Jamaica | Introduction to Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee from Coffee Growing Regions

Jamaica

When it comes to coffee, many people think of the renowned Blue Mountain coffee, which originates from Jamaica, an island nation in the Caribbean, North America. The country has a territorial area of 10,991 square kilometers, making it the third-largest island in the Caribbean. It is divided into 3 counties, which are further subdivided into 14 parishes.

The Jamaican flag is rectangular, featuring two intersecting yellow diagonal bands that divide the flag into four triangles—green at the top and bottom, and black on the left and right. The yellow represents the country's natural resources and sunshine, black symbolizes difficulties overcome and those yet to be faced, while green represents hope and the nation's abundant agricultural resources.

Jamaica is located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and is an island nation. To the east, it faces Haiti across the Jamaica Strait, while to the north, it is approximately 145 kilometers from Cuba. The coastal areas of Jamaica consist of alluvial plains, the eastern region is mountainous, and the central and western parts are characterized by hills and limestone plateaus. The area has well-developed karst topography, lacking surface runoff but featuring numerous caves.

The country has a tropical rainforest climate. The rainy seasons occur from April to June and September to November, with January and May experiencing the most frequent showers. The period from December to March of the following year is the dry season when the weather becomes cooler. However, from June to the end of November, this six-month period is prone to hurricanes and tropical storms, with frequent hurricane strikes. The central and northern regions receive abundant rainfall, with temperatures generally ranging between 22-32°C.

Coffee Growing Regions

Jamaica places great importance on the development of its coffee industry. In 1944, it established the Central Coffee Clearing House, where all coffee must be certified by this institution before export. Additionally, in 1950, the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (CIB) was founded. However, this organization merged with other Jamaican commodity institutions in 2018 to form the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA). Today, every barrel of Blue Mountain coffee beans must undergo quality supervision through JACRA. Upon its establishment, the "Coffee Industry Regulation Law" was also enacted, defining the world-famous "Blue Mountain Coffee Growing Region."

According to the provisions of the "Coffee Industry Regulation Law," the Blue Mountain growing area is distributed across four parishes: St. Andrew, St. Thomas, Portland, and St. Mary. Only Typica variety coffee grown at elevations between 915-1700 meters within this region can be named Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

The Blue Mountains are located in eastern Jamaica, with elevations ranging from 1000-1700 meters. Surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, when the weather is clear and sunlight directly strikes the sea surface, the mountain peaks reflect the blue radiance of the seawater, hence the name "Blue Mountains." This area is situated within the coffee growing belt, featuring fertile volcanic soil, fresh and unpolluted air, humid climate with year-round fog and rainfall (average precipitation of 1980mm and temperature around 27°C). Such climate conditions have created the world-renowned Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.

Typica

The Typica variety and the Bourbon variety both belong to the oldest existing coffee varieties, originating from southwestern Ethiopia. Typica coffee plants have ribbed leaves with pointed tips, colors leaning towards green and bronze, long internodal spacing, primarily red fruits, elongated coffee beans, and generally tall plants. They are quite suitable for cultivation in high-altitude areas, where they produce better quality but lower yields. They are highly susceptible to leaf rust, nematodes, and berry diseases. Currently, Typica is cultivated in countries such as Peru, Papua New Guinea, and Jamaica. Additionally, the Typica grown in Jamaica's Blue Mountains has evolved over 200 years to develop better disease resistance than typical Typica varieties.

FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Clifton Hill Estate Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Beans

Region: Blue Mountain Region

Estate: Clifton Hill Estate

Altitude: 1310 meters

Variety: Blue Mountain Typica

Processing: Washed

Flavor: Slight citrus acidity, nutty and chocolate notes, silky texture, overall balance

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans undergo washed processing and are roasted to a medium-dark level, allowing the coffee to present a rich body while retaining delicate fruit acidity. FrontStreet Coffee uses a KONO dripper with a 1:15 ratio and 89°C water for brewing. You can detect subtle floral aromas, experience slight citrus acidity upon tasting, along with nutty and cocoa flavors. The texture is silky, with excellent overall balance.

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