Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Beans: Brewing Methods, Premium Quality, and Pricing

Because FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee offers rich, balanced, fruity and acidic flavors that can satisfy people's various needs. Additionally, high-quality fresh FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee has an exceptionally long-lasting flavor, just as wine connoisseurs would say—it leaves an endless aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee perfectly blends the unique acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and richness of coffee, creating a strong, enticing elegance that other coffees cannot match. Lovers of FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee say: "It is a 'coffee beauty' that combines all the advantages of good coffee." Jim, the general manager of Peet's, a company famous for coffee and tea, described Blue Mountain Coffee: "Its aroma is fragrant, smooth, and mellow, giving me a feeling as precious as gemstones. It is precisely because FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee has a moderate and perfect taste that it is generally consumed as black coffee."

Blue Mountain Coffee is grown in the Blue Mountains, which stretch across Jamaica and reach up to 2,100 meters. The weather there is cool, foggy, with frequent rainfall, and the fertile land is well-balanced by rain, providing an ideal place for coffee growth. Because of this, the FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee produced here has a very rich, balanced flavor with a persistent fruity aroma. Many people know that genuine Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the world's most superiorly grown coffees and is the most expensive coffee in the world. Meanwhile, the instant coffee that most people drink today was invented in 1901 by Satori Kato, a Japanese-American living in Chicago. Since instant coffee goes through a dehydration process, although various aromas present in roasted coffee are compensated for during processing, there is still some loss. For example, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, acids, oils, and ethers—coffee originally has over 200 aromatic components, and instant coffee loses many of them. It should be noted that high-quality fresh FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee has an exceptionally long-lasting flavor with an endless aftertaste. The luxurious experience it brings to people's taste buds is incomparable to ordinary instant coffee...

What is Blue Mountain Coffee?

Blue Mountain Coffee refers to coffee brewed from coffee beans grown in Jamaica's Blue Mountains. It is divided into grades including Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee and Jamaica High Mountain Coffee. The Blue Mountains are located in the eastern part of Jamaica Island. When the weather is clear, direct sunlight on the blue sea surface reflects brilliant blue light from the peaks, hence its name. The highest peak of Blue Mountain reaches 2,256 meters, making it the highest peak in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination. This area lies in the coffee belt, with fertile volcanic soil, fresh and pollution-free air, a humid climate with year-round fog and rain (average precipitation of 1,980 mm, temperature around 27°C). Such climate has created the world-renowned Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, as well as the world's second most expensive coffee. This coffee possesses all the characteristics of good coffee—not only is it rich and mellow in taste, but because the sweetness, acidity, and bitterness are perfectly balanced, it has no bitterness at all, only a moderate and perfect acidity.

Basic Information

Chinese Name: Blue Mountain Coffee

English Name: Blue Mountain Coffee

Origin: Jamaica Blue Mountains

Achievement: One of the most expensive coffees in the world

Harvest Period: June to November

Cultivation Method: Hand-picked

Table of Contents

1. Production
2. Origin
3. History
4. Geography
5. Classification
   • Blue Mountain Coffee
   • High Mountain Coffee
   • Jamaica Coffee
6. Unique Flavor
7. Sales
8. Benefits
   • Refreshing and Mind-awakening
   • Strengthening Muscles and Bones
   • Appetite Stimulating
   • Fat Reduction and Digestion
   • Diuretic and Dehumidifying
   • Blood Circulation and Bruise Reduction
   • Wind-calming and Spasm-relieving
   • Mood Enhancing
   • Lung-calming and Asthma-relieving
9. Quality Assurance
   • Quality Control
   • Quality Standards
   • Export Quotas
10. Special Preparation
    • Hot Drinks
    • Cold Drinks
11. Quality Coffee
    • How to Taste
    • How to Brew

Production

The "secret" to why Blue Mountain Coffee tastes so pure: all their coffee trees grow on steep mountain slopes, making the harvesting process extremely difficult. Only skilled local female workers can handle this task. Selecting perfectly ripe coffee beans during harvest is crucial, as under-ripe or overripe beans will affect the coffee's quality. After harvesting, coffee beans must be hulled the same day, then fermented for 12-18 hours. Subsequently, the coffee beans are washed and sorted. The next step is drying, which must be done on concrete floors or thick blankets until the coffee beans' moisture content drops to 12%-14%. They are then stored in dedicated warehouses. When needed, they are taken out for roasting and then ground into powder. These procedures must be strictly controlled, otherwise, the quality of the coffee will be affected.

Origin

Speaking of Jamaica, everyone's eyes immediately light up because it produces the world's best "Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee." We absolutely believe that FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is the finest coffee. Its acidity, sweetness, richness, and bitterness are very balanced, with a fragrant aroma and a smooth taste; however, its price is very high. While worth trying, there's no need to be obsessed with it. Because other specialty coffees also have their own characteristics, with delicious flavors and reasonable prices, these are the good coffees in our daily lives.

