The “Rolls Royce” of coffees as it is often referred to has a deep history rooted in the Jamaican soil. Jamaica got its start to Coffee when in 1728 the Governor of Martinique sent the governor of Jamaica one coffee plant. When planted in the rich and well drained Jamaican soil the coffee grew with vigor. Within nine years the Jamaican coffee industry was born with an initial shipment of 83,000 lbs.
Although coffee is grown throughout the island the coffee Jamaica is really known for is Blue Mountain Coffee. Blue Mountain Coffee gets its name because it is grown in the Blue Mountains North of Kingston. These Mountains peak at an altitude of 7,402 feet. The climate of this region is cool and misty with high rainfall. The soil is rich and well drained. This combination of climate and soil is considered ideal for coffee. Jamaican coffee comes from the Arabica bean, a bean which is far more fragile and flavorful then the more common Robusta bean. It also contains less caffeine than Robusta coffee.
For years the coffee industry in Jamaica was unregulated. In 1950 the islands larger roasters agreed on a governing body to improve the quality and reputation of the coffee. Thus the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board began. This board regulates all coffee exports greater then ten pounds for consistency and quality as well they certify each qualifying shipment as 100% Blue Mountain Coffee. Currently there are only five authorized roasters of Blue Mountain Coffee on the island. Coffee Roasters of Jamaica is one of them.
Do to the high prices 100% Blue Mountain Coffee can fetch by coffee aficionados a large counterfeit industry has developed. This makes it even more important for one to purchase only certified coffee from a licensed roaster. Many coffee growers who produce at lower altitudes have been known to mislabel their products as Blue Mountain. In fact coffee grown outside the Blue Mountain region is referred to as Jamaica High Mountain coffee and coffee grown in the Blue Mountains but at a lower altitude is referred to as Blue Mountain Valley coffee.
100% Blue Mountain coffee is known for its intense bold aroma, good acidity, exquisite flavor, a clean and refined taste, an unusual sweetness and an excellent body. Jamaica High Mountain coffee has a comparable body and balance but tends to be a bit more acidic. Blue Mountain Valley Coffee is delicate to bland in flavor, rich in acid and medium bodied.
Jamaica currently produces around 4,000,000lbs of coffee annually. Roughly 85% of this coffee is exported to Japan for resale where it can fetch as much as $18 a cup. The remaining coffee is sold to the islands hotels and resellers and whats left is shipped to other areas of the world; primarily the US. Since the quantity available for sale in the United states is minimal and the demand is extremely high. The prices for true 100% Blue Mountain Coffee have soared. We at Jamaican Mountain Coffee pride ourselves on only selling the best certified 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee at competitive prices.
"Enjoy the best Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee even after you have left the island!"
