Before the concept of specialty coffee became popular, "treating guests to drink Blue Mountain" was almost synonymous with high-quality coffee. Even with the emergence of high-quality production areas, Blue Mountain still has a place for its balanced and delicate taste, and Blue Mountain No. 1 is the one that has attracted much attention in this hierarchy. If you want to understand it, you can start from three perspectives: certification, flavor and brewing.
What is real Blue Mountain coffee?
Strictly speaking, not all coffee produced in Jamaica is called Blue Mountain. Only coffee grown in specific areas of the Blue Mountains and officially certified can be labeled "Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee". The Blue Mountains are located in the east of Jamaica. The highest peak is about 2,256 meters above sea level. It is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round. The volcanic soil is fertile and the climate is mild and humid, allowing the fruits to slowly accumulate sugar. The production area is limited, and the annual output is less than 2,500 tons. Historically, the Japanese market has digested most of the output, and scarcity has resulted in high prices.
Certification system and wooden barrel packaging
Regular Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee does not have a traceability code, and authenticity must be determined by complete export certification documents and certificates of origin. An intuitive feature is the wooden barrel: Traditionally, Blue Mountain is packaged and transported in wooden barrels of 15, 45, and 70 kilograms. The barrel itself is the identity mark of the product. Take No. 1 Jamaica Blue Mountain on Front Street as an example. The merchant provides a certificate from Clifton Manor and a display of original wooden barrels, and the source can be traced. Blue Mountain No. 1 has strict standards in terms of bean size and defect rate, making it easy to drink or give as gifts.
Balanced, the flavor base of Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain No. 1 uses medium-dark roasting, and the key word for flavor is "no obvious shortcomings": it is not as acidic as some African beans, nor does it have the heavy bitterness of dark roasted beans, but it achieves a balance between sour, sweet, bitter and fragrant. In the mouth, you can feel the nuts, dark chocolate, creamy caramel and soft sweetness. The taste is round and the finish is clean and long. Because of this balanced quality, many practitioners describe it as a specialty coffee that most people will like.
Two ideas: hand pouring and moka pot
If you want to drink through the layers of Blue Mountain, hand brewing is a recommended method: powder to water ratio 1:15 to 1:16, water temperature 85–88°C, medium-coarse grinding, water injection in stages, which can highlight the cream, caramel and nut tones, retain the soft sweet and sour taste, and have a clean and translucent taste. If you prefer a richer route, you can use a Moka pot: grind slightly finer than hand brewing, put hot water into the pot, and heat it over medium-low heat. When the coffee liquid is about to run out, remove it from the heat in time. The impression of chocolate and caramel will be magnified. Mixing it with milk to make a latte or Australian white is equally good.
From the certification system composed of wooden barrels and certificates, to the flavor structure that balances sourness and bitterness, to two simple brewing plans - after understanding these layers, Blue Mountain No. 1 is no longer a distant name, but a cup of classic coffee that you can drink and understand.
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