The earliest "Jamaica Blue Mountain" referred to coffee produced by "Wallenford Estate" and "Silver Hill Estate," with the former having the best quality. Today's Jamaica Blue Mountain refers to coffee beans grown in the Blue Mountain region (above 1,000 meters altitude) east of Jamaica's capital, Kingston. Today, Mavis Bank is the largest estate, with its wooden barrels marked M.B.C.F., and its products are often found in Taiwan. Jamaica Blue Mountain's quality control is very strict, with certification work handled by the government's "Coffee Industry Board."

Coffee beans grown at lower altitudes or in other regions can only be called "Jamaica High Mountain Beans" or "Jamaica Washed Beans." Compared to Jamaica Blue Mountain, their flavor is significantly different. However, the area of these producing regions is twice that of the true Blue Mountain region, accounting for 75% of the country's production. So when buying Jamaican coffee, don't assume you're getting Blue Mountain Coffee.

Due to the great fame of Jamaica Blue Mountain, counterfeit "Blue Mountain-style" coffee has appeared on the market, or simply called "Blue Mountain Coffee." Basically, these are blends created by shop owners themselves, possibly without a single genuine Jamaica Blue Mountain bean inside.

History

In 1717, French King Louis XV ordered coffee cultivation in Jamaica. Twenty years later, Jamaica's 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 the three major producing regions for Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, with the other two being the Portland region and the St. Thomas region. Within 8 years, Jamaica exported over 375 tons of pure coffee. In 1932, coffee production reached its peak, with more than 15,000 tons harvested.

In 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, which set quality standards for Jamaican coffee and supervised their implementation to ensure the quality of Jamaican coffee. The board issues a special official seal to exported raw and roasted Jamaican coffee, making it the world's highest-level national coffee institution. Representing Blue Mountain Coffee's origin are six official marks: Mavis Bank Coffee Factory (M.B.C.F.), Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative (M.H.C.C.T.), Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative (P.X.X.S.H.), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (St. John's Peak), and J.A.S.

By 1969, the situation had improved because Japanese loans were used to improve production quality, thus ensuring the market. Today, this coffee has reached a level of enthusiastic appreciation.

By 1981, Jamaica had opened about 1,500 hectares of land for coffee cultivation, followed by an additional 6,000 hectares of coffee land. In fact, today's Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares under cultivation, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. Another 12,000 hectares are used to grow the other two types of coffee: High Mountain Supreme Coffee and Jamaica Prime Coffee.

Geography

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee is the world's most superior coffee. Jamaica's weather, geological structure, and topography together provide an ideal location. The mountain range extending across Jamaica reaches over 2,100 meters in the eastern part of the island. The weather is cool, foggy, with frequent rainfall, nurturing this fertile land with balanced moisture. Here, coffee trees are grown using intercropping methods, planted on terraces alongside banana and avocado trees. Some small estates also grow coffee. But even the largest estate owners in this region are considered small-scale by international standards, with many being small landowners whose families have worked the land for two centuries. Jamaica's coffee industry faces a series of challenges, such as hurricane impacts, rising labor costs, and difficulties in mechanizing terraced operations. Many small estates and farms find it difficult to rationalize cultivation.

Due to Japan's continuous investment in Jamaica's coffee industry, Blue Mountain Coffee is largely controlled by the Japanese, who also have priority purchasing rights for it. In 1992, Jamaica sold 688 tons of Blue Mountain Coffee to Japan, 75 tons to the United States, and 59 tons to the United Kingdom. 90% of Blue Mountain Coffee is purchased by the Japanese. Since the rest of the world can only obtain 10% of Blue Mountain, regardless of price, Blue Mountain Coffee is always in short supply.

Classification

Jamaica has three coffee varieties:

Blue Mountain Coffee

(Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee), both Blue Mountain Coffee and High Mountain Coffee are each divided into four grades. By quality, from highest to lowest, they are: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB, where PB stands for Peaberry. According to CIB standards, only coffee grown above 666 meters altitude can be called Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

High Mountain Coffee

(Jamaica High Mountain Supreme Coffee Beans) Coffee grown in Jamaica's Blue Mountain region below 666 meters is called High Mountain Coffee. It is second only to Blue Mountain Coffee in quality and is referred to by industry insiders as the sibling variety of Blue Mountain Coffee. Due to the extremely limited production of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, if you want to taste Jamaican-flavored coffee, then Jamaica High Mountain Coffee is your best choice.

