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Types of Blue Mountain Coffee

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Coffee from the Jamaica Blue Mountain region has three grades: Blue Mountain Coffee (BlueMountainCoffee), Jamaica High Mountain Supreme Coffee Beans (JamaicaHighMountainSupremeCoffeeBeans) and Jamaica Coffee (JamaicaPr

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What is Blue Mountain Coffee?

Are people still asking: What is Blue Mountain Coffee? FrontStreet Coffee believes that Blue Mountain Coffee is no longer a secret; it has become well-known to everyone. Perhaps people know about Blue Mountain Coffee but don't know what kind of Blue Mountain Coffee is truly authentic. What type of Blue Mountain Coffee do you usually drink? Some friends might ask: Are there different types of Blue Mountain Coffee? FrontStreet Coffee wants to tell everyone that it's not that Blue Mountain Coffee has several types, but rather each coffee has its own grading system. Perhaps what you're drinking is just coffee with Blue Mountain flavor, not genuine Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will explain Blue Mountain Coffee to everyone, and friends can also see which type of Blue Mountain Coffee they are actually drinking.

The flavor of Blue Mountain Coffee is among the most mellow in the world. Not only is it rich and mellow in taste, but because the sweetness, acidity, and bitterness of the coffee are perfectly balanced, it has no bitterness at all, only moderate and perfect acidity. As wine lovers would say, this flavor makes you linger and want more. Therefore, there are good reasons why Blue Mountain Coffee has become one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Blue Mountain Coffee is the most superior coffee in the world.

The Growing Environment of Blue Mountain Coffee

Blue Mountain is located within the coffee belt between 25 degrees north and south latitude, with a uniquely advantageous geographical position. Jamaica has a tropical rainforest climate with abundant rainfall throughout the year, humid air, and frequent mountain clouds and fog. The Blue Mountain Range is located in eastern Jamaica. When the weather is clear, direct sunlight hits the azure Caribbean Sea, and the peaks reflect the brilliant blue light of the seawater, hence its name. The highest peak of Blue Mountain is 2,256 meters above sea level, making it the highest peak in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination. Located in the coffee belt, it has fertile volcanic soil, fresh unpolluted air, a humid climate, and year-round fog and rain. FrontStreet Coffee believes it is precisely this climate that has created the world-renowned Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, as well as the world's highest-priced coffee.

Coffee grown on Blue Mountain typically matures between June and November each year. Local female workers familiar with the terrain are arranged to pick coffee cherries on the steep slopes. There are certain experience requirements for the women who pick the coffee fruit - they need to harvest fruits with suitable ripeness, as coffee cherries that are under-ripe or overripe can easily affect the quality of the resulting coffee. Precisely because Blue Mountain Coffee is so rare, it is usually served as a single-origin coffee.

Grading of Blue Mountain Coffee Beans

Every coffee bean has its own grading system, and Blue Mountain coffee beans are graded according to altitude and bean size. In addition to being grown in specific regions and at specific altitudes, the Jamaican authorities have established a more detailed grading system for Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. In 1953, Jamaica established the Coffee Industry Board (CIB), which passed coffee export grade standards that specify quite standard requirements for the size, color, defects, and flavor of exported raw coffee beans. On the basis of having a raw bean defect rate of less than 3%, Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee raw beans are divided into grades according to particle size: Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee, Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 2 Coffee, Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 3 Coffee, and Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry Coffee.

1. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

Both Blue Mountain Coffee and High Mountain Coffee are further divided into four grades each. Ranked by quality from highest to lowest: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB (Peaberry). According to CIB standards, only coffee grown at altitudes of 1,000-1,700 meters can be called Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. With low yield, large particles, excellent quality, and balanced flavor, it combines appropriate acidity, bitterness, aroma, richness, and sweetness. It is recognized worldwide as a supreme product, so the price of national treasure Blue Mountain No.1 is the highest among all Blue Mountain coffees.

(1) No.1 - 17/18 screen, defect rate not exceeding 2%.
(2) No.2 - 16/17 screen, defect rate not exceeding 2%.
(3) No.3 - 15/16 screen, defect rate not exceeding 2%.
(4) Peaberry (PB) - 10MS, defect rate not exceeding 2%.

2. Jamaica High Mountain Coffee

Coffee produced at 500-1,000 meters in the Jamaica Blue Mountain region is called High Mountain Coffee, and it is the coffee with quality second only to Blue Mountain Coffee.

3. Jamaica Coffee

Coffee grown in regions outside the Blue Mountain Range is called Jamaica Coffee, cultivated at altitudes below 500 meters.

Therefore, Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 Coffee is recognized worldwide as a supreme product and is the most expensive among all Blue Mountain coffees. Which type of Blue Mountain Coffee are you drinking?

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is the only coffee-producing region among all coffee beans that uses wooden barrels to pack raw beans, while other regions use burlap bags. The rainforest tree frog logo on the wooden barrels means that Clifton Estate complies with "Sustainable Agricultural System Standards" and is certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

The Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee from FrontStreet Coffee is sourced from Clifton Estate, an export company designated by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board. The wooden barrels containing the raw coffee beans feature the English printed font of Clifton Estate and a green tree frog logo. The basic standards for Blue Mountain No.1 raw beans sourced by FrontStreet Coffee include beans above 17 screen size, a defect rate below 2%, and a moisture content of around 13%. They appear as full, uniform-sized, blue-green raw beans. In terms of flavor, they simultaneously offer comfortable acidity, sweetness, bitterness, aroma, and richness.

