Blue Mountain Premium Coffee Beans: Flavor, Taste, and Aroma Characteristics - Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Brewing Methods, Temperature, and Ratios

When it comes to Blue Mountain coffee, FrontStreet Coffee believes everyone is familiar with it. The reputation of Blue Mountain coffee has always been significant, so much so that it can be seen everywhere - whether on supermarket shelves or in automatic beverage vending machines. However, these are certainly not authentic Blue Mountain coffee, but rather caffeinated Blue Mountain-flavored beverages. So what exactly is authentic Blue Mountain coffee? FrontStreet Coffee will discuss Blue Mountain coffee in this article.

FrontStreet Coffee: Jamaica Washed Blue Mountain Number 1 Coffee Beans

Country: Jamaica
Region: Blue Mountain (Clifton Estate)
Altitude: 1310m
Variety: Typica
Processing: Washed
Flavor: Entry brings the sweetness of brown sugar and the acidity of berries, with nut and cocoa flavors in the middle to late stages. The texture is creamy-like, with rich and distinct layers, while the aftertaste carries the aroma of walnuts.

FrontStreet Coffee: Jamaica Natural Blue Mountain Number 1 Coffee Beans

Country: Jamaica
Region: Blue Mountain (Clifton Estate)
Altitude: 1310m
Variety: Typica
Processing: Washed
Flavor: Entry brings dark chocolate and nut flavors, with high cleanliness, very bright acidity, good body, and balanced sweet, sour, and bitter notes.

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, Blue Mountain coffee comes in both washed and natural processed varieties. In fact, Blue Mountain coffee originally only had washed processing because this method better preserves the original flavor characteristics of the region, making the coffee taste cleaner and brighter. Therefore, Blue Mountain coffee has traditionally always used the washed processing method to bring everyone the most authentic flavor of Blue Mountain coffee.

The emergence of natural Blue Mountain coffee today is because Blue Mountain coffee is also keeping pace with the times. With the emergence of various specially processed coffee beans in the specialty coffee market, Blue Mountain coffee has also followed suit. Although natural processing is difficult to operate in the Blue Mountain coffee region, they persevere through hardships and keep up with the times.

However, whenever FrontStreet Coffee introduces coffee beans from a certain region to coffee enthusiasts, we always recommend the washed processed coffee beans first because washing best represents the flavor characteristics of that region. Of course, Blue Mountain coffee's adoption of natural processing is more about following market development.

Clifton Estate

As mentioned above, both of these Blue Mountain coffees from FrontStreet Coffee are produced at Clifton Estate, the oldest estate in the Blue Mountains. It is also the only estate in Jamaica with "Rainforest Alliance" certification. Obtaining this certification is not simple, as farms that meet the standards established by the Rainforest Alliance have their surrounding ecosystems protected, pesticide use restricted, and waste management benchmarks evaluated. Only coffee that passes evaluation and certification can be called "Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee."

The symbol of "Rainforest Alliance" certification is a green frog, so Blue Mountain coffee packed in wooden barrels bearing this green frog must come from Clifton Estate. This is also one way to distinguish authentic Blue Mountain coffee from counterfeit.

History of Blue Mountain Coffee

Blue Mountain coffee originates from Jamaica. According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, the history of Blue Mountain coffee can be traced back to the 18th century when the British planted Typica coffee trees on Jamaica's Blue Mountain range. This is because the Blue Mountain range possesses unique soil and climate conditions, especially the high-altitude mountain areas that are perennially shrouded in clouds and mist, making them extremely suitable for coffee tree cultivation. Therefore, the coffee beans produced here are of exceptional quality and were greatly favored by royalty.

Because of this, by 1800, there were approximately 686 plantations in Jamaica's Blue Mountain region alone. By 1814, Jamaica's coffee export volume had reached 15,199 tons, making Jamaica one of the major coffee-producing countries in the Western Hemisphere at that time.

However, after the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, Jamaica's main labor force consisted of Black people, completely cutting off the labor source for coffee plantations. Coffee production began to decline. In 1838, Black slaves in Jamaica were completely emancipated. Large numbers of Black slaves who originally worked on coffee estates left, clearing and cultivating wastelands in other areas of the Blue Mountains, which led to a reduction in Blue Mountain coffee production.