Jamaica Coffee

(Jamaica Prime Coffee Beans). Coffee grown outside the Blue Mountain range is called Jamaica Coffee. Originally, Chinese coffee professionals had a common misconception that only coffee grown in the Blue Mountain region above 1,800 meters could be called Blue Mountain Coffee. In fact, above 1,800 meters in the Blue Mountains, there is only one estate—Amber, owned by a person of Chinese descent with the surname Lyn (Lin), whose ancestral home is Guangdong, China. This estate has only 30 hectares of land with very limited production. Blue Mountain Coffee is mainly distributed in five mountainous areas: John Crow, St. John's Peak, Mossman's Peak, High Peak, and Blue Mountain Peak.

Unique Flavor

From the above, we can understand the general production situation of Blue Mountain Coffee. It should be noted that 99.9% of the Blue Mountain Coffee available domestically is only grown near the Blue Mountains. Only coffee produced from the 6,000 hectares of land above 1,600 meters can be called Blue Mountain, and its production has never exceeded 900 tons. According to the principle that 10% is supplied to the world outside Japan, can this coffee, which the world can only consume 90 tons annually, be something you can drink for just a few dozen yuan at any coffee shop?

The best FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee is undoubtedly one of the finest coffees. Although the price ensures an ample supply of Blue Mountain Coffee, it doesn't guarantee the best flavor. Moreover, this coffee tastes much more expensive than it appears. To taste its best flavor, you need to use more coffee beans than other coffees; otherwise, the flavor falls short. Therefore, to express its flavor, you need to use 10% to 15% more coffee beans than coffees that are second in price.

Genuine FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee is made from the finest local raw coffee beans, which is precisely where the connoisseur's pleasure lies. Its flavor is rich, balanced, fruity, and acidic, satisfying people's various needs. Additionally, high-quality fresh FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee has an exceptionally long-lasting flavor, just as wine connoisseurs would say—with an endless aftertaste.

The best FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee beans are NO.1 peaberry, also known as pearl beans, carefully selected small round beans from products grown at 2,100 meters altitude—the best of the best.

Flavor: Very rich aroma with persistent fruitiness.

Bean Size: Relatively full beans.

Roasting Method: Medium roast.

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee has very low caffeine content, less than half of other coffees, meeting modern health concepts.

The same coffee tree varieties, whether grown in similar climates like Hawaii, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, or any other place, cannot produce the flavor of Blue Mountain Coffee beans.

Pure Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee perfectly blends the unique acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and richness of coffee, creating a strong, enticing elegance that other coffees cannot match. Lovers of Blue Mountain Coffee say: "It is a 'coffee beauty' that combines all the advantages of good coffee." Jim, the general manager of Peet's, a company famous for coffee and tea, described Blue Mountain Coffee: "Its aroma is fragrant, smooth, and mellow, giving me a feeling as precious as gemstones. It is precisely because Blue Mountain Coffee has a moderate and perfect taste that it is generally consumed as black coffee." Its liquid is golden in sunlight, drinks very smoothly, and coffee books say that Blue Mountain is the only coffee in the world that combines both acidity and bitterness in a way that people can enjoy it—you'll understand after drinking it.

Sales

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee's annual harvest period is from June to November, generally using hand-picking methods. After harvesting, it undergoes washing, pulping, fermentation, dehydration, drying, hulling, and roasting processes to get a single Blue Mountain Coffee bean. During the raw bean processing, each step has dedicated personnel responsible for quality supervision. For the precious Blue Mountain Coffee, the Jamaican government also uses distinctive packaging and transportation methods. Blue Mountain Coffee is not packaged and transported in 60kg/bag cloth bags like other coffees but is packaged in 70kg/barrel wooden barrels. Jamaica is also the last country that still uses traditional wooden barrels for coffee packaging and transportation. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee beans must obtain a quality certification from the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, which is the only institution authorized to issue such certificates. Additionally, for each export batch, dedicated quality supervision experts are responsible for sampling, roasting, grinding, and brewing into coffee, finally making a judgment on whether it meets standards.

Because of its expensive price, Blue Mountain Coffee has a relatively fixed consumer group, with sales mainly concentrated in Japan, followed by some European and American countries. The coffee beans are full and slightly larger than average beans. Its flavor is very subtle, with acidity, aroma, richness, and sweetness that are uniform and strong, with a slight bitterness, harmonious mouthfeel, and excellent flavor, making it suitable as a single-origin coffee. It uses medium roasting (Medium Roast), which maximally preserves the original flavor of the coffee while enhancing its aftertaste.

With the improvement of domestic coffee consumption trends, many coffee shops have begun to offer "Blue Mountain Coffee," often at only a fraction or one-tenth of the price of genuine Blue Mountain Coffee. In 2005, guided by Taiwanese coffee merchants, domestic media began to pay attention to and report on the authenticity issue of Blue Mountain Coffee. To date, due to its price and limited supply in the mainland market, genuine Blue Mountain Coffee remains out of reach for most domestic consumers.

