Review of Jamaican Blue mountain
(What were
meant as a review, transformed in to a guide about storage and purchase
advises.)
As a gift I
was given a small bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain pre-roasted coffee beans. This
bag were in the same gift basket as the Kopi Luwak I have written a
review(link) about. Opening the bag I was again disappointed. No aromas, only
blank, flat coffee-like notes. Coffee from the supermarket smells richer than
this. I brewed it only as French press, and it was a good coffee. But in no way
mind blowing. I am starting to think the beans itself is not the issue. They
must have been mistreated in some way. I have talked to other coffee
enthusiast, who commends this particular coffee very much. Starting the
detective work, I took contact to a friend of mine, living close to the shop
were the beans were purchased. He went down there, and could report back to me,
that the roasted beans are kept in a glass bowl, not even with a lid on it, in
the sun…
What we’re
supposed to be a review of a discussed and highly recognized coffee, from the
legendary blue mountains of Jamaica, has become a lesson in the great
importance of storing coffee the correct way.
Roasted
coffee beans are extremely fragile to oxygen and sunlight. It’s essential that
they are kept in a dark and airtight bin or bag. The best possible option is a
special container with a one way valve, letting gasses out, keeping oxygen from
getting in. Hendrup has made a very good and enlightening guide about this
topic, running over three posts.
The lesson
of this topic is that even the best and most expensive coffees can be ruined in
several links of processing. The first link is the farmer, if he doesn’t care
about the coffee plants, harvest or the after-harvest process it is most likely
impossible to get good coffee from the bean.
Next is the roast master. Learning
the art of roasting, and getting the best flavors out of a particular bean, is
a craft which takes years and years of practice, building and learning skills.
After roasting comes the storage and packing. As mentioned a one way valve bag
is the optimal and most common way. Kept dark, and at room temperature. Many people
storage their roasted beans, in the refrigerator, or even the freezer. This is supposed
to keep the volatile aromas in the beans. This is an option; it should actually
work quite well. But I prefer buying only what I can consume while the beans
are fresh. This way I only get the best product.
Different size Co2 bags - all with the same qualities |
Last
but not least is the brewing. There are so many techniques for brewing coffee
that I won’t get in to it in this post. Essentially for all brew methods, is to
read and learn about the best way to extract your ground beans, with your
chosen way of brew. Learning the basics first, and then experience what suits
you and your taste buds along the way. It is a long way with tons of trial and
error. But that’s what makes it exciting and fun.
The best
way of always getting fresh beans, and being sure of the quality, is to roast
them yourself. This is a whole new adventure, with even more money and time
spend. If you don’t have the time or interest in roasting, here is some things
to look for when buying coffee.
Usually you get what you pay for. Cheap coffee
from the local supermarket is not worth the time if you are looking for a fantastic
coffee experience. Find a store specialized in dealing fresh and good coffee , which
has been pampered from the time the coffee plant was put in the ground.
Look
for the roasting date; get it when it is no more than a couple of days old if
possible. If you can’t find a date, don’t buy it. A roast master confident of
his product will always date the roast.
Quality coffee are always kept in a one
way valve bag, this way the roast master are certain that his product are
delivered the best possible way.
If you look
for these few things when purchasing, storage and brewing your coffee, you are
most likely to get a great coffee experience.
It is a lot
more expensive, but much more satisfying. Drinking coffee this way, it teaches
you to enjoy, more than need coffee. The usual household pores down coffee,
because it is a regular part of the day. Do yourself the favor of learning what
really great coffee is.
Closing up,
I want to specify that I still don’t know if Jamaican Blue Mountain is a nice
cup of coffee… I still have that experience to look forward at. For what I have
heard, a fresh newly roasted, correct brewed Jamaican Blue Mountain bean is a
heavenly, soft and smooth drink.
Best
regards
Caspar
Unfortunately looks like what you got may not have even been authentic, let alone fresh. Only coffee bearing a seal from the Coffee Board of Jamaica is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. If it does not bear the trademark, it's not the real thing.
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