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Coffee King | Jamaica Clifton Manor Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Flavor Description Characteristics Introduction

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Jamaica Clifton Manor coffee flavor description production region processing method variety characteristics introduction In 1872, the famous British painter and writer Marian North visited Jamaica and spent 5 months on Clifton Mountain. In her autobiography "Recollections of a Happy Life," she mentioned the Clifton Hotel where she stayed: Cl

As one of Jamaica's ancient coffee estates—Clifton Mount Estate—FrontStreet Coffee believes its status in Jamaica is equivalent to that of Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. FrontStreet Coffee often encounters customers asking how to distinguish genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. In fact, it only requires understanding these three points: Jamaica is the only producing region that uses wooden barrels for green beans; true Blue Mountain coffee exhibits very balanced and rich flavor characteristics; and the appearance of green beans curves upward at both ends like a small boat. Of course, many customers find it difficult to access green beans or witness the unboxing process, basically proceeding directly to tasting. For identifying Blue Mountain flavor characteristics, one should seek out shops with guaranteed supply sources to taste and recognize the flavors. FrontStreet Coffee chose to purchase Frontsteet Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans from Clifton Mount Estate mainly because Clifton Mount Estate truly guarantees the quality of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans, and additionally, Clifton Mount Estate holds Rainforest Alliance certification.

FrontStreet Coffee · Jamaica Clifton Mount Estate Blue Mountain No. 1

Jamaica Clifton Mount Estate
Owner: The Sharp family
Certification: Rainforest Alliance Certified
Location: Newcastle region
Total Area: 250 acres
Coffee Cultivation Area: 180 acres
Altitude: 1,310 meters
Processing Method: Washed
Variety: 100% Arabica Typica
Flavor: Perfect balance of acidity, body, and aroma

Region Introduction

The Blue Mountains are located in the eastern part of Jamaica. Because this mountain is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, on clear days when sunlight shines directly on the azure sea surface, the peaks reflect the brilliant blue light of the seawater, 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 within the coffee belt, possessing fertile volcanic soil, fresh air free from pollution, humid climate with year-round fog and rain (average precipitation of 1,980mm and temperature around 27°C). Such climate and extremely high altitude have created the world-renowned Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Geographical Conditions

Jamaica is an island located in the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica's Blue Mountains are the highest mountains in the western Caribbean (2,256 meters high). The unique flavor of Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is related to the exceptionally favorable geographical location and climatic conditions of the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are situated at 25 degrees north latitude in the coffee belt, with fertile new volcanic soil, fresh air free from pollution, year-round rainfall, high humidity, and significant day-night temperature differences. The soil here is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, very suitable for coffee growth. Fertile volcanic soil, regular rainfall, and the hazy clouds above the island protect it from intense sunlight. All these factors combined have created this Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee with its distinctive regional flavor.

Cultivation History

On a certain day in 1725, the then Governor of Jamaica, Sir Nicholas Lawes, brought coffee tree seeds from Haiti to Jamaica and began experimental cultivation at his private estate, Temple Hall, in St. Andrew. Gradually, coffee trees were planted in the more fertile Jamaican Blue Mountain region and began large-scale cultivation.

The Jamaican Blue Mountains possess unique soil and climate conditions. Especially the high-altitude mountain areas are perennially shrouded in clouds and mist, providing an ideal ecological environment for coffee growth. The high quality and unique balanced taste and flavor of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee promoted coffee cultivation as a leading industry, quickly becoming another important industry in Jamaica after sugarcane and bananas.

By 1800, there were a total of 686 coffee plantations of various sizes in the Jamaican Blue Mountain region. By 1814, Jamaica's coffee export volume had reached 15,199 tons, elevating it to one of the most important coffee-producing countries in the Western Hemisphere at that time. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, Jamaica's main labor force became Black people, completely cutting off the labor source for coffee plantations, and coffee production began to decline. In 1838, Jamaican Black slaves were completely emancipated. Large numbers of Black slaves who previously worked on coffee estates left, opening up wasteland in other areas of the Blue Mountains, settling there and starting to grow various crops for their livelihood.