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee maintains its premium status today, closely related to local business policies. In 1932, Jamaica passed policies encouraging coffee production to reduce the island's dependence on sugar exports. Unlike most coffee-producing countries that increased output by planting large quantities of high-yield, lower-quality coffee, the local government prioritized quality over quantity, willing to sacrifice production to ensure quality. Therefore, Jamaica is one of the countries with the smallest coffee production in the world. Brazil, the world's largest coffee exporter, produces 30 million bags of coffee annually, while Blue Mountain Coffee produces only about 40,000 bags per year.

There are rarely any genuine Blue Mountain Coffee beans in the "Blue Mountain-style" coffee on the market. There's a "Jamaica Blended Blue Mountain" coffee made from 30% Blue Mountain Coffee and 70% of the best Jamaica High Mountain Coffee. Both of these coffees attempt to imitate Blue Mountain Coffee but fail to achieve perfection.

Blue Mountain Coffee receives a "cold reception" in the United States, related to American habits. Since the 1970s, flavored coffee has gradually become popular. It involves adding spices to coffee beans or adding coffee creamer to brewed coffee, with hundreds of varieties of flavored coffee available. Most flavored coffees are made from relatively inexpensive coffee beans. When Blue Mountain Coffee costs about $80 per pound, Maxwell House coffee costs only $3 per pound.

Benefits

Refreshing and Mind-awakening

Caffeine is aromatic and mellow in nature, easily passing through the blood-brain barrier, stimulating the central nervous system, promoting brain activity, making the mind clearer, with lively and sensitive reactions, abundant thinking ability, improved concentration, and increased work efficiency; it can stimulate the cerebral cortex, promoting emotions, judgment, and memory improvement.

Strengthening Muscles and Bones

Caffeine aids in free muscle contraction, increases tendon strength, lowers movement thresholds, enhances body sensitivity, and improves motor function.

Appetite Stimulating

Caffeine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, stimulates gastric secretion in the gastrointestinal tract, promotes digestion, prevents bloating and stomach sagging, and promotes gastrointestinal hormones and peristaltic hormones, enabling quick bowel movements.

Fat Reduction and Digestion

Caffeine can accelerate fat decomposition, increase metabolic rate, increase heat energy consumption, and help with fat loss and weight management.

Diuretic and Dehumidifying

Caffeine can promote kidney function, expel excess sodium ions from the body, increase urine output, improve bloating and edema, and help with weight loss and slimming.

Blood Circulation and Bruise Reduction

The linoleic acid contained in coffee has blood-dissolving properties and prevents thrombosis, enhances vascular constriction, promotes blood circulation, relieves headaches from vasodilation, especially migraines. It also promotes venous return, moisturizes the skin, restores skin elasticity, and prevents cardiovascular diseases.

Wind-calming and Spasm-relieving

Coffee can increase high-density cholesterol, accelerate the metabolism of bad cholesterol, reduce coronary atherosclerosis, and lower the chance of stroke.

Mood Enhancing

Small amounts of coffee make people mentally stimulated, happy, free from worries and depression, relieve stress, and relax the body and mind.

Lung-calming and Asthma-relieving

Caffeine promotes the sympathetic nervous system and inhibits the parasympathetic nervous system, preventing the excitement of the parasympathetic nervous system that triggers asthma attacks.

Quality Assurance

Perhaps Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is the most famous coffee in the world, but actually few people know its history or why its price is so high. In 1789, the first person to introduce coffee to Jamaica was a Frenchman fleeing the French Revolution. The first coffee cultivated was for local French consumption and then export, and in the first 100 years, the local industry was very small. However, in 1932, Jamaican legislation was passed to encourage coffee cultivation to reduce the island's dependence on sugar exports. For the quality assurance of Blue Mountain Coffee, modifications were made to the "Jamaica Coffee Industry" to standardize processing, improve coffee quality, balance marketing, and save the fate of premium coffee. The Jamaica Industry Association took responsibility for the quality of Jamaica's Blue Mountain Coffee. Additionally, the island's abundant smaller coffees also grow well, and the Jamaica Industry Association has final authority over Jamaica's coffee exports—all coffee must pass through the Jamaica Industry Association to be exported.

People might ask why Jamaica's Blue Mountain Coffee is so special? The answer is everything about it. Genuine Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the most superiorly grown coffees in the world. Jamaica's weather, geological structure, and topography together provide a uniquely ideal place. Designated Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee can only be grown in the Blue Mountain region, north of east Kingston, Jamaica Island. Coffee grows on mountains up to 1,800 meters (about 6,000 feet) high, which is quite high for Arabica coffee, and the mountains are very rugged, making harvesting extremely difficult (coffee harvesters are almost entirely women). The trees are mainly the "Geisha High Bred" variety of Arabica. Seeds from these trees have been exported to other countries like Hawaii, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, and other places, but they haven't been able to recreate the flavor of Blue Mountain Coffee beans anywhere else.

