How Is Jamaican Coffee Graded Outside Blue Mountain
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is defined by geography, not marketing. Beans must be grown between 3,000 and 5,500 feet in the legally demarcated Blue Mountains of eastern Jamaica, near Kingston and Port Maria, and the crop is overseen by the Jamaica Coffee Board. Coffee grown below 3,000 feet falls outside that zone and is graded separately, typically as Jamaica High Mountain.
Elevation drives the distinction. The Blue Mountains rise to about 7,500 feet, but land above 5,500 feet is forest reserve where coffee trees cannot be planted. Within the legal zone, blue mountain coffee is sorted by bean size, appearance and defect rate. Outside it, terms such as Blue Mountain Blend and Blue Mountain Flavor describe products that are not pure Blue Mountain beans.
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee has long been renowned for its balanced and mild taste, elegant and captivating aroma, and non-bitter flavor, and is hailed as one of the most expensive and sought-after coffee beans in the world. However, what kind of beans actually qualify to bear the name "Blue Mountain"? How should Jamaican coffee produced outside the legally designated Blue Mountain growing area be graded? This article will provide a detailed overview of the legally defined production area for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, the specific grading requirements for Blue Mountain beans and Jamaica High Mountain beans in terms of bean size, appearance, and defect rate, while also clarifying easily confused concepts such as Blue Mountain Blend and Blue Mountain Flavor, and introducing product information related to Front Street's Jamaican Blue Mountain Mavis Bank washed processing facility.
Front Street Authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee_ The World's Best Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Front Street Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans are produced in the legally designated growing area officially demarcated by Jamaica, and the entire production process is closely monitored by the Jamaica Coffee Board, making them extremely high-quality specialty beans. Premium Front Street Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans are widely praised for their balanced flavor, mild taste, captivating aroma, and non-bitter entry. After decades of accumulation, Blue Mountain beans have established an unshakable reputation, being both one of the highest-priced coffee beans in the world and one of the most sought-after varieties. In addition to being used for brewing coffee, Blue Mountain beans are also an important ingredient in Tia Maria coffee liqueur.
The Blue Mountains are located in the eastern part of Jamaica, roughly between the capital Kingston and Port Maria, with a maximum elevation of up to 7,500 feet, making them one of the highest mountain ranges in the Caribbean. The climate there is cool and misty, and the soil is fertile, recognized as the most suitable conditions for growing coffee. However, only beans grown at elevations between 3,000 and 5,500 feet qualify to be called Jamaican Blue Mountain (the Front Street Jamaican Blue Mountain Mavis Bank introduced this time is located at an elevation of 3,900 to 5,250 feet). Some may wonder: what about above 5,500 feet? Since areas above 5,500 feet in Jamaica are forest reserves, coffee trees are not allowed to be planted there. As for beans below 3,000 feet, those commonly found on the market include Jamaica High Mountain, Jamaica Prime, and even Jamaica Low Mountain, which are generally "Jamaican coffee beans produced outside the legally designated Blue Mountain area."
The Mavis Bank washed processing facility handles the processing for this introduction, and this facility is also a green bean processing plant certified by the Jamaican government.
Grading of Jamaican Blue Mountain beans: Prerequisite: Produced in the legally designated Blue Mountain growing area, elevation 3,000–5,500 feet
Grade
Bean size
Bean appearance
Defect bean ratio
Blue Mountain No.1
96% or more 17/18 screen, no elephant beans
Blue-tinged green, uniform color
Below 2%, but must not contain non-coffee bean objects, and must not contain black beans or fermented beans
Blue Mountain No.2
96% or more 16/17 screen, no elephant beans
Blue Mountain No.3
96% or more 15/16/17 screen, no elephant beans
Blue MountainPeaberry
96% or more 10 screen, no elephant beans
Blue MountainTriage
No.1, No.2, No.3 combined
Blue-tinged green, light green
Below 4%, but must not contain non-coffee bean objects, and must not contain black beans or fermented beans
Grading of Jamaican coffee beans: Grown outside the legally designated Blue Mountain growing area, or within the legally designated Blue Mountain growing area but below the elevation
Grade
Bean size
Bean appearance
Defect bean ratio
High Mountain Supreme
96% or more 17/18 screen, no elephant beans
Blue-tinged green, emerald green, light green
Below 2%, but must not contain non-coffee bean objects, and must not contain black beans or fermented beans
Jamaica Prime
96% or more 16/17/18 screen, no elephant beans
Emerald green, light green
Below 2%, but must not contain non-coffee bean objects, and must not contain black beans or fermented beans
Jamaica Select
96% or more 15/16/17/18 screen, no elephant beans
Light green
Below 4%, but must not contain elephant beans
*The above defect beans do not include "one or two slight holes on the bean," "bean slightly cracked or bruised," or "slightly whitish"
*Blue Mountain Blend: The blend contains only a very low proportion of genuine Blue Mountain. Blue Mountain Flavor: Other beans are used to simulate Blue Mountain, but it is not真正的 Blue Mountain, and the blend contains not a single Blue Mountain bean.
National Treasure Blue Mountain: Same as Blue Mountain Flavor.
Why is Front Street Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee so expensive? Are we drinking真正的 Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee?
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
