For many coffee lovers, Blue Mountain Coffee is an almost unavoidable name. In an era when specialty coffee was not yet popular, "treating guests to drink Blue Mountain" even became synonymous with high-quality coffee. Even today, as more and more boutique production areas are discovered, Blue Mountain coffee still occupies a place in the coffee world with its unique flavor and balance. How expensive is it? How should I drink it? Let’s explain this clearly once and for all.
What is Blue Mountain Coffee
Many people think that the coffee produced in Jamaica is called Blue Mountain coffee, but this is not the case. Strictly speaking, only coffee grown in specific areas of the Blue Mountains of Jamaica and officially certified by Jamaica can be called "Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee".
The Blue Mountains are located in eastern Jamaica and are one of the taller mountains in the Caribbean. The highest peak is 2,256 meters above sea level and is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, hence the name "Blue Mountain". The high altitude brings a large temperature difference between day and night, allowing the coffee fruits to have a longer ripening cycle; the fertile volcanic soil provides rich nutrients; sufficient and even rainfall and a mild and stable climate allow the coffee fruits to slowly accumulate sugar and flavor substances. It is under such conditions that Blue Mountain coffee develops a delicate taste and balanced flavor.
Why is Blue Mountain Coffee so popular?
On the one hand, the Blue Mountain production area is very limited. The annual output of the entire Blue Mountain area is less than 2,500 tons, accounting for only a very small part of the total global coffee production. On the other hand, the Japanese market has established a stable trade relationship with Jamaica for a long time. It has historically purchased more than 70% of Blue Mountain coffee production, and the amount that actually flows to the global market is even more limited. Scarce supply and strong demand have kept Blue Mountain coffee prices high for a long time.
In the early days of the development of the Chinese market, Blue Mountain Coffee was even more mysterious due to the lack of formal import channels. In fact, since 2003, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans have been officially exported to the Chinese market, and now consumers can buy certified Blue Mountain coffee through formal channels.
What are the flavor characteristics of Blue Mountain coffee?
Compared with many specialty coffees that emphasize individual flavors, the charm of Blue Mountain coffee lies in its balance. It has almost no obvious shortcomings: it does not have strong acidity like some African coffees, nor does it bring heavy bitterness like dark roasted coffees, but it achieves a good balance between sour, sweet, bitter and fragrant.
High-quality Blue Mountain coffee usually exhibits complex flavors of cream, caramel, chocolate, nuts, honey and slight fruity tones. It has a smooth and round entrance, rich sweetness in the middle, clean and long finish, and the overall layer is rich but not overstated. Because of this excellent balance, Blue Mountain Coffee is often evaluated by many coffee practitioners as "a specialty coffee that is easy for most people to like."
How to identify real Blue Mountain coffee
When purchasing Blue Mountain coffee, the certification system is very important. Regular Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee does not have a traceability code, but importers usually have complete export certification documents and certificates of origin, or have obvious details of the origin of the beans.
Take the Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 on Front Street for sale on the official website as an example. In the product details, you can see a certificate from Clifton Estate in Jamaica, as well as stacks of used wooden barrels unique to Blue Mountain coffee beans. Traditional Blue Mountain coffee is packaged and transported in wooden barrels of 15, 45 and 70 kilograms. Each barrel itself is the characteristic of genuine Blue Mountain coffee. Businesses that can provide complete certification information and certificates of origin are often more trustworthy.
How to brew Blue Mountain coffee
Many people think that Blue Mountain coffee can only be brewed by hand, but this is not the case. Because Blue Mountain coffee itself is well balanced, whether it is Pour over(V60), moka pot or espresso, it can show different levels of flavor expression.
Tips for hand brewing: Powder to water ratio 1:15~1:16, water temperature 85~88℃, medium-coarse grinding. This brewing method can highlight the cream, caramel and nut flavors in Blue Mountain coffee, while retaining the soft and bright sour and sweet taste. The overall taste is clean and transparent, with rich layer changes.
Moka Pot Recommendations: If you like a richer and more mellow taste, the Moka pot is also suitable. The grinding degree is slightly finer than hand brewing. Pour hot water into the pot and heat it over medium-low heat. When the coffee liquid is about to completely flow out, remove it from the heat. The moka pot will intensify the chocolate, caramel and nut flavors in Blue Mountain coffee, making the taste thicker and fuller. Adding milk to make latte or Australian white also performs well.
If you want to experience the authentic Blue Mountains, look for the grade and certificate
The Blue Mountain rating is also worthy of attention. Blue Mountain No. 1 (Blue Mountain No. 1) belongs to the higher grade of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. It has strict standards in terms of bean size, defect rate and overall quality. Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 uses medium-dark roasting to fully demonstrate the classic balancing characteristics of Blue Mountain coffee. After brewing, you can feel the layers of nuts, dark chocolate, creamy caramel and soft sweetness, and the harmony between sour, sweet, bitter and aroma.
Whether it is a specialty coffee for daily drinking or a high-end gift for relatives and friends, Blue Mountain No. 1 allows people to experience the enduring charm of this legendary coffee for decades.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