On steep and high-altitude mountains, with careful cultivation and harvesting, all Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is ground, tasted, and distributed by the Jamaica Industry Association. The coffee in the cup tastes very clean, and it's one of the sweetest coffees in the world. This flavor has been described by Jim Reynolds at Peet's Coffee and Tea: "The best examples of Jamaica's Blue Mountain Coffee have an aromatic, smooth, and rich quality"... "It gives me the feeling of gemstone quality. It's as precious as a gemstone. It's complex but very gentle, it's sweet, it has very strong body. You have to taste it to know what I'm talking about." The unique growing conditions, and extreme care in all production processes, make Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee very famous.

Jamaica is one of the regions with the smallest coffee production in the world, harvesting about 40,000 bags annually - 60 kg per bag (Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is actually mostly shipped in 70 kg wooden barrels, they are the last country still using this traditional packaging method, but their production is measured by 60 kg per bag, as that's the international standard for coffee production measurement). Compared to Brazil, the world's largest coffee exporter, which produces 30,000,000 bags annually - 60 kg per bag.

Before 2008, due to continuous massive investment in the entire industry chain of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, the Japanese committed to purchasing 90% of its annual production. Therefore, other countries in the world had only the remaining 10% quota, creating a trend of continuous supply shortage, with prices rising accordingly.

Unique growing conditions have created the distinctive flavor of Blue Mountain Coffee, also placing it among the ranks of "premium coffees." Global 100% pure Blue Mountain Coffee refers to coffee produced within a specific range of Jamaica's eastern Blue Mountains. Every step during its cultivation and processing must meet the stringent quality management standards of the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board to be certified as "Pure Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee."

The abundant rainfall, year-round fog and low temperatures (average temperature about 20°C), fertile new volcanic soil, and other special conditions in the Blue Mountain region create an excellent growing environment for Blue Mountain Coffee. Located at high altitudes between 2,200 and 6,000 feet, it creates a unique slight acidity without feeling stimulating or uncomfortable. Seedlings are nurtured in nurseries for about 2 years, organic fertilizers are used during growth, and harvesting is done manually, bean by bean. All processing, roasting, and packaging must comply with the high standards set by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board.

The scarce but high-quality Typica is the best variety of Arabica. Most coffee-producing countries are only willing to grow other varieties with higher yields but lower quality. Jamaica, however, prioritizes quality, willing to sacrifice Blue Mountain Coffee production to achieve the best quality.

100% pure Jamaica FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee, with its strong, enticing elegance, truly makes other coffees incomparable. When going through steps of grinding, brewing, and tasting, its flavor is brought to the extreme, and the surrounding coffee aroma is intoxicating! Its caffeine content is very low, about half or less of other coffee varieties, meeting modern health requirements.

100% pure Jamaica FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee perfectly and harmoniously blends unique acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and richness, plus a rich and distinctive aroma. No wonder coffee enthusiasts worldwide are deeply captivated by it! High-altitude origin gives it a slight, high-quality acidity, with extremely minimal bitterness that is brief and doesn't linger in the mouth, turning into a slight sweet feeling after swallowing, while the mellow throat rhyme leaves people wanting more.

In 1728, coffee was first introduced to Jamaica for cultivation. Due to Jamaica's suitable soil, climate, sunlight, and other conditions, coffee quality was outstanding, and cultivation gradually expanded from St. Andrew to other regions.

In 1737, Jamaica's coffee production reached 83,000 pounds/year.

In the following 40 years, many private estate owners emerged. By 1800, Jamaica had 686 coffee plantations.

Due to the slave trade, labor costs rose sharply, and estate owners couldn't bear the heavy costs. By 1850, coffee plantations had decreased to 186.

By 1900, the Jamaican government established the first coffee quality standards, but these were resisted by many private estate owners and ultimately not implemented.

Subsequently, due to the lack of quality standard constraints, the export quality of Blue Mountain Coffee varied greatly, significantly affecting its international reputation. By 1943, Canada, then a major importer of Blue Mountain Coffee, refused to import it.

In 1944, the Jamaican government realized the necessity of standardizing the Blue Mountain Coffee industry and re-established three regulatory recommendations for the Blue Mountain Coffee industry: ① Centralize processing of Blue Mountain Coffee beans, ② Establish quality standards for Blue Mountain Coffee, ③ Form the CIB to specifically handle market organization, management, and export supervision roles.

In 1948, the world-renowned Jamaica Coffee Board (CIB) was formally established, and the Jamaican government passed the "Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Industry Management Regulations." The CIB's main responsibility was to improve Blue Mountain Coffee quality through management and supervision, restoring its global reputation. At this time, the definition of Blue Mountain Coffee was strictly regulated in the legislation: ① Authorizing four designated coffee estates, including Wallenford, to centrally process Blue Mountain Coffee beans to ensure quality, ② Grown in the Blue Mountain region at 3,000-5,000 feet altitude, ③ Blue Mountain Coffee export grading: No.1, No.2, No.3, and Peaberry.