By 1850, Jamaica's coffee plantations had decreased from the original 686 to only 186, and coffee export volume sharply dropped to 1,486 tons. In the following 100 years, the business model of Jamaican Blue Mountain also changed, transforming from the previous large plantation model to a small-scale coffee farmer cultivation model. The consequences of disorganized coffee cultivation patterns were disastrous. The quality of Jamaican coffee exports deteriorated progressively, and finally in 1943, Canada, one of Jamaica's largest coffee importers,率先 announced it would no longer accept Jamaican coffee quality, followed by the neighboring United States, which also stopped importing Jamaican coffee.

In 1944, the Central Washing Station was established. A.J. Wakefield, then Chief Agricultural Inspector of the British Commonwealth West Indies, actively promoted the Jamaican government to establish the Central Coffee Clearing House, stipulating that all exported coffee must be purchased, processed, and graded by this institution before export.

Clifton Mount Estate

The Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares of cultivation area, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. Today's Clifton Mount Estate is the largest estate in this region, and even by international standards, it belongs to small-scale cultivation, with many estate owners being small landholders whose families have worked this land for two centuries. Clifton Mount is Jamaica's oldest coffee producing region still in normal operation today, and only Clifton Mount Estate in Jamaica has the "Rainforest Alliance" certification. This certification can only be obtained by meeting "Sustainable Agriculture System Standards," and the certification logo appears on their wooden barrels.

As early as the mid-eighteenth century (around 1750), Clifton Mount Estate began planting and producing coffee. The coffee cultivation and processing areas here are situated at an average altitude of 4,300 feet (1,310.64 meters). Sufficient altitude, gentle afternoon clouds and mist shrouding the mountain forests for shade, adequate sunlight, and mineral-rich planting soil provide excellent growing conditions for coffee trees and also extend the maturation period of coffee cherries.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Grading

Coffee from the Jamaican Blue Mountain region has three grades: Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaica High Mountain Supreme Coffee Beans, and Jamaica Prime Coffee Beans. Among these, Blue Mountain Coffee and High Mountain Coffee are each further divided into two grades. Ranked by quality from highest to lowest: Blue Mountain No. 1, Blue Mountain No. 2, High Mountain No. 1, High Mountain No. 2, Jamaica Prime Coffee.

Ranked by quality from highest to lowest: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB (Peaberry). According to CIB standards, the basic requirements for NO.1 Blue Mountain green beans are: beans above 17 mesh, defect rate below 3%, moisture content around 13%, etc.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Certification

The Frontsteet Blue Mountain coffee purchased by FrontStreet Coffee has official Jamaican certification. The authentic Blue Mountain coffee certification region refers to four eastern administrative districts: St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St. Mary, and Portland, which coincidentally are the foothill areas crossed by the Blue Mountains. The altitude ranges from 1,000-1,700 meters, with an area of approximately 6,100 hectares. Only coffee grown in this region and meeting the 1,000-1,700 meter altitude requirement can be considered authentic Blue Mountain. Even if grown within these four administrative districts but at altitudes of only 500-1,000 meters, it must be downgraded to Jamaica High Mountain Coffee. Below 500 meters, it becomes the lower-grade Jamaica Supreme Coffee. Other areas outside this region's 1.21 hectares absolutely cannot be called Blue Mountain Coffee. The Jamaican government has strict regulations for Blue Mountain Coffee, with at most 25% of Jamaican coffee qualifying for Blue Mountain status.

The Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans purchased by FrontStreet Coffee are the only coffee producing region to date that uses wooden barrels for green beans; all other coffee exports use jute bags.

Green Bean Processing Methods

Before the end of 2019, Blue Mountain coffee was only washed processed. In early 2020, natural processing was introduced. Among these, the washed processing method uses washing and fermentation to remove fruit pulp and mucilage. Farms using the washed method must build washing pools capable of introducing continuous fresh water. During processing, fruit pulp is first removed, allowing fermentation for 12-18 hours. The completed fermented beans are then placed in pools and moved back and forth, using the friction of the beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until smooth and clean.