By 1850, Jamaica's coffee estates had decreased from the original 686 to only 186, and coffee exports sharply dropped to 1,486 tons. In the following 100 years, the business model of Jamaica's Blue Mountains also changed, shifting from the previous large-scale plantation model to small-scale coffee farmer cultivation. Small-scale cultivation was certainly not professional enough, so Jamaica's coffee quality also began to decline. By 1943, Canada, one of Jamaica's largest coffee importers, announced it would no longer accept Jamaica's coffee quality, and the neighboring United States soon followed by stopping imports of Jamaican coffee.

Therefore, in 1944, Jamaica established the Central Washing Station, actively promoted by A.J. Wakefield, who was then the Chief Agricultural Inspector of the British West Indies. The government stipulated that all exported coffee must be purchased, processed, and graded by this institution before export. This means Jamaica began to重视 coffee quality at this time, and with strong government support, the quality of Blue Mountain coffee would improve.

By 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, which set quality standards for Jamaican coffee and supervised the implementation of these standards to ensure the quality of Jamaican coffee. The board awarded special official seals to both raw and roasted coffee exported from Jamaica.

In 1969, Jamaica was severely damaged by a hurricane. At that time, Japan's UCC Ueshima Coffee Company introduced ecological technology to coffee cultivation, assisting in the revival of Jamaica's coffee industry. To express gratitude, the Jamaican government signed a contract with Japan in 1971, agreeing to ship 90% of its annual production to Japan. The remaining 10% mostly entered the pockets of the wealthy or royalty before reaching the market. This is why FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above that authentic Blue Mountain coffee is definitely difficult to obtain.

Next, in 1981, Jamaica opened up approximately 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 cultivation, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. Additionally, 12,000 hectares of land are used to grow two other types of coffee: High Mountain Supreme and Jamaican coffee.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Jamaica is the only country in the world with a government coffee management agency, namely the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (abbreviated as CIB). The CIB's functions include cultivation technical guidance, processing training, fair trade, quality supervision, and other matters related to the quality and brand of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. The board members of the CIB are all estate owners who own a certain scale of cultivation estates in Jamaica (due to industry shifts, newly certified Jamaican Blue Mountain estates now require an area of over 50 hectares). The CIB stipulates that only Blue Mountain coffee beans produced in regions above 2,200 feet in Jamaica's Blue Mountains can be called Jamaican Blue Mountain. This is also why authentic Blue Mountain coffee is expensive - scarcity makes it valuable, and even with money, one might not necessarily be able to drink 100% pure Blue Mountain coffee.

Authentic vs. Counterfeit Blue Mountain Coffee

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, drinking authentic Blue Mountain coffee is not necessarily an easy task. Many unscrupulous merchants, targeting the fame of Blue Mountain coffee, mix and blend coffee beans from different regions with similar flavors to counterfeit Blue Mountain coffee. In fact, this blended "Blue Mountain coffee" contains not a single Blue Mountain coffee bean. So how can coffee enthusiasts distinguish authentic Blue Mountain coffee beans? Next, FrontStreet Coffee will educate all coffee enthusiasts on this topic.

How to Identify Authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Beans

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, the CIB stipulates that only Blue Mountain coffee beans produced in regions above 2,200 feet in Jamaica's Blue Mountains can be called Jamaican Blue Mountain. Their grades are divided by bean size into NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and manually selected PB. Among these, the basic standards for NO.1 Blue Mountain raw beans include beans above 17 mesh, defect rate below 3%, moisture content around 13%, etc. Currently, the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board can issue certificates for all exported Blue Mountain coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee understands that the earliest "Jamaican Blue Mountain" referred to coffee produced by "Wallenford Estate" and "Silver Hill Estate," with Wallenford Estate producing the highest quality Blue Mountain coffee. Today's Jamaican Blue Mountain refers to coffee beans grown in the Blue Mountain region (over 1000 meters in altitude) east of Jamaica's capital, Kingston. Mavis Bank is currently the largest estate, with M.B.C.F. printed on its wooden barrels. The quality control of Jamaican Blue Mountain is very strict, with certification work conducted by the government's "Coffee Industry Board."

Currently, symbols that can represent the origin of Blue Mountain coffee include M.B.C.E (Mavis Bank Central Factory), M.H.C.C.T. (M.H.C.C.T.), P.X.X.S.H. (Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (St. John's Peak), and J.A.S. (Blue Mountain), among 6 types of symbols. Some estate-level coffees will also be indicated on wooden barrels.

Blue Mountain coffee is the only coffee region to date that uses wooden barrels for packaging raw beans, while other coffee exports use jute bags.