Starting in 1960, the Jamaica Blue Mountain region suffered hurricane damage, destroying most estate facilities and coffee trees. Foreign capital, including from Japan, provided assistance and obtained shares in most estates and priority import rights. At this time, to maintain the reputation of the national treasure Blue Mountain Coffee, the Jamaican government kept the Wallenford estate state-owned and made Wallenford synonymous with the CIB by transferring some of its regulatory functions. The Wallenford estate took on the mission of managing and innovating the coffee industry, with estate managers appointed by government departments.

Quality Control

① Jamaica Coffee Industry Board LOGO, registering and certifying all merchants in the entire industry chain of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee production, sales, and roasting. ② LOGO of the only certified raw bean agent in China. ③ Jamaica Coffee Board (CIB) officially registered JAMAICA BLUE MOUNTAIN trademark, marked on all certified Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee raw bean and roasted bean products.

With the globalization of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee's reputation and the global introduction of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee cultivation, numerous imitation Blue Mountain-flavored coffees have appeared in the market, seriously affecting the excellent reputation of genuine Blue Mountain Coffee. The Jamaican government strongly advocates that Blue Mountain Coffee should be roasted and exported in its original packaging from the country, rather than as raw beans, to avoid the impact of imitation Blue Mountain-flavored coffees. The importance of this measure lies in the Jamaica Coffee Board's ability to monitor every aspect of Blue Mountain Coffee exports, ensuring its purity and high quality.

Quality Standards

In the Blue Mountains, the legal production area for Blue Mountain Coffee is the part above 2,200 feet. Wallenford only selects coffee fruits grown above 4,000 feet altitude for processing. Moreover, Jamaica's four designated Blue Mountain Coffee processing factories—Wallenford, Mavis Bank, Silver Hill, and Moy Hall—account for 90% of Blue Mountain Coffee exports. Blue Mountain Coffee from Wallenford and Moy Hall is especially praised as "Superior Quality" (absolute quality). On the official website of the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, lists of all certified Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee producers and global Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee sales agent certification, along with related management information, are fully displayed.

Wallenford Estate's extremely strict quality control is also reflected in its product shelf life. Generally, single-origin roasted coffee has a 12-month shelf life, while Wallenford implements the most stringent 8-month product shelf life. Obviously, while sacrificing economic benefits, Wallenford has won high pursuit from coffee connoisseurs worldwide. In their evaluations of all Jamaica Blue Mountain estates, Wallenford performs best in quality management, stability, reputation, and flavor.

Export Quotas

According to Jamaican CIB export statistics as of 2004, in the limited Blue Mountain No.1 quota, 85% is allocated to Japan, 5% to the United States, 5% to Europe, and 5% to other countries. However, in global genuine Blue Mountain No.1 consumption distribution, according to International Coffee Organization (ICO) statistics, China accounts for 15% of Blue Mountain Coffee consumption, which surprises the world. This is because some Blue Mountain Coffee shares from Japan, Australia, and Europe are exported to China through direct subsidiaries.

The difference between the above export quotas and consumption distribution makes the Jamaican government extremely embarrassed. Asymmetric Blue Mountain Coffee export quotas leave most profits with trading companies in countries like Japan, while the Jamaican coffee industry does not benefit. The key turning point came in 2005 when Jamaica's Minister of Agriculture clearly announced: Blue Mountain Coffee should stay more in Jamaica for roasting, directly flowing to consumer countries through quota allocation.

The means of changing export quotas that the Jamaican government relies on comes from its directly controlled Wallenford estate. Obtaining Wallenford Blue Mountain No.1 quota means recognition by the Jamaica Coffee Board (CIB) of the quota indicators for that country or company.

In May 2010, with the support of the Hangzhou Municipal Government, the Hangzhou Coffee and Western Restaurant Industry Association signed a Blue Mountain Coffee raw bean trade cooperation memorandum with the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board in Hangzhou. In July of the same year, the association was invited to send a delegation to visit Jamaica, formally inspecting the Blue Mountain Coffee project. On July 15th, Jamaica local time, they signed a letter of intent for cooperation as the exclusive general agent of Blue Mountain Coffee raw beans in China, providing at least 70 tons (1,000 barrels of 70kg standard wooden barrels) of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee raw beans to China annually during the cooperation period. On May 26, 2011, the first container of Blue Mountain Coffee raw beans arrived at Ningbo Port, China. The Jamaica Blue Mountain raw beans imported by the Hangzhou Coffee and Western Restaurant Industry Association cover six major brands certified by the CIB: WALLENFORD, MAVIS BANK, GOLD CUP(AMBER), COFFEE TRADES, and RSW, including NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and Peaberry.

