Why is Blue Mountain coffee tied to washed processing?
Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee has been fully washed since cultivation began there, and that method is the reason for its refined, smooth profile. Growers have declined to process the cherries other ways. The result is a cup with low bitterness, low acidity, and a mellow aroma, which is why the coffee is consistent.
Japan is the main consumer market, drawn by those low-bitterness traits rather than prestige. Estates such as R.S.W, made up of Resource, Sherwood Forest, and Whitfield Hall, sit roughly 1,200 to 1,600 meters up, among the highest in the designated growing region. Afternoon mist at that elevation supports the coffee trees and the coffee processing.
The global renown of Blue Mountain coffee is inseparable from its consistently applied processing method. From the very beginning of cultivating Blue Mountain coffee, Jamaicans have insisted on fully washed processing, refusing to use other methods to process the coffee cherries, which gives Blue Mountain coffee its refined and smooth sensory characteristics. Japan, as the primary consumer market for Blue Mountain coffee, values not its prestigious reputation, but rather its low bitterness, mellow aroma, and low acidity—flavor traits that happen to align perfectly with Japanese sensory preferences for coffee. Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain R.S.W No.1 comes from one of the highest-elevation estates in the Blue Mountain designated growing region, where the meticulous craft of washed processing and sun-drying achieves a rich and full-bodied coffee flavor. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the washed processing flow for Blue Mountain coffee, and how R.S.W Estate uses traditional craftsmanship to create top-quality Blue Mountain coffee with consistent quality.
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Since Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain began cultivation, it has consistently adhered to fully washed processing. In this regard, Jamaicans are very set in their ways, never processing Blue Mountain coffee cherries by different methods, which has brought refined and smooth sensory characteristics to Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. As is well known, Japan is the primary consumer of Jamaica Blue Mountain, and the reason lies not in its prestigious pedigree, but rather in its low bitterness, mellow aroma, and low acidity—flavor traits that better suit Japanese sensory demands for coffee.
Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain RSW No.1
R.S.W Blue Mountain Estate is located in Jamaica's Blue Mountain designated growing region. The three letters R.S.W refer to 100% Blue Mountain coffee beans produced by its Resource, Sherwood Forest, and Whitfield Hall estates. The coffee grown in these three areas is at an average elevation of approximately 1,200 to 1,600 meters. R.S.W is one of the highest-elevation estates in the Blue Mountain region. Due to the sufficiently high elevation, cool misty clouds often shroud the mountains in the afternoon, which is highly beneficial for the growth of coffee trees, preventing the excessive midday sunlight from exposure so that coffee cherries grow and absorb nutrients more completely.
After harvesting, all ripe coffee cherries from R.S.W Estate are concentrated at the dedicated washed processing facility at Sherwood Forest for processing. Throughout the entire washed processing procedure, the facility manager oversees everything from start to finish, processing different batches of R.S.W Blue Mountain coffee in small lots, which greatly contributes to quality consistency.
The Sherwood Forest processing facility uses the washed method to remove the coffee's mucilage layer. Unlike many current Blue Mountain coffee processing facilities that use machines to forcibly remove the mucilage layer for faster processing, R.S.W Estate insists on not using machines to accelerate the process, instead choosing the more labor-intensive approach of washed processing. A superior washing method allows green beans to undergo moderate fermentation in a favorable environment. During fermentation, the green coffee beans absorb the sweetness converted from the mucilage layer. Although this process requires greater effort to process the coffee, it results in a richer, fuller-bodied coffee flavor.
Furthermore, after washing, R.S.W Estate forgoes machine drying and instead sun-dries all these parchment beans at 100% to bring the green beans' moisture content down to 11%–12%. This sun-drying process allows the green beans to undergo yet another transformation, making the overall aroma and viscosity of R.S.W coffee even more substantial. Finally, manual hand-sorting is used to remove defective beans, creating a perfect product.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
