Basic Knowledge of Blue Mountain Coffee Bean Varieties - Introduction to Authentic Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee Grade, Flavor, and Taste Characteristics

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Blue Mountain coffee beans have been cherished by so many generations of coffee enthusiasts. One reason is that there weren't many high-quality coffees in the past, and the beans from Jamaica's Blue Mountain region were the best quality coffee on the market at that time. Another reason is that coffee choices were limited back then, so Blue Mountain coffee's reputation could "walk sideways" for many years. Yet another reason is Blue Mountain coffee's balanced and mellow flavor profile, which brings people a stable feeling that never becomes tiresome.

Why is Blue Mountain Coffee Delicious?

Blue Mountain coffee's delicious taste is inseparable from the terroir and elevation of the Blue Mountain range, as well as Jamaica's island climate, which provides an exceptionally favorable growing environment for the coffee trees here. At the same time, the coffee variety itself is also a major reason for Blue Mountain coffee's excellent flavor.

Blue Mountain Coffee Growing Environment

The Blue Mountain range is located in eastern Jamaica, with its highest peak reaching 2,256 meters. However, coffee can only be grown below 1,700 meters, as areas above this are designated as ecological protection forests by the Jamaican government. Only coffee grown in the 900-1,700 meter altitude range can bear the name "Blue Mountain Coffee."

Since the Blue Mountain range is located within the coffee belt, and there are many active volcanoes in surrounding Central and South American countries, the Blue Mountain range is covered with fertile volcanic soil. Combined with fresh, unpolluted air, humid climate with year-round fog and rain (average rainfall of 1,980 mm), and temperatures around 27°C, this climate has created the world-renowned Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Blue Mountain Coffee Varieties

Jamaica's coffee history can be traced back to the 18th century. In 1717, French King Louis XV ordered coffee cultivation in Jamaica. In the mid-1720s, Jamaica's Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes imported Arabica seeds from Martinique and began promoting cultivation in the St. Andrew region.

Later genetic identification revealed this coffee variety to be the Typica variety, the most historically ancient variety in the Arabica family, and also the "ancestor" of many modern coffee varieties, including the historically significant Bourbon variety, which is a natural mutation of Typica.

After more than 200 years, Blue Mountain Typica has evolved to have better disease resistance, particularly showing superior resistance to coffee berry disease compared to regular Typica, while retaining the variety's clean and subtle flavor characteristics. Therefore, Blue Mountain coffee's flavor is exceptionally balanced, with sweet, sour, and bitter notes presented in perfect harmony, making it truly captivating.

One special aspect is that when these Typica beans are grown below 900 meters in elevation or outside the Blue Mountain range, they don't exhibit the same enchanting coffee flavor characteristics.

Where Can You Buy Blue Mountain Coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee can be considered the number one fan of Blue Mountain coffee! To ensure everyone can purchase authentic Blue Mountain coffee beans with excellent value, FrontStreet Coffee has sourced Blue Mountain No. 1 grade coffee beans from Jamaica's oldest coffee growing region - Clifton Mountain Estate.

As the saying goes, "rarity makes things precious." Blue Mountain coffee has a tremendous reputation, so many counterfeit products have appeared in the market. To help consumers identify genuine Blue Mountain coffee, the Jamaican government规定 stipulates that all exported Blue Mountain coffee beans must be packed in wooden barrels, and the Jamaican Coffee Board can issue certificates for all exported Blue Mountain coffee.

At FrontStreet Coffee's physical stores, you can see the certification certificate issued by Clifton Mountain Estate as well as Blue Mountain coffee barrels with the Green Frog (Rainforest Alliance certification) logo. Meanwhile, to ensure consumers can experience coffee at its best flavor, all coffee beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee are shipped within 5 days of roasting completion.

How to Brew Blue Mountain Coffee for the Best Taste?

To achieve Blue Mountain No. 1 grade coffee beans, 96% of the coffee cherries must reach 17 mesh or larger in size, and the defect rate of processed coffee beans must not exceed 2%. This also indicates that the coffee beans themselves are very uniform in size, which brings great advantages to coffee bean roasting.

Even heating during the coffee bean roasting process is key to clean, balanced coffee flavor. Longer caramelization reactions can bring more rich substances to the coffee. To preserve Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee's balanced sweet, sour, and bitter flavors with its rich, solid mouthfeel, FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium-dark roast level.

To showcase the rich and balanced characteristics of Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends extraction at lower water temperatures, paired with the slower-flowing Kono dripper, to ensure sufficient coffee extraction even at low temperatures.

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameter recommendations: Kono dripper (characterized by the tight fit between filter paper and dripper, which creates immersion-style extraction during pour-over brewing, resulting in higher coffee concentration), 88°C water temperature, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g coffee dose, grind size: white sugar granules (70% passing through #20 standard sieve).

The pouring method is as follows: First pour 30 grams of hot water for a 30-second bloom, then inject with a fine water stream from the center and slowly spiral out to 125 grams. When the water level in the dripper drops to just above the coffee bed, continue spiraling to 225 grams. Total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes. Finally, shake the extracted coffee liquid well and you can begin tasting.

FrontStreet Coffee's brewed Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans emit caramel aroma during the bloom stage. When tasted, you'll experience rich nutty and dark chocolate flavors, with a full-bodied overall texture and a sweet, clean aftertaste.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473