Premium Blue Mountain Coffee Brewing Methods and Preparation Techniques

FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Beans

Region: Jamaica Blue Mountain

Estate: Clifton Mount Estate

Altitude: 1310 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Variety: Typica

Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast

Flavor: Chocolate, nuts, cream, with a balanced sweet-sour-bitter profile.

Clifton Mount Estate is the oldest coffee producing area in Jamaica that is still operational today. In Jamaica, only Clifton Mount Estate has the "Rainforest Alliance" certification. The Blue Mountain area is a small region with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there.

Clifton Mount Estate is the largest plantation in this area, but by international standards, it's still considered small-scale cultivation. Many of the plantation owners are small landholders whose families have worked this land for two centuries. This area is recognized as an exceptionally high-quality Blue Mountain coffee origin known worldwide.

Water Recommendations

At FrontStreet Coffee, we use fresh, clean water and avoid using tap water or hard water for extraction. When unsure what to choose, you can directly purchase Nongfu Spring water. If the water quality is poor, it's difficult to make good coffee.

Brewing Parameters: 15g coffee grounds, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature 88°C, grind size: medium-coarse (75% pass-through rate on standard #20 sieve).

Three-Pour Pouring Steps

When brewing, FrontStreet Coffee first pours 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. During blooming, use a gentle pour with small circular motions from the center outward for optimal blooming effects.

For the second pour, after the bloom ends, slowly pour with a small stream in circular motions from the center outward to reach 125g.

For the third pour, wait until the coffee bed has dropped to the halfway point, then pour with a larger stream to reach 225g of water. This means pouring 225g of water for 15g of coffee grounds, achieving a 1:15 ratio. Remove the filter cup once all the coffee has dripped into the lower pot to finish extraction.

When FrontStreet Coffee brews Blue Mountain coffee with these parameters, the flavor presents subtle citrus acidity, overall balance, smooth texture, nutty notes in the mid-palate, and a dark chocolate finish.

Tasting Blue Mountain Coffee

When tasting Blue Mountain coffee, you can start with the aroma. You'll notice nutty and caramel fragrances. Then, taste the coffee to experience Blue Mountain's rich, full-bodied texture and balanced sweet-sour-bitter flavors, followed by a sweet aftertaste. Now, let's savor Blue Mountain's flavors while exploring the island nation of Jamaica.

Jamaica's coffee comes from the eastern Blue Mountain range. The name "Blue Mountain" originates from a remarkable phenomenon: the Caribbean Sea surrounds the entire mountain range. When the weather is clear and bright, direct sunlight hits the sea surface, and the blue glow of the Caribbean reflects onto the mountains, giving them their name.

The Blue Mountain range lies perfectly within what we call the "coffee belt." Besides having suitable altitude, Blue Mountain also boasts fertile volcanic soil, which is undoubtedly ideal for coffee cultivation. The microclimate of Blue Mountain is another crucial factor in creating Blue Mountain coffee. The region has a humid climate with year-round fog and rain, with average rainfall reaching 1980mm.

History of Blue Mountain Coffee Cultivation

Blue Mountain coffee originates from Jamaica, where coffee cultivation history can be traced back to the 18th century. From the initial order by French King Louis XV in 1717 to start coffee cultivation in Jamaica, to the later introduction of Arabica varieties by the Jamaican governor from Martinique and their widespread promotion, coffee took root in Jamaican soil.

In 1717, French King Louis XV ordered coffee cultivation in Jamaica. In the mid-1720s, Jamaican Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes imported Arabica seeds from Martinique and began promoting cultivation in the St. Andrew area. To this day, St. Andrew remains one of Jamaica's three major Blue Mountain coffee-producing regions, along with Portland and St. Thomas. Within 8 years, Jamaica exported over 375 tons of pure coffee.

In 1932, coffee production reached its peak, with over 15,000 tons harvested. In 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (CIB), which sets quality standards for Jamaican coffee and supervises their implementation to ensure coffee quality. The board grants special official seals to both raw and roasted coffee exported from Jamaica, making it one of the world's highest-level national coffee institutions.

Currently, six certifications represent Blue Mountain coffee origins: Mavis Bank Central Factory (MBCE), M.H.C.C.T., Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative (PXXSH), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (St. John's Peak), and JAS. By 1969, conditions improved due to Japanese loans that enhanced production quality, ensuring market stability. Today, this coffee has reached a status of passionate devotion.

By 1981, Jamaica had cultivated an additional 1,500 hectares for coffee planting, followed by investment in another 6,000 hectares of coffee land. In fact, today's Blue Mountain area is a small region with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there.

Jamaica is also the last country to use wooden barrels for coffee packaging and transportation. Only after passing the rigorous standards set by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (CIB) can coffee receive the government-issued certificate of authenticity and officially bear the "Blue Mountain" name.

Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor

Since Blue Mountain coffee is so famous, what makes its flavor special? The exceptional quality of Blue Mountain coffee beans creates its clean taste. In the medium-dark roast era, Blue Mountain coffee often exhibits balanced sweet-sour-bitter notes with subtle nutty and chocolate undertones. The aftertaste is very pleasant. It represents the highest coffee quality of an era and is truly the "King of Coffee."

Blue Mountain coffee consistently maintains high quality thanks to years of strict export standards. Until 2020, what we commonly refer to as Blue Mountain coffee is actually a washed-process Typica variety coffee. Unlike other processing methods, washed processing is the most stable and efficient method among traditional processing techniques. After harvesting, coffee cherries undergo immediate flotation screening, machine removal of pulp and skin, followed by fermentation to remove the mucilage layer. After mucilage removal, the coffee beans' moisture content significantly decreases, requiring less sun-drying time and resulting in lower defect rates.

Meanwhile, mature washed processing gives Blue Mountain coffee a cleaner taste and higher acidity. Besides insisting on mature washed processing, maintaining Typica variety cultivation is another reason for Blue Mountain coffee's consistent flavor. The Typica variety may be one of the oldest Arabica varieties. Compared to other varieties, Typica offers more refined flavors, but its disadvantages are also obvious: poor disease and pest resistance, and very low yields. In other American coffee-producing countries that pursue higher yields, Typica would quickly be replaced by higher-yield varieties like Caturra or Catuai.

Types of Blue Mountain Coffee

In terms of grading, the entire Blue Mountain range reaches 2,256 meters in elevation, with areas above 1,700 meters designated as natural ecological reserves where coffee cultivation is prohibited. According to CIB classification, only coffee grown between 910-1,700 meters altitude can be called "Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee." Coffee grown between 460-910 meters can only be called "Jamaica High Mountain Coffee," while coffee below 460 meters is called "Jamaica Prime Coffee."

Therefore, Jamaican coffee doesn't necessarily mean Blue Mountain coffee. Even today, only coffee from the 6,000 hectares of Blue Mountain range land (altitude > 910 meters) can be called Blue Mountain coffee beans. Coffee from other Blue Mountain mountain regions, accounting for about 2/3 of the area, can only be classified as High Mountain or Prime coffee.

Among them, Jamaican Blue Mountain area coffee has three grades: Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaica High Mountain Supreme Coffee Beans, and Jamaica Prime Coffee Beans. Both Blue Mountain Coffee and High Mountain Coffee are each divided into two sub-grades. Ranked by quality from highest to lowest: Blue Mountain No. 1, Blue Mountain No. 2, High Mountain No. 1, High Mountain No. 2, and Jamaica Prime Coffee. The Blue Mountain coffee that FrontStreet Coffee has selected is Blue Mountain No. 1, the highest grade available.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473