What sets the Jamaican coffee grading system apart?
Jamaica grades its coffee by elevation, bean screen size, and defect rate, which is why Blue Mountain, High Mountain, and Prime lots carry very different prices. Blue Mountain coffee must be grown between roughly 900 and 1,700 meters in the Blue Mountain Range, while lower elevations fall into the High Mountain and Jamaica Prime categories.
The island's coffee history reaches back to the 18th century, when Arabica seeds were introduced from Martinique and planted in the St. Andrew region. The CIB, Jamaica's coffee industry board, sets the grade parameters, and beans that clear the top thresholds are sold as Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1.
The status of Blue Mountain coffee in the coffee world is almost universally known; even those who don't drink coffee often have heard the name. How exactly is Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee graded? From Blue Mountain to High Mountain to Prime, what are the elevation thresholds, screen size requirements, and defect rate standards for each grade? This article will guide you through a systematic understanding of Jamaica's coffee grading system, from the history of the producing region and the geographical conditions of the Blue Mountain Range to the specific grade parameters stipulated by the CIB, and introduce the Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee on Front Street Coffee's bean list, helping you gain a comprehensive understanding of the strict standards for this world-class coffee.
Introduction to the Grade Standards of Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee
In the coffee world, the fame of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee can be said to be a household name, with a long heritage history. Even those who don't drink coffee regularly have more or less heard of the Blue Mountain name when coffee is mentioned. Today, let's talk about the grading of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans and the set of standards behind it.
Jamaica is an island country located in the Caribbean Sea, with a population predominantly of Black and Mulatto people, accounting for over ninety percent, and most residents are Christian. Jamaica's coffee cultivation history can be traced back to the 18th century. In 1717, King Louis XV of France ordered coffee to be planted in Jamaica; by the mid-1720s, Jamaica's Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes introduced Arabica seeds from Martinique and began promoting cultivation in the St. Andrew region. After coffee trees were introduced to Jamaica, they took root in the Blue Mountain Range. Based on elevation, they are divided into Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, High Mountain Coffee, and Jamaican Coffee, with different grades and vastly different prices.
The Blue Mountain Range is located in the eastern part of the island of Jamaica. Because the Caribbean Sea surrounds it, whenever the weather clears, sunlight shines directly on the azure sea, and the peaks reflect the blue radiance refracted by the seawater, hence the name Blue Mountain. The highest peak of the Blue Mountains is 2256 meters above sea level (elevation 2256m, only below 1700m can coffee be grown, above that is protected forest), making it the highest peak in the entire Caribbean region and a well-known tourist destination. This area is within the coffee belt, with fertile volcanic soil, clean and pollution-free air, a humid climate, and frequent fog and rain year-round, with an average annual precipitation of about 1980 millimeters and temperatures maintained around 27 degrees. It is precisely these natural conditions that have nurtured the world-renowned Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and made it one of the most expensive coffees in the world.
Only Blue Mountain coffee grown at elevations of 800 meters or above can be considered authentic Blue Mountain coffee. The Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee on FrontStreet Coffee's bean list is grown at an elevation of 1310 meters and comes from Clifton Mount Estate.
According to CIB regulations, only coffee grown at elevations above 666 meters in the Jamaica Blue Mountain region is eligible to be called Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee; coffee produced below 666 meters in the Blue Mountain region is called Jamaican High Mountain Coffee. Coffee produced below 666 meters in the Jamaica Blue Mountain region is also called Jamaican High Mountain Coffee. Its grades are divided by bean size into NO.1, NO.2, NO.3, and hand-selected PB. Among them, the basic standards for NO.1 Blue Mountain green beans are: beans above 17 mesh, defect rate below 3%, moisture content about 13%, etc.
The elevation requirement for Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is above 910 meters to 1700 meters. NO.1 grade requires above 17 mesh, with defective beans less than 3%; NO.2 grade requires above 16 mesh, with defective beans less than 3%; NO.3 grade requires above 15 mesh, with defective beans less than 3%; PB grade requires above 14 mesh, with defective beans less than 3%.
The elevation requirement for Jamaican High Mountain Coffee is above 460 meters to 910 meters. NO.1 grade requires above 17 mesh, with defective beans less than 3%; NO.2 grade requires above 16 mesh, with defective beans less than 3%; NO.3 grade requires above 15 mesh, with defective beans less than 3%; PB grade requires above 14 mesh, with defective beans less than 3%.
Jamaican Prime Coffee is grown at elevations below 460 meters, with a mesh range of 15 to 17 mesh, and a defect rate of less than 3%.
From these standards, it is not difficult to see that Jamaican coffee undergoes extremely rigorous screening, and its quality is quite solid.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