After washing, the coffee beans are still encased in parchment with a moisture content of 50% and must be sun-dried to reduce moisture content to 12-14%. Afterwards, the coffee beans are screened and then stored in specialized warehouses. These procedures must be strictly controlled; otherwise, coffee quality will be affected.

Certification: Rainforest Alliance Certification. Coffee with certification marks on coffee bags or barrels indicates certified product coffee. Farms must meet "Sustainable Agriculture System Standards" to obtain certification (Rainforest Alliance frog). Clifton Mount Estate is the only coffee estate in Jamaica to receive (RFA) Rainforest Alliance certification.

How to Roast to Express the Full Flavor of Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee believes that simply put, Frontsteet Blue Mountain should be roasted thoroughly from inside to out, using good roasting techniques on the basis of full roasting to express the flavor characteristics of Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Caramelization is the most significant step affecting coffee flavor. After six to seven minutes of roasting, green beans absorb large amounts of heat energy, initiating pyrolysis reactions and producing the first cracking sound. Some sugars convert to carbon dioxide, moisture continues to evaporate, new aromatic components gradually develop, forming so-called coffee oils that combine with hundreds of aromatic substances such as nicotinic acid, citric acid, quinic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, and caffeine.

Roasting Profile: Heat drum to 170°C, add beans, open damper to 3. After 1 minute, adjust heat to 140°C, damper unchanged. At 5'10", temperature reaches 153°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, dehydration complete. Adjust heat to 115°C, damper to 4.

At the 8'00" minute, ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast smell clearly transforms to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. Starting at 8'12" when first crack begins, reduce heat to 90°C, damper fully open (adjust heat very carefully, not so low that cracking stops). Remove from drum at 201.3°C.

Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Cupping:

Cupping Characteristics: Perfect and subtle balance of acidity, body, and aroma. Its acidity is bright and delicate. Its body is as smooth as velvet. Its aroma has a slight penetrating quality, accompanied by floral, spicy, and citrus notes. After tasting, there's a hint of cocoa aftertaste.

The taste is very clean, complex, and very mild, with chocolate sweetness and very strong body. The flavor is rich and mellow, with coffee's sweet, sour, and bitter notes perfectly balanced, completely without bitterness, only moderate and perfect acidity, with a persistent fruity finish.

Dry Aroma: Roasted peanuts, hazelnuts, melon, chocolate
Wet Aroma: Oolong tea, caramel, honey, chocolate, almond skin, silky texture, brightness

Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Brewing Parameters

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using the following brewing parameters: Dose: 15g, Dripper: KONO, Ratio: 1:15, Grind: EK43s (grind size based on 70-75% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve), Water temperature: 86°C

Brewing Method

FrontStreet Coffee uses分段式萃取 (segmented extraction). Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. Use small water flow to pour in the center until 125g for the first segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Extraction time is two minutes.

Flavor Description

Flavor profile of Frontsteet Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee: dark chocolate, nuts, cream, balanced sweet-sour-bitter, full-bodied texture

How to Distinguish Real vs. Fake Blue Mountain

Because Blue Mountain coffee holds an extremely high status in the coffee world, many counterfeit Blue Mountain-style coffees have appeared on the market. Perhaps you have tasted Blue Mountain coffee, but truly authentic Blue Mountain coffee is actually very difficult to identify.

1. Appearance: Frontsteet Blue Mountain coffee green beans are bluish-green, very uniform in appearance, medium to small in size, with slightly upturned ends. After roasting, they expand significantly in volume and become very full.

2. Grinding: Genuine Frontsteet Blue Mountain coffee beans grow at high altitude, and their cytoplasmic structure is relatively loose. When grinding by hand, it feels very crisp, smooth, and continuous, without any sense of resistance.

3. Aroma: The aroma is very rich and dense; so-called blended Blue Mountain coffee does not have this type of aroma.

4. Taste: Genuine Frontsteet Blue Mountain coffee has balanced and rich taste, without any flavor being overly prominent or lacking, which is also the most crucial identification point that no other coffee bean can match.

You can also identify genuine Blue Mountain through these three indicators: (designated export company by the National Coffee Board), (the only region using wooden barrels for green beans), and (the Rainforest Alliance frog logo on barrel lids).