Specialty Coffee Blue Mountain Coffee: A Grading System Prioritizing Size While Accounting for Defects

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Grading System

Although Blue Mountain coffee is produced in very small volumes, it is governed by a strict grading system. Even coffee grown inside the legally designated Blue Mountain region must still be graded according to bean size and defect percentage.

Blue Mountain No.1

Bean size: more than 96% at 17/18 screen
Defect percentage: 2%

Blue Mountain No.2

Bean size: more than 96% at 16/17 screen
Defect percentage: 2%

Blue Mountain No.3

Bean size: more than 96% at 15/16 screen
Defect percentage: 2%

Blue Mountain PB

Bean size: more than 96% peaberries
Defect percentage: 2%

The Jamaican Blue Mountain grading system makes the standards plain: the tolerance for defects is strict across the board. In every coffee that may be called Blue Mountain coffee, defects cannot exceed 2%. Because all of it comes from the legally designated region, the grades are separated by size alone. For Blue Mountain coffee, then, the vintage and the specific estate of origin become just as important as the grade itself.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the grading system has you curious about the top tier, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is exactly that - the highest grade, sourced from the historic Clifton Mount estate and shipped in the traditional 15, 45, and 70 kg wooden barrels that mark genuine Blue Mountain coffee. It is roasted medium-dark so the classic Blue Mountain balance shows fully: nuts, dark chocolate, and creamy caramel layered over a gentle sweetness, with no single note overpowering another. Brew it at 1:15 with 87-88°C water and a medium-coarse grind to keep the cup clean and rounded. Full origin certification and the estate's Rainforest Alliance credentials accompany every lot, so the source of your cup can be traced from farm to bag.