How does Blue Mountain coffee grading work?
Jamaica sorts Blue Mountain family coffees into three tiers based on growing altitude and green bean size: Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaican High Mountain Coffee, and Jamaican Prime Washed Coffee. High-grade Blue Mountain is then split by screen size into No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, which taste similar and differ mainly in bean size.
No. 1 beans measure 17 to 18 mesh or above and No. 2 beans 16 mesh, and high-grade lots ship in wooden barrels. Beans from mid- to low-altitude areas fall under the Prime Washed category and are usually sold as Jamaican coffee. Amber No. 1 typically costs several hundred yuan more per pound than Blue Mountain No. 1.
Blue Mountain coffee is one of the world's recognized top-tier coffees, yet its grading system is often overlooked by enthusiasts. Based on growing altitude and green bean size, Jamaica divides Blue Mountain family coffees into three major categories: Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaican High Mountain Coffee, and Jamaican Prime Washed Coffee. Among these, high-grade Blue Mountain is further subdivided by screen size into No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3; they taste similar and differ only in size, and all are packed in wooden barrels for export. This article systematically sorts out the logic of Blue Mountain coffee's grade classification, the characteristics of each tier, and common purchasing knowledge, and includes related product recommendations from Front Street Coffee to help readers fully understand the grading framework of this Caribbean legend coffee.
When talking about top-tier beans in coffee circles, Blue Mountain is almost an unavoidable name, often crowned with praise such as "the world's finest coffee." Like the vast majority of coffee beans, Blue Mountain coffee is not a single specification but is divided into different grades according to certain standards.
The Blue Mountains lie in the eastern part of the island of Jamaica. The mountains got their name because the Caribbean Sea surrounds them; on clear days, when sunlight falls directly on the azure sea, the peaks reflect the sea's dazzling blue sheen. The mountains rise over 2,100 meters above sea level, with a cool climate, lingering mist, and quite abundant rainfall. It is precisely this harmony of land, water, and rain that gives birth to the world-renowned Blue Mountain coffee.
Based on the altitude of the mountain where the coffee farm is located and the size of the green beans, Blue Mountain coffee is divided into three tiers: Blue Mountain Jamaican, High Mountain Jamaican, and Prime Washed Jamaican. Ordinary coffee produced in Jamaica is usually simply called "Jamaican coffee," mostly from mid- to low-altitude mountain areas, and belongs to the Prime Washed category. Between the specialty Blue Mountain No. 1 beans (BLUE MOUNTAIN NO.1) and Amber No. 1 beans (AMBER NO.1), the latter costs 300 to 400 yuan more per pound than the former.
High-grade Blue Mountain coffee is further divided by screen size into three levels: No. 1 beans are 17 to 18 mesh or above, No. 2 beans are 16 mesh, and No. 3 beans are 15 mesh. Here, 17 mesh corresponds to a size of 17/64 inch. These three levels show no difference in taste and all must be confirmed by cup testing by dedicated personnel approved by the Jamaican government; the only difference is bean size. Green beans of these three grades must all be packed in wooden barrels before they can be exported overseas, and the barrel specifications come in three types: 70 kg per barrel, 30 kg per barrel, and 15 kg per barrel.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
