Types and Flavor Characteristics of Blue Mountain Coffee What Water is Best for Brewing Blue Mountain Coffee Beans?

Jamaica's coffee is produced in the Blue Mountains in the eastern part of the country. The name "Blue Mountain" comes from a natural phenomenon: the Caribbean Sea surrounds the entire mountain range, and on clear, sunny days sunlight hits the sea surface directly, so the blue radiance of the Caribbean reflects onto the mountains and gives them their characteristic blue appearance.

The Blue Mountains sit precisely within what we commonly call the coffee belt. Besides a certain altitude, they also possess fertile volcanic soil, which is undoubtedly extremely suitable for cultivating and producing coffee. At the same time, the microclimate of the Blue Mountains is another major factor behind Blue Mountain coffee. The region has an overall humid climate with year-round fog and rain, and average rainfall reaches as much as 1,980 millimeters.

Blue Mountain Coffee Cultivation History

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee comes from Jamaica. The history of coffee cultivation in Jamaica dates back to the 18th century. From the initial decree 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 the three major producing regions for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, the other two being 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, which set quality standards for Jamaican coffee and supervised their implementation to ensure the quality of Jamaican coffee. The board grants special official seals to exported raw and roasted coffee from Jamaica, making it the highest-level national coffee institution in the world.

Currently, there are six symbols that can represent the origin of Blue Mountain coffee: Mavis Bank Central Factory (MBCE), Mavis Hall Central Coffee Factory (MHCCT), Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative Factory (PXXSH), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (St. John's Peak), and JAS. By 1969, the situation had improved because Japanese loans were used to enhance production quality and thereby ensure market stability. Today, this coffee has reached a level of passionate admiration.

By 1981, Jamaica had cleared an additional 1,500 hectares of land for coffee cultivation, followed by investment in another 6,000 hectares of coffee land. In fact, today's Blue Mountain region is a small area 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 packaging and transporting coffee. Only coffee that passes a series of stringent standards set by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (C.I.B) can receive a government-issued certificate of guarantee and officially bear the name "Blue Mountain."

Blue Mountain Coffee Flavor

Since Blue Mountain coffee is so famous, what makes its flavor special? FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain beans have excellent quality that creates a clean taste. In medium-dark roasts, Blue Mountain coffee often exhibits a balance of sweet, sour, and bitter flavors, with subtle nutty and chocolate notes, leaving a very comfortable aftertaste. It represents the highest quality of coffee of an era and is truly the king of coffee.

The consistent high quality of Blue Mountain coffee's flavor is attributed to years of strictly controlled export standards. As of 2020, what we commonly refer to as Blue Mountain coffee is actually a washed-process Typica variety coffee. Unlike other processing methods, the washed process is the most stable and efficient of the traditional techniques. After harvesting, coffee cherries immediately undergo flotation to remove defective beans, followed by mechanical removal of the pulp and skin, then fermentation to remove the mucilage layer. After the mucilage is removed, the moisture content of the beans is greatly reduced, requiring less sun-drying time and resulting in lower defect rates.

Mature washed processing also gives Blue Mountain coffee a cleaner taste and higher acidity. In addition to adhering to mature washed processing, maintaining the Typica variety is another reason for the consistent flavor of Blue Mountain coffee. The Typica variety is perhaps one of the oldest Arabica varieties. Compared with other varieties, Typica has more refined flavors, but its disadvantages are obvious: low 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-yielding varieties such as Caturra or Catuai.

Blue Mountain Coffee Varieties

Coffee from Jamaica's Blue Mountain region 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 grades. From highest to lowest quality, they are: Blue Mountain No. 1, Blue Mountain No. 2, High Mountain No. 1, High Mountain No. 2, and Jamaica Prime Coffee. FrontStreet Coffee sells the highest grade - Blue Mountain No. 1.

Blue Mountain Grading

In the grading system, the entire Blue Mountain range reaches 2,256 meters, and areas above 1,700 meters are natural ecological protection zones where coffee cannot be cultivated. According to the CIB's classification, only coffee grown between altitudes of 910 and 1,700 meters can be called "Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee." Coffee grown between 460 and 910 meters can only be called "Jamaica High Mountain Coffee," while coffee below 460 meters is called "Jamaica Prime Coffee."

Jamaican coffee therefore does not automatically mean Blue Mountain coffee. Even today, only coffee produced from the 6,000 hectares of land (altitude above 910 meters) in the Blue Mountains can be called Blue Mountain coffee beans. Coffee from the other roughly two-thirds of the Blue Mountain coffee-growing region can only be classified as High Mountain or Prime coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Brewing Guide

Jamaica - Blue Mountain No. 1

Region: Jamaica Blue Mountain
Estate: Clifton Mountain Farm
Altitude: 1,310 meters
Processing Method: Washed Process
Variety: Typica
Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast
Flavor: chocolate, nuts, cream, with a balanced sweet-sour-bitter profile.

Clifton Mountain is the oldest coffee-producing area in Jamaica still in normal operation today, and only Clifton Farm in Jamaica holds the "Rainforest Alliance" certification. The Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there.

Clifton Farm is the largest estate in this region, yet by international standards it is still considered small-scale cultivation. Many of the estate owners are small landholders whose families have worked this land for two centuries. This area is recognized as a very high-quality, world-renowned Blue Mountain coffee-producing region.

Water Recommendations

At FrontStreet Coffee, we use fresh, clean, soft mineral water. Do not use very hard water for extraction, nor unfiltered water. If the water quality itself is poor, it is difficult to make delicious coffee.

Brewing Parameters: 15 g coffee grounds, water-to-coffee ratio of 1:15, water temperature 88°C, grind size: medium-coarse (60% pass-through rate on a #20 standard sieve).

Three-Stage Pouring Method

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

Second stage: after the bloom ends, slowly pour in a small circular motion from the center outward until reaching 125 g.

Third stage: when the coffee bed has dropped to the 1/2 level, pour with a larger water flow until reaching 225 g. That means pouring 225 g of water for 15 g of coffee grounds, at a ratio of 1:15. Wait until all the coffee liquid has flowed into the lower server before removing the filter cone and ending the extraction.

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee brewed with these parameters presents a slight citrus acidity, overall balance, a smooth mouthfeel, nutty notes in the middle section, and a dark chocolate sensation in the finish.

When tasting Blue Mountain coffee, you can start by smelling the aroma, where you will detect nutty and caramel fragrances. Then taste the coffee and experience the rich mouthfeel of Blue Mountain, with its balanced sweet-sour-bitter flavors. The pleasant aftertaste comes after swallowing.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To put this brewing guide to use, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is the top grade described above, grown at 1,310 meters on the Clifton Mountain estate and roasted medium-dark. Brewed with the three-stage pour and a medium-coarse grind, it shows a slight citrus acidity up front, a balanced and smooth body, nutty notes in the middle, and dark chocolate in the finish. Because Clifton Farm holds Rainforest Alliance certification and the beans ship in the traditional wooden barrels, this is a Blue Mountain you can trace rather than guess at. If you want to see how the highest grade compares with High Mountain and Prime, it makes an illuminating reference point.