How Is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Grown and Graded?
Blue Mountain coffee comes from Jamaica, where French King Louis XV ordered planting in 1717 and governor Sir Nicholas Lawes brought Arabica seeds from Martinique to St. Andrew in the mid-1720s. The three core growing regions today are St. Andrew, Portland and St. Thomas. The Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, founded in 1950, sets quality standards and issues official seals.
Grades separate Blue Mountain, High Mountain and Jamaica coffee, and the washed processing method shapes the cup. Six marks can indicate a Blue Mountain place of origin, from the Mavis Bank Central Factory and its cooperative to the Portland Blue Mountain cooperative, the Coffee Industry Association's Wallenford mark and others. Authenticity can be checked by appearance, grind, aroma and taste.
Blue Mountain coffee is hailed as the king of the coffee world, and even those who don't often drink coffee are familiar with its name. This article will start with the planting origins of Jamaica Blue Mountain, outline the three core production regions and the certification system of the Coffee Industry Board, analyze the grade differences between Blue Mountain, High Mountain, and Jamaica coffee, and take a deep dive into the washed processing method and four representative estates. In addition, we will share the brewing parameters and flavor description of Front Street Blue Mountain coffee, as well as practical methods for identifying authentic Blue Mountain from four dimensions: appearance, grinding, aroma, and taste, helping you truly understand this legendary coffee.
When it comes to the most famous name in the coffee world, Jamaica Blue Mountain is undoubtedly the first that comes to mind; even people who never drink coffee have heard of it. Previously we talked about KONA, known as the queen of coffee, and its Hawaiian origin. Today, let us turn our attention to the homeland of the king of coffee—Blue Mountain—Jamaica.
01 | Planting History
In 1717, King Louis XV of France issued an order requiring coffee to be planted in Jamaica. By the mid-1720s, Jamaica's governor Sir Nicholas Lawes introduced Arabica seeds from Martinique and promoted cultivation in the St. Andrew region. St. Andrew remains one of the three major producing areas of Blue Mountain coffee today, alongside the Portland and St. Thomas regions.
Within the following eight years, Jamaica exported more than 375 tons of authentic coffee overseas.
1932 marked the peak of coffee production, with that year's harvest exceeding 15,000 tons.
In 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, which set coffee quality standards and supervised their enforcement to safeguard the quality of Jamaican coffee. The board issues a special official seal for exported green beans and roasted beans, making it the highest-level institution among national coffee organizations worldwide.
Today there are six marks that can represent the place of origin of Blue Mountain coffee, from Mavis Bank Central Factory (MBCE), Mavis Bank Coffee Cooperative Factory (MHCCT), Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative Factory (PXXSH), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (St. John's Peak), and Jablum (JAS).
In 1969, with Japanese loans used to improve production quality, the market stabilized and the situation improved. Today, Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee has reached a level of intense popularity.
In 1981, Jamaica cleared about 1,500 hectares of land for coffee planting, and later invested in another 6,000 hectares of coffee farms. In fact, today's Blue Mountain region has only 6,000 hectares under cultivation, a very small scale, so it is impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to come from there.
Jamaica is also the last country in the world that still packages and transports coffee in wooden barrels. Only after passing a series of strict standards set by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (C.I.B) can coffee obtain a government-issued certificate of guarantee and officially be crowned with the name "Blue Mountain."
02 | Geographical Conditions
Jamaica is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea, and Blue Mountain is the highest peak in the western Caribbean, with an elevation of 2,256 meters. The unique flavor of Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is inseparable from Blue Mountain's superior geographical location and climatic conditions.
Blue Mountain lies in the coffee-growing belt at 25 degrees north latitude, with fertile new volcanic soil, clean and pollution-free air, abundant rainfall year-round, relatively high humidity, and a marked temperature difference between day and night. The soil here is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, very suitable for coffee growth; fertile volcanic soil, regular rainfall, and the hazy cloud cover on the island shielding the sun—these conditions combined are what created the world-renowned Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.
The harvest period for Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is from June to November each year, usually picked by hand. Because the coffee trees all grow on steep slopes, harvesting is extremely difficult, and almost no one but skilled local women workers can handle it. Selecting mature cherries at just the right stage is crucial, as underripe or overripe fruit will drag down coffee quality.
03 | Coffee Grading
Coffee from Jamaica's Blue Mountain region is divided into three grades: Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaica High Mountain Supreme Coffee Beans, and Jamaica Prime Coffee Beans.
Among them, Blue Mountain coffee and High Mountain coffee are each further divided into two levels. In descending order of quality: Blue Mountain No. 1, Blue Mountain No. 2, High Mountain No. 1, High Mountain No. 2, and Jamaica coffee.
The basic standards for Blue Mountain No. 1 green beans are: 17 screen size or above, defect rate below 3%, moisture content around 13%, and so on.
Generally, coffee grown at altitudes between 457 meters and 1,524 meters can be called Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee; coffee grown between 274 meters and 457 meters is called Jamaica coffee. In terms of price, Blue Mountain coffee is several times more expensive than High Mountain coffee. It is mainly distributed across five peaks: John Crow, St. John's Peak, Mossman's Peak, High Peak, and Blue Mountain Peak.