Special Preparation

Hot Drinks

Pour an entire package of premium product into a cup, add 180cc of hot water, stir well, and enjoy!

Cold Drinks

First, pour an entire package of product into a cup, add 180cc of hot water, let it cool, then place it in the refrigerator. After about four hours, the iced coffee and milk tea can cleanse your soul, completely freezing away the summer heat!

Quality Coffee

Recommended dosage: Approximately 10-15g of FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee powder per cup to brew 6-8oz of coffee.

Steps for brewing Blue Mountain Coffee using a siphon:

Step 1: Grind beans, fineness: 4.5

Step 2: Hook down the filter

Avoid gaps between the filter and glass container, as gaps not only let coffee powder fall into the water below but also cause air leakage affecting extraction.

Step 3: Fill the lower pot with appropriate amount of water and heat with an alcohol lamp

To save time, you can use hot water

Step 4: Pour coffee powder into the upper pot

Remember not to insert the upper pot immediately

Step 5: After water boils, move the alcohol lamp to one side of the lower pot

The purpose is to adjust the flame to low heat to reduce water temperature

Step 6: When water temperature drops to about 92-96°C, insert the upper pot

The extraction process begins, and water from the lower pot will rush up to the upper pot, immersing the coffee powder

Step 7: After water rises, stir in a cross pattern with a stirring rod: 2 vertical strokes, 2 horizontal strokes

Be careful not to let the stirring rod touch the filter cloth at the pot bottom

Step 8: After the first stirring, wait 30 seconds, then stir clockwise in a spiral pattern 2-3 times

Be careful not to let the stirring rod touch the filter cloth at the pot bottom

Step 9: After stirring again, wait 30 seconds, then stir in a final spiral pattern, this time a bit faster

Be careful not to let the stirring rod touch the filter cloth at the pot bottom

Step 10: After the final stirring, wait 30 seconds. When the white fine foam on the coffee surface hasn't broken yet, remove the alcohol lamp and wipe the surface of the lower pot with a damp cloth to cool it quickly. At this time, the coffee liquid will rapidly flow into the lower pot.

Step 11: Pour the coffee from the lower pot into a pre-warmed coffee cup and enjoy.

Key point: If the coffee powder in the center swells up like a small hill shape, it indicates successful extraction.

How to Taste

Drinking coffee should be like savoring a fine wine—tasting slowly to appreciate its essence. Using a siphon coffee maker will bring out the unique charm of FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee. First, smell the original aroma of the coffee, then take a small sip to taste the original flavor. Then add sugar to personal preference, stir with a small spoon, and while the coffee is still swirling, slowly add milk, letting the cream float on top of the coffee. This both preserves heat and allows the coffee's warmth to evaporate the milk's aroma.

Coffee should be drunk while hot, as its taste and aroma diminish as it cools. Drinking coffee requires not only the right temperature but also the right amount—generally fill the cup to seven or eight parts full. The appropriate amount not only brings out the flavor but also makes drinking smooth and effortless. Following this tasting method will make your FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee even more delicious.

The deliciousness of coffee always coexists with warm intentions. Appreciating a good coffee in the right way not only makes it easier to appreciate the coffee's deliciousness but also doesn't disappoint the brewer's intentions.

How to Brew

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee is the ultimate among coffees, produced in Jamaica's Blue Mountains. This mountain gets its name from the blue light it reflects from the Caribbean Sea. This coffee possesses all the characteristics of good coffee—not only is it rich and mellow in taste, but because the sweetness, acidity, and bitterness are perfectly balanced, it has no bitterness at all, only a moderate and perfect acidity, generally consumed as a single-origin coffee.

Filter Bag Hot Coffee Brewing Method

This method can prepare multiple servings of hot coffee in advance. Attention must be paid to coffee powder coarseness, water temperature, water amount, and brewing techniques. It's best to use a spouted water kettle for better results. Additionally, after the coffee liquid finishes dripping, it must be reheated to 80-90°C to achieve optimal drinking flavor.

Materials and Equipment: Coffee powder, small brewing bag (filter), small brewing rack, water kettle, coffee spoon, spouted water kettle.

Preparation: Pour coffee powder into the brewing bag, first tap the bottom to even out the powder, then dig a small concave hole in the center above. Pour 90°C hot water in a circular motion over the coffee powder, then pour 95°C hot water in small circular motions, and finally pour 85°C hot water targeting the center, slowly raising it higher as you pour.

Filter Cup Hot Coffee Brewing Method

Using lightweight and simple brewing equipment, high-quality filter paper (fold the edges first), and a spouted water kettle, control water temperature, water amount, and coffee powder to brew delicious coffee. This method is very suitable for home or office use, convenient and fast, and is currently a popular coffee brewing method.

Materials and Equipment: Spouted water kettle, coffee powder, filter paper, filter cup, coffee pot (teapot), coffee spoon.

