What's on the barrel of Blue Mountain Coffee beans?

As the only coffee producing country in the world that uses barrel packaging for export, the name of Blue Mountain Coffee is estimated to have been heard of by everyone. In other countries are using sacks packaging, barrel design is both special and noble. The success of Blue Mountain Coffee is due to the establishment and operation of this association, which has become famous all over the world.

In 1948, the Jamaica government set up the Coffee Industry Management Office to save the local coffee industry from the downturn. At that time, it began to improve the quality of coffee beans and develop export business. In 1952, the office was upgraded to the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (CIB). Thus, Jamaica became the first country in the world to establish a regulatory mechanism for the coffee production sector.

CIB is the emergence of Blue Mountain coffee in the international market is famous. Because Jamaica is geographically limited (it is an island) and has less land to grow coffee (i.e., the Blue Mountains), it is difficult to increase production. If you want to increase revenue by growing coffee, you have to develop boutique trends. In order to make Blue Mountain coffee of higher quality, CIB's main tasks are to develop grades, planting techniques and strict quality control.

CIB defines an area in the Blue Mountains where coffee can be grown only as Blue Mountain Coffee (this area is above 915 meters above sea level), and outside the area will be sold under the names Jamaica Alpine Coffee and Jamaica Preferred Coffee. In the later stage, the green beans were graded according to their size, color, uniformity, defect rate, moisture content and cup test performance. Blue Mountain Coffee is divided into four grades: Blue Mountain 1, Blue Mountain 2, Blue Mountain 3, Blue Mountain Round Bean.

Blue Mountain Coffee is the only coffee in the world that is packaged in barrels. The barrels are made of Aspen wood and are shaped like small wine barrels. There are 3 specifications: 70kg, 30kg, 15kg. Blue Mountain beans in barrels are packed in moisture-proof bags before being placed in round barrels to maintain the quality of the beans during transportation.

The advantage of the barrel is to absorb and release the internal and external humidity, and isolate the aroma of the coffee beans from outflow, so that the coffee beans maintain a more stable moisture content, so that the later roasting is more stable. Later, the barrel also became one of the important signs for the public to identify authentic Blue Mountain coffee.

However, not all Blue Mountain coffee beans will be transported in barrels, and barrels are also limited. Take Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee as an example. Only the first four grades can be used (Blue Mountain No.1, Blue Mountain No.2, Blue Mountain No.3, PB). Those that do not meet the requirements can only be packed in sacks.

With the arrival of the latest batch of Blue Mountain No.1 coffee beans, Front Street has also received Blue Mountain barrels marked with the latest design. Let's take a look at what information it has.

First of all, there is a label on the Blue Mountain coffee barrel specially designed by CIB in 1984-1985 to be attached only to the lid of 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. The number "1" engraved on the lid indicates that the bean belongs to the Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 grade, which is the highest grade in Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

The upper half of the barrel will be printed with the name of the estate where the coffee was produced (Clifton Estate), and the middle part will be G (gross weight: 34.5), T (barrel weight:4.5), N (net weight: 30) weight units.

The lower edge of the barrel is engraved with the label of Jamaica production. Each batch of Blue Mountain coffee exported from Jamaica will have a quality inspection number called ICO number.

Jamaica barrels used to have a green water frog stamped on them, the Rainforest Alliance logo. These new barrels don't. The latest barrel also features Clifton Manor's exclusive logo, a lion head that combines Jamaica reggae style with braids.

- END -

Front Street Cafe

No.10 Baoanqian Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province