04 | Processing Method
At present, Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee only uses the washed processing method.
The skin, pulp, and mucilage are removed through washing and fermentation. Farms using the washed method must build washing tanks and be able to channel a continuous supply of fresh water. During processing, the skin and pulp are first removed, then the beans are fermented for 12 to 18 hours. After fermentation, the beans are moved back and forth in the tank so that friction between the beans and the flushing of water washes the coffee beans smooth and clean.
After washing, the coffee beans are still wrapped in parchment, with a moisture content of about 50%, and must be dried in the sun to reduce the moisture content to 12% to 14%. The beans are then sorted and stored in dedicated warehouse stacks. These steps must be strictly controlled, otherwise coffee quality will be greatly compromised.
05 | Estate Introductions
WALLENFORD
WALLENFORD Estate is located in the core of the Blue Mountain range—on the slopes of Catherine's Peak at an elevation of about 1,524 meters. The estate has been growing Blue Mountain coffee since 1790. The year-round cold and foggy climate makes the coffee cherries sweet and full-bodied, producing extremely unique, high-quality Blue Mountain beans.
Moreover, while the Jamaican government sold off and privatized most estates, WALLENFORD ESTATE is the only estate retained and directly managed by the government. Its quality control process is the strictest, and it does not pursue excessive commercial operation, but regards maintaining the reputation of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee as its mission.
1. The Jamaica Coffee Board's officially registered logo, used for certification and inspection of exported Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee;
2. The Jamaica Coffee Board (CIB) officially registered BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE? trademark, marking the packaging of authentic Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee;
3. The WALLENFORD COFFEE COMPANY registered trademark, marking the packaging of WALLENFORD Blue Mountain coffee.
Mavis bank
The Munn family has operated the Mavis Bank company since 1885. Back then, its location was slightly higher in elevation than the current site and was named Strawberry Hill. Mavis Bank processes coffee cherries at high altitude, and after trial production with brand-new equipment, the coffee beans improved significantly. Because its processing is truly flawless, the coffee has a mild, smooth taste and good body, sometimes reminiscent of the aroma of high-mountain Dong Ding oolong tea.
R.S.W Blue Mountain
R.S.W Blue Mountain Estate is located in the mountainous area of southeastern Jamaica. R.S.W refers to 100% Blue Mountain coffee produced by its three estates: Resource, Sherwood Forest, and Whitfield Hall. These three locations are planted at elevations of about 700 to 1,600 meters. The mountains are often shrouded in cool mist and clouds, which is very favorable for coffee tree growth. After harvesting, all the cherries are gathered at the Sherwood Forest washing station for processing.
Clifton Mount Estate
Clifton Mount is an ancient coffee origin in Jamaica that is still operating normally today, and it is also Jamaica's only Clifton farm with a "Rainforest Alliance" certification mark.
As early as the mid-eighteenth century (around 1750), Clifton farm had already begun planting and producing coffee. The average elevation of its planting and processing areas is 4,300 feet (1,310.64 meters). Sufficient altitude, gentle afternoon clouds and mist lingering in the mountains to provide shade, ample sunlight, and mineral-rich soil provide good growing conditions for coffee trees and also extend the ripening period of the coffee cherries.
06 | Front Street Blue Mountain Coffee Brewing Suggestions
For daily brewing, the dripper options include: V60, Kalita wave, and KONO are all fine.
Using a KONO dripper, parameters: 15g coffee, water temperature 89 degrees, grind size medium granulated sugar for pour-over, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15, total time about 2:00.
Method: bloom with 25-30g water for 30s, pour the first stage up to 120g and stop; use a vertical stream, a small stream in slow circles; pour the second stage up to 225g, with the stream and circling speed slightly faster to reduce clogging of the dripper by coffee grounds, which could cause over-extraction.
The taste of Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is very clean, complex, very mild, with chocolate sweetness and very strong body. The flavor is rich and aromatic, with the coffee's sweetness, acidity, and bitterness perfectly balanced. It has no bitterness at all, only a moderate and perfect acidity, with a long-lasting fruity finish.
How to identify authentic Blue Mountain?
1. Appearance: Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain green beans are blue-green in color, very neat in appearance, medium to small in size, with slightly raised ends. After roasting, they expand a lot in volume and look very plump.
2. Grinding: Genuine Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee beans grow at high altitude, and their cell structure is relatively loose. When grinding by hand, it feels very crisp, pleasant, and continuous, without any sense of resistance.
3. Aroma: The aroma of Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is very rich and dense; so-called blended Blue Mountain coffee does not have this aroma.
4. Taste: Genuine Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee has a balanced, rich mouthfeel, without any single flavor standing out or feeling lacking. This is also something no other coffee bean can match, and it is the most crucial point for identification.
Authentic Blue Mountain and Blue Mountain flavor are two different concepts. Generally, the latter means using other bean varieties and roasting them to imitate a taste similar to Blue Mountain coffee. "Blue Mountain blend" beans are mixed, vary quite a bit in shape, and are relatively easy to identify. Also, do not believe in "premium Blue Mountain" sold for just a few dozen yuan a pound, or "Blue Mountain coffee" at just over ten yuan a cup.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
