Why Does Blue Mountain Coffee Cost So Much?

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee commands high prices because of limited growing area, strict certification, and strong overseas demand. The Coffee Industry Board defines the Blue Mountain region, controls processing and trademark use, and only beans grown there can carry the name. That scarcity, combined with decades of Japanese market involvement that shaped pricing, keeps retail prices well above average specialty beans.

The variety arrived in 1728 when Governor Nicholas Lawes brought Arabica seeds from Hispaniola and planted them in the St. Andrew hills. Coffee spread slowly, partly because British taxes favored tea. Today the familiar barrel packaging, the gap between green bean and roasted bean prices, and pour-over brewing all reflect this history and the flavor profile buyers look for in the cup.

Blue Mountain coffee is hailed as one of the most expensive coffees in the world, but where exactly does its high price come from? Many people only know it is expensive, yet are unaware of its actual price and the historical context behind it. This article, from Front Street's perspective, systematically sorts out the origin overview, development history, and price factors of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee: from the introduction of the first Arabica seeds in 1728, to the CIB delineating the Blue Mountain production region and registering the trademark of origin, to the deep involvement of the Japanese market and the transfer of pricing power, and the official opening of the Chinese mainland market. At the same time, the article also introduces the barrel packaging tradition of Blue Mountain coffee, the premium space between green beans and roasted beans, and includes Front Street's recommended pour-over parameters and flavor description, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand this legendary coffee.

Anyone with even a slight interest in coffee has mostly heard of the name Jamaican Blue Mountain, and generally knows it is quite expensive. However, not many people can truly explain why it is so expensive. Furthermore, many people may not even know the current actual selling price of Blue Mountain coffee. For this reason, Front Street intends to use this article to sort out some basic knowledge about Blue Mountain coffee for everyone.

Before discussing Blue Mountain, it is necessary to clarify one fact: there is often a considerable gap between the various myths surrounding this coffee and the real current market situation.

The clock turns back to 1728, when Sir Nicholas Lawes, then Governor of Jamaica, brought the first batch of Arabica coffee seeds from Hispaniola (today's Haiti) to Jamaica and planted them on his high-altitude hillside in the St. Andrew area.

At that time, two-thirds of Jamaica's land was steep mountainous terrain, unsuitable for growing sugarcane. Coffee was introduced as an alternative crop, not originally for economic gain, but more to develop the mountainous areas and consolidate colonial rule. Moreover, at that time the British government imposed heavy taxes on coffee in order to encourage tea consumption.

Thus, coffee spread through Jamaica in a lukewarm manner. During the colonial period, with limited technology and a small market, most coffee plantations were of little value, and owners frequently bought and sold them. Sales contracts included not only the number of coffee trees but even the number of male and female slaves engaged in cultivation.

By 1790, the British government sharply reduced coffee taxes, and Jamaica's coffee industry finally experienced a strong wave of growth.

Despite the impact of the War of 1812 to 1814 between Britain and the United States, Jamaica still leapt to become the world's largest coffee exporter, with exports reaching about 34 million pounds in 1814. However, no one expected that this would be the most glorious peak of Jamaican coffee to date, and no year since then has been able to reproduce this export figure.

In 1838, with the abolition of slavery in the British Caribbean, a large number of freed coffee growers left the plantations. Many estates were sold or divided into small plots of land, and some estates were sold or rented to local farmers. After this upheaval, both the production and quality of Jamaican coffee declined sharply.

In 1948, the Jamaican government established the Coffee Industry Board, with the goal of improving coffee quality and revitalizing the export business.

In 1952, this institution was upgraded to the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (Coffee Industry Board, CIB for short), playing an increasingly key role in the development of Jamaica's coffee industry.

In 1953, the CIB delineated an area of about 6,000 hectares in the Blue Mountain Range and clearly stipulated that only coffee produced within this area was eligible to bear the name "Blue Mountain Coffee." Coffee from other regions was called High Mountain Coffee. High Mountain Coffee has limited output and mainly supplies the tourism market and local consumption. Even if some of it is not inferior to Blue Mountain coffee in quality, it is difficult to match it in fame and price, so its production has shrunk year by year.

In 1980, Blue Mountain coffee was already internationally renowned, and some unscrupulous merchants began selling counterfeit products and arbitrarily attaching the "Blue Mountain Coffee" label.

Between 1984 and 1985, the market-savvy CIB designed and registered the "Blue Mountain Coffee" trademark. The trademark is owned by the CIB, and its use and management are extremely strict. This measure can be called one of the most successful marketing cases in coffee history. It not only cleverly protected genuine Blue Mountain coffee beans but also further consolidated the market prestige of Blue Mountain coffee.