Preparation: First fold both sides of the filter paper so it fits snugly against the filter cup when placed inside. Put coffee powder into the filter paper and dig a small concave hole in the center. First slowly pour 90°C hot water in a small stream rotating over the coffee powder to wet and foam it. Then continue pouring 95°C hot water in circular motions. Finally, pour 85°C hot water targeting the center, slowly raising it higher.

Steam Press Italian Hot Coffee Brewing Method

Using high-pressure steam principles, boiled hot water passes through coffee powder (fine grind) via a tube, either from bottom to top or top to bottom, brewing fragrant, mellow, and bitter Italian coffee. This method was introduced from Italy and is currently a popular brewing method. Suitable for those who prefer strong flavors. Attention must be paid to the quality of coffee bean blending, coffee powder should be finely ground, and brewing time and water amount must be controlled.

Materials and Equipment: Italian coffee powder, Italian coffee pot (moka pot), pot rack, alcohol lamp (or gas stove), filter paper, upper press lid, coffee spoon.

Preparation: First pour hot water into the water tank at the bottom of the coffee pot. Then put the coffee chamber into the bottom pot, add finely ground Italian coffee powder, place a layer of filter paper over the coffee powder to prevent it from floating up, put on the upper press lid, press the coffee powder tightly, twist the upper pot body and lower pot together tightly, heat over high flame until steam emerges from the upper pot body, and when coffee liquid flows into the pot body, it's done. At this point, you can turn off the flame and pour the coffee into cups.

Siphonic (Distillation) Brewing Method

It consists of two spherical glass cups arranged vertically, widely used in homes, hotels, and coffee shops. The greatest charm is enjoying the coffee while watching the brewing process.

Medium to dark roast degree; fine to medium grind degree; single-origin coffee, blended coffee characteristics: fragrant and delicious, but acidity is somewhat heavy. Generally speaking, siphonic brewing is more suitable for single-origin coffee.

Method: (For two servings) Pour 240cc of boiling water into the spherical flask and wipe the water droplets on the outside clean, heat with an alcohol lamp. Install a velvet-textured filter cloth at the bottom of the funnel-shaped extraction cup, pull the spring to the front end of the siphon tube to fix it, and place 20g of coffee powder (adjust according to personal preference for strength) in the extraction cup. After the water at the bottom boils completely, insert the extraction cup into the flask and fix it. When boiling water rises to the extraction cup, use a bamboo spoon to stir the coffee powder evenly to completely release its components. Be careful to avoid over-stirring which causes cloudiness. After about twenty to thirty seconds, turn off the flame, and the coffee liquid will filter through the filter cloth into the flask. After the coffee from the extraction cup has flowed down, it can be removed. Gently shake the flask to evenly distribute the coffee liquid. Around 87 degrees is the ideal drinking temperature, then pour into pre-warmed coffee cups to enjoy.

Precautions:

Avoid repeatedly brewing coffee, as subsequent brews only yield smoky-tasting coffee-colored water rather than coffee.

When the flask is at high temperature, avoid contact with cold water which may cause cracking. Also, note that when there's no water or coffee in the cup, never light a flame to bake it to prevent cracking.

After use, the filter cloth should be thoroughly cleaned and stored in water or in the refrigerator to prevent oily odors after drying.

Because the flask's opening is very small, the cleaning key is to immediately rinse with warm water or lemon water after use, which can completely remove coffee oils, then place in a cool place to air dry.

Boiling Method

This involves adding water and coarse coffee powder to a pot, boiling, then filtering before drinking. Turkish coffee is representative (using finely ground coffee). This is the oldest and most primitive method in history.

Method: Five servings

First use a pot or kettle to heat 650cc of water. After boiling, pour in 40g (lightly coarse ground) coffee powder. Stir with a bamboo spoon for about twenty seconds, then let it sit for two minutes. Immediately turn off the heat before the foam in the pot disappears. Be careful to avoid over-stirring, which causes cloudiness. After turning off the heat, the coffee juice must be filtered through a filter bag, then reheated on the stove to 88 degrees, then immediately poured into cups for drinking.

Precautions:

Whether using finely or coarsely ground coffee powder for boiling, attention should be paid to time control, otherwise excessive extraction will produce bitterness, astringency, and muddy odors, making the coffee taste变质 (deteriorate).

Electric Coffee Brewing Method

Convenient to use, completely automatic brewing method. Coffee brewed by electric coffee machines tastes relatively light and is suitable for drinking in large cups.

Method: Five servings

Pour 600cc of water into the coffee machine's water tank. Put a layer of filter paper in the filter, evenly sprinkle 50g of coffee powder. Install the coffee pot, turn on the power. When water heats to 92-93 degrees, it will flow down through the tube in the automatic coffee maker, dripping coffee from the filter.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473