Based on what FrontStreet Coffee has explained above, the authenticity of Blue Mountain coffee can be distinguished through these three criteria:

(1) Quality certificate issued by the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board

(2) Authorized sales certificate issued by Blue Mountain coffee manufacturers (Blue Mountain coffee is distributed by 4 Jamaican government-licensed processing producers and exported by 16 licensed exporters)

(3) Certificate of origin for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

Secondly, as FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, only coffee beans grown above 910 meters in Jamaica can be called Blue Mountain coffee, and Blue Mountain coffee beans are graded according to coffee bean size and quality. Of course, different grades also determine different prices. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the grading standards for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans to all coffee enthusiasts.

Grading of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Blue Mountain coffee is divided into four quality grades; from top to bottom they are: NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and PB, where PB refers to peaberries. FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee beans are precisely Blue Mountain Number 1 beans, also known as the finest among Blue Mountain coffees, making them the most expensive variety among Blue Mountain coffee types.

Blue Mountain Number 1 refers to coffee produced in the mountainous region of Jamaica's Blue Mountains at approximately 910-1700 meters altitude. Because the coffee trees are located on precarious mountain slopes with low yield, the beans are large, of excellent quality, and harmonious in flavor. They simultaneously possess appropriate acidity, bitterness, aroma, body, and sweetness, making them recognized by coffee enthusiasts worldwide as top-quality. Naturally, this also makes the price of Blue Mountain No.1 the highest among all Blue Mountain coffees.

Blue Mountain Coffee Bean Grading

Blue Mountain Grade 1 Beans: 96% of coffee beans must be screen size 17/18, with no more than 2% defective beans.

Blue Mountain Grade 2 Beans: 96% of coffee beans must be screen size 16, with no more than 2% defective beans.

Blue Mountain Grade 3 Beans: 96% of coffee beans must be screen size 15, with no more than 2% defective beans.

Blue Mountain Peaberry: 96% of coffee beans must be single round beans of screen size 10, with no more than 2% defective beans.

Blue Mountain Blend: A mixture of Blue Mountain Grades 1, 2, and 3 beans, with a few minor defects that do not affect the cup quality.

Blue Mountain Fines: Coffee beans with screen size below 15, with no more than 2% defective beans. This portion of beans is only sold in sample mode, with prices determined by demand conditions.

Blue Mountain Peaberry Blend: A mixture of Blue Mountain peaberries, with a few minor defects but good cup quality, with no more than 4% defective beans.

The above is the information about Blue Mountain coffee compiled by FrontStreet Coffee. Before introducing any new bean to coffee enthusiasts, FrontStreet Coffee conducts extensive roasting, cupping, and brewing data to determine the most delicious roasting and brewing parameters, allowing coffee enthusiasts to taste the best flavors of coffee. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share brewing data for both washed and natural Blue Mountain coffee with all coffee enthusiasts.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Data Sharing

FrontStreet Coffee uses a KONO dripper when brewing Blue Mountain coffee. The KONO dripper brings out a rounder, fuller body with more direct flavor expression. However, the KONO dripper has relatively poor exhaust effect because its ribs are straight and only extend to one-quarter of the dripper's depth. Above this quarter, the dripper walls form a sealed state. FrontStreet Coffee chooses the KONO dripper because its only exhaust area is in that quarter of ribs. When the water level rises above the rib area, the water volume in the dripper continuously increases, creating pressure through the weight of the water. Since the outlet is relatively small, it can extend the contact time between coffee particles and water. As the water flow带动s this process, it can more effectively extract soluble substances, generally achieving the high body effect expected by customers.

Coffee amount: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Water temperature: 88-89°C
Grind size: Medium-coarse (75% pass-through rate on #20 standard sieve)
FrontStreet Coffee's segmented brewing method: Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then slowly pour 100g of water in small circles from center outward until the scale shows 130g. Wait until the coffee bed drops to 1/2, then pour 65g of water with a large flow to reach a total water volume of 195g. Remove the dripper after all coffee liquid has flowed into the server to finish extraction. Total brewing time is 1 minute 50 seconds.

Brewing Flavor Comparison

[Natural Blue Mountain] Entry brings the sweetness of brown sugar accompanied by the acidity of berries, with nut and cocoa flavors in the middle to late stages. Creamy-like texture, with rich and distinct layers, while the aftertaste reveals the aroma of walnuts.

[Washed Blue Mountain] Entry brings dark chocolate and nut flavors, with high cleanliness, very bright acidity, good body, and balanced sweet, sour, and bitter notes.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473