In 1988, a hurricane almost destroyed Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee farms, and several Japanese trading companies jointly provided large loans to several of the finest coffee plantations in the Blue Mountain region. Japanese coffee merchants also took this opportunity to become deeply involved in the production and sales of Blue Mountain coffee. Using priority purchasing rights, they almost monopolized the entire high-quality Blue Mountain market, directly causing prices in Europe, North America, and elsewhere to remain high. In 1992, Jamaica sold 688 tons of Blue Mountain coffee to Japan, 75 tons to the United States, and 59 tons to the United Kingdom. Today, 90% of harvested Blue Mountain coffee is bought by Japanese buyers. Pricing power is in the hands of Japanese buyers, and Blue Mountain coffee has thus embarked on the path of sky-high prices. In addition, after 1992, China's coastal regions entered a period of rapid development. At that time, only major hotels and state guesthouses in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing were equipped with Blue Mountain coffee, which also subtly led Chinese people to form the impression that "Blue Mountain coffee is the highest-grade coffee bean."

In 2018, the CIB was merged into the newly established Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, or JACRA for short.

Packaging in wooden barrels is a major feature of Blue Mountain coffee.

Blue Mountain coffee differs from other coffees in its mode of transportation. It is loaded in barrels with a capacity of 70 kilograms. This kind of barrel is an imitation of the Bonifieur barrels produced on Guadeloupe in the previous century. The barrels were originally used to load flour shipped from the United Kingdom to Jamaica, and usually bore trademarks and the names of manufacturers. The Coffee Industry Board issues certificates for all genuine Jamaican coffee and stamps approval seals at the exporter's premises.

The Jamaican government used to always insist that all Blue Mountain coffee was roasted locally in Jamaica to ensure unchanged quality. In fact, roasting is a fine art, and doing this work well requires experience, training, and expensive facilities. From the consumer's point of view, coffee beans should be obtained and drunk immediately after roasting. Local roasting in Jamaica cannot satisfy this requirement, and today Jamaican green coffee beans can already be exported. Later, according to market demand, medium and small barrels of 15 kilograms and 30 kilograms were also introduced.

Is there no real Blue Mountain coffee in China?

You must have heard that Blue Mountain coffee is monopolized by the Japanese, and that there is no real Blue Mountain in mainland China. Obviously, people who hold this view do not pay attention to the news, and their thinking is still stuck 20 years ago.

Until 2010, mainland China did not have a quota to buy Blue Mountain coffee directly from Jamaica. After the 2008 economic crisis, Jamaica tried to break away from dependence on a single coffee buyer. It happened that the agreement signed with Japan expired, and the quota for Blue Mountain coffee beans gradually opened to more countries. According to media reports, in July 2010, the Hangzhou Coffee and Western Food Industry Association was invited to visit Jamaica and signed a letter of intent for cooperation as the sole general agent for Blue Mountain coffee green beans in China. In May 2011, the first container of Blue Mountain coffee green beans arrived at Ningbo Port. This should have been the first time Blue Mountain coffee beans officially entered the Chinese mainland market.

The first batch of Blue Mountain coffee beans to enter China did not change the situation of scarcity, nor did Blue Mountain coffee show any trend of price reduction. On the contrary, China's demand for Blue Mountain coffee has only increased. As of 2021, data from Jamaica's Ministry of Agriculture shows that China has become one of the top four importers of Blue Mountain coffee.

However, the premium from green beans to roasted beans for Blue Mountain coffee is very large. Taking Blue Mountain green beans sold on Taobao as an example, the already marked-up green bean price is 550 yuan/1 kg. After deducting the evaporated weight from roasting, calculated at a price of 100 g of roasted beans per pack, the green bean cost is 68 yuan. In other words, Blue Mountain coffee beans with a green bean cost of 68 yuan can sell for 300-400 yuan.

Many people find it very unbelievable that Front Street's Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee beans sell for only 158 yuan/100 g, and some have questioned it. But if you know the cost of the green beans, you will find that Front Street's selling price is very reasonable.

What does Blue Mountain coffee taste like?

Some friends have only heard of the great reputation of Blue Mountain coffee but have never tasted its charm. If you happen to have bought a bag of Blue Mountain coffee beans, you might as well see how Front Street brews it.

Front Street recommends using the pour-over method to brew Blue Mountain coffee beans. It is best to use freshly roasted beans that have been properly rested, as this will make the flavor and mouthfeel of Blue Mountain coffee even better. If you are buying Front Street's coffee beans, Front Street will send coffee beans roasted within 5 days. After 1-2 days of logistics, by the time they reach you they will have just passed the 4-7 day resting period, which is exactly the period when the coffee flavor is at its best.

As for brewing equipment, Front Street recommends using a Kono dripper, which makes it easier to brew out the rich and sweet mouthfeel characteristic of Blue Mountain coffee.

The recommended parameters are as follows:

Dose: 15 grams

Grind size: medium-coarse, 75% passing a No. 20 sieve

Ratio: 1:15

Water temperature: 87°C

Technique: three-stage pour

For the first stage, pour 30 ml of water and bloom for 30 seconds;

For the second stage, pour 100 ml of water, circling from the center outward and then back to the center.

For the third stage, begin when the water level drops to almost exposing the coffee bed, and pour 95 ml of water,

Finish after all the coffee liquid has dripped through. The time is 2 minutes.

The flavor and mouthfeel characteristics of Blue Mountain coffee: balanced acidity, sweetness, and bitterness; full-bodied; creamy mouthfeel; nutty and chocolate flavors.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.