Blue Mountain Typica Variety

Typica is the oldest coffee variety of Arabica, with a long cultivation history. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is of the Typica variety. Blue Mountain Coffee of the Typica variety has dark chocolate flavor - not milk chocolate, but dark chocolate flavor with a purity above 92%, which is brought by the pure Typica variety. Typica coffee is very susceptible to leaf rust disease. Originally, Typica coffee widely planted in Central and South America was continuously replaced due to the prevalence of leaf rust disease. However, due to Jamaica's unique geographical advantages, Typica remains the main cultivated variety here, with a very low incidence of leaf rust disease.

Typica has a tall tree shape with copper-colored young leaves at the top, so it is often called red-topped coffee. Typica has a pure and elegant flavor, but it has weak constitution, poor disease resistance, and very low yield per plant. This is also why fewer and fewer Typica variety coffees are seen today. Typica was introduced to Blue Mountain for cultivation in the 18th century and has been there for over two hundred years. The Typica of Blue Mountain has also adapted to the local island-type terroir, evolving better disease resistance, particularly against coffee berry disease, which is much stronger than typical Typica.

Blue Mountain Coffee Bean Processing Method

It's often said that washed processed coffee beans can better experience the essence of coffee bean flavor, and FrontStreet Coffee agrees with this view. Therefore, among FrontStreet Coffee's daily beans, almost all are washed processed. Blue Mountain Coffee was previously all washed processed, but with the advancement of specialty coffee, Clifton Farm attempted to launch a sun-dried processed batch of Blue Mountain for the first time in 2019. Of course, FrontStreet Coffee offers both sun-dried and washed processed Blue Mountain Coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Brewing Suggestions

Whether raw or roasted, Blue Mountain Coffee beans are particularly beautiful. Facing such beautiful coffee beans, one really doesn't want to waste a single one. Of course, FrontStreet Coffee believes that no matter what kind of coffee beans, one should try not to waste them and must brew a delicious cup of coffee properly!

To brew a good cup of coffee, besides the coffee variety, the freshness of the coffee beans is also crucial. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the freshness of coffee beans is a very important part of brewing. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are all roasted within 5 days because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that the freshness of coffee beans greatly affects the flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its optimal flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans for them, which is also fine. However, FrontStreet Coffee must remind you: when coffee beans are ground in advance, there's no need for a resting period, because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide produced in the packaging can also make the coffee flavor mellow. Therefore, you can immediately brew a cup when you receive the ground coffee. However, ground coffee needs to be brewed promptly because ground coffee oxidizes quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee's flavor will dissipate relatively quickly, and the coffee won't taste as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee suggests purchasing whole beans and grinding them fresh before brewing to better taste the coffee's flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee Brewing Parameters:

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15 and a grind size of 75% pass-through on a #20 standard sieve when brewing these two Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee beans. Because FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) aims to highlight the characteristics of Blue Mountain Coffee - balance, richness, and soft fruit acidity - a water temperature of 88°C is sufficient. When choosing a filter cup, the KONO filter cup is considered first. FrontStreet Coffee takes into account that both of these Blue Mountain beans use a darker roast level. The darker the roast, the faster the coffee substances dissolve. To avoid over-extraction, FrontStreet Coffee uses a lower water temperature for extraction while also using the slower-flow KONO filter cup to ensure that coffee substances are extracted as much as possible under low water temperature conditions.

The brewing parameters used by FrontStreet Coffee are: KONO filter cup, 88°C water temperature, 1:15 powder-to-water ratio, 15g powder weight, and grind size (75% pass-through on #20 standard sieve).

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, which is a three-stage pouring method. Using 30g of water for blooming with a blooming time of 30s, the first stage uses a small water flow in circular motions to pour to 125g before stopping. When the liquid level drops to just before exposing the powder layer, continue with the second stage of pouring, stopping when reaching 225g to complete extraction. The total extraction time (including blooming) is 2'00".

Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor Description

[FrontStreet Coffee Sun-dried Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor]: Slight berry acidity reminiscent of dark plums and mulberries, with excellent overall balance, rich dark chocolate and nut flavors, and a slight fermentation sensation.

[FrontStreet Coffee Washed Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor]: Rich dark chocolate and nut flavors, creamy smooth mouthfeel, with balanced sweet, sour, and bitter notes.

Although Blue Mountain Coffee is excellent, FrontStreet Coffee doesn't recommend drinking only one type of coffee, as that would be too monotonous. One should taste more coffees from different regions or countries and experience different coffee styles. FrontStreet Coffee offers more than fifty different single-origin coffees from various regions. Different regions offer different flavors, and even different regions within Ethiopia produce distinctly different flavors. So, come to FrontStreet Coffee, and we believe you'll experience a completely different coffee world!