Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is a coffee with a reputation, and a great one at that! In fact, many actually consider this beverage to the finest quality coffee in the world; what more could you possibly want from your morning cup. There are a number of factors to account for when examining this coffee’s popularity; perfect climate conditions, high altitudes, and attentive coffee farmers are arguably most important.

Certification is also required, which means that any coffee recognised as a ‘Jamaican Blue Mountain’ must be specifically grown within the Jamaican parishes of Portland, St. Andrew, St. Mary, or St. Thomas. Altitudes, meanwhile, must be between three and five and a half thousand feet. These combined qualities ensure that Jamaican Blue Mountain boasts a smooth, polished flavour with mild acidity and subtly bitter undertones. An aromatic infusion of sweet herbs, florals, and nuts, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is a true delight to the senses.

To fully understand the fame surrounding Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, we must first delve deeper into its history, as well as the history of coffee in the Caribbean as a whole. Beginning with little more than a handful of saplings, it is said that the King of France, Louis XV, made the decision to introduce coffee to the French colony of Martinique in 1723.

Located approximately 1,200 miles from Jamaica, the cultivation of coffee in Martinique was very successful and soon kick-started the expansion of coffee farming in the Caribbean. By 1730, the British Governor of Jamaica, Sir Nicholas Lawes, brought some coffee plants from Martinique and introduced it to his own island. The initial planting was in the foothills of St. Andrews parish, with cultivation eventually spreading throughout the rest of the Blue Mountains.

Compared with Martinique’s coffee production, coffee to originate from Jamaica was, at first, relatively limited in terms of quantity. In 1752, some 20 years after its introduction to the country, exports of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee (as it was later known) amounted to a mere 60,000 pounds. A short-lived spike occurred in the late 18th Century following the establishment of around 600 coffee plantations in Jamaica.

By 1850, however, there were only around 150 still producing. Why such a dramatic fluctuation took place is due to several factors. First of all, in August 1833, the Slave Emancipation Act was passed in Britain, giving all slaves in the British Empire their freedom, albeit after a set period of years. This wonderful and truly historic piece of legislature changed the lives of many, although it also greatly impacted coffee farming productively in Jamaica. Following this bold (and right) move by the British government, further difficulties would arise from the lack of paid labour, as well as price fluctuations and, perhaps most importantly, the weather.

For decades, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee was left in a relative state of obscurity until the dawn of the 20th Century, when its popularity began to gradually rise once more. Today, the pattern of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee being grown on a plantation scale has been changed and the industry has been maintained mainly by smallholders. The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica, meanwhile, has since overseen any quality issues besetting these smallholders, ensuring that whenever you brew up a cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain you are getting nothing but the best!

Type of Beans: Arabica.

Profile: Single Origin.

Origin: The Blue Mountains, Jamaica.

How to Serve: Milk may be considered; however; The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company recommend this brew best served as it is.

Tasting Notes: Mellow, rounded, and clean, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is renowned for its mild acidity.