over. Keep the water temperature below 85°C, and if you brew with a siphon, keep the flame low and the time short. Because the coffee is mellow and aromatic, consider adding more milk to appreciate its qualities - but not as much cream as Vietnamese coffee, and not too much sugar. Typically two to three spoons of milk bring out the flavor fully, arriving at just the right experience. Anyone who has tasted the distinctive flavor of Cuban coffee comes away impressed.

Cuba's best growing region lies in the central mountain range, where cultivation and processing follow strong farming traditions. Growers hold to a simple principle: to protect quality, every bean is harvested by hand; to preserve flavor, every bean is washed; and to chase excellence, the coffee is given medium and dark roasts.

Cubita is Cuban coffee, and all Cubita entering the Chinese market is selected from pollution-free Crystal Mountain beans grown in Cuba's high-altitude areas, making it a classic Caribbean coffee. Every bean is strictly selected to the 17-19 screen size standard, producing large, high-maturity beans. Cubita is entirely hand-harvested and washed, which removes most defective beans and impurities.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy the mild, low-acid, balanced character of Cuban Crystal Mountain, the FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is the closest classic in the same spirit. It steers clear of the piercing fruit acidity of some African coffees and the heavy bitterness of a dark roast, striking a fine balance among acidity, sweetness, bitterness and aroma. Expect cream, caramel, chocolate, nuts, honey and a light fruit note, with a soft, round entry, a sweet mid-palate and a clean, long finish - a cup almost everyone can love.

For a richer, bolder counterpoint, the FrontStreet PWN Indonesia Golden Mandheling is the other side of the coin. Roasted dark, it has very low acidity and a thick, lingering body, with herbs, dark chocolate and a faint earthy note. Fans of full-bodied coffee who dislike brightness will find it exactly right.