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Jamaica Blue Mountain Natural coffee
Jamaica Blue Mountain Natural Typica Coffee
Coffee producing country: Jamaica
Coffee growing region: Blue Mountains
Coffee estate: Clifton Estate
Growing altitude: 1300meters
Coffee variety: Typica
Processing method: Natural process
Coffee growing region
The Blue Mountains are located on the eastern part of the island of Jamaica ( Jamaica). The mountain is named for the way the sun shines directly onto the sparkling blue sea surrounding it on clear days, with the peaks reflecting the brilliant blue light of the water.
Located within the coffee-growing belt, the Blue Mountains boast fertile volcanic soil, fresh unpolluted air, a humid climate, and are perpetually shrouded in fog and rain (with average annual precipitation of 1980mm and temperatures around 27°C), creating the world-renowned Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.
Certified Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee can only be grown in the Blue Mountain region, situated in the northeastern part of Kingston, Jamaica. The ridge that traverses Jamaica extends to the eastern part of the island, with the Blue Mountains rising over 2100meters.
Here, coffee trees are intercropped with banana and avocado trees along terraces.
Meanwhile, the rugged terrain (with all coffee trees planted on steep slopes) makes harvesting extremely difficult, requiring skilled local female workers to manage.
Selecting perfectly ripe coffee cherries at harvest is also crucial, as underripe or overripe cherries can negatively affect the coffee’s quality.
This Blue Mountain coffee comes from the Clifton Estate, which is one of the oldest continuously operating coffee-growing regions in Jamaica and the only estate on the island with “rainforest ”certification.
Coffee cultivation and production at Clifton Estate began as early as the mid-18th century (around 1750). The estate’s coffee farms and processing areas are located at an average elevation of 4300feet ( 1310.64meters). The sufficient altitude, gentle mountain cloud cover in the afternoon, ample sunlight, and mineral-rich soil provide ideal growing conditions for the coffee trees and extend the maturation period of the coffee cherries.
Coffee variety
The coffee variety of Blue Mountain is Typica.
The Typica variety features bronze-tipped leaves, long oval-shaped leaf blades with smooth surfaces, tall and slender trees with slightly leaning branches. It offers elegant flavors but is relatively delicate and prone to disease, yielding very low fruit production per tree.
The Typica coffee tree has long terminal branches with few offshoots, white flowers blooming at the base where the petiole connects to the branch, and mature coffee fruits that are bright red and cherry-like in shape, with oval or pointed elliptical beans.
Processing method
Traditionally, Blue Mountain coffee was only processed using the washed method, but since last year, some producers have begun experimenting with the natural process for Blue Mountain coffee cherries, and this year, Puerh Coffee finally got a taste of natural-process Blue Mountain.
The washed process first removes the skin and pulp using machines, then removes the mucilage layer through fermentation. After fermentation, the coffee beans are dried to a moisture content of around 12%before being stored until export.
In contrast, the natural process dries the coffee cherries directly, reducing the moisture content to around 11%before removing the pulp and other parts.
Washed coffee beans, having had their skin, pulp, and mucilage removed, have lower moisture content and shorter drying times, highlighting the coffee’s aroma and acidity. In comparison, the natural process requires longer drying times, which is a more risky procedure.
On one hand, it demands more labor to turn the coffee cherries at intervals to prevent mold. On the other hand, the natural drying method is highly dependent on weather conditions, being more suitable for hot and low-rainfall regions—a challenging process for the foggy and rainy Blue Mountains.
Roasting profile
