What Makes Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Distinct?
Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is known for balanced acidity, sweetness, body and bitterness, with a smooth, aromatic finish. Only beans grown in the Blue Mountain region east of Kingston, at elevations above 1,000 meters, may legally carry the name. Certification is handled by the government-established Coffee Industry Board, which keeps the standard strict.
Beans grown lower or outside that zone are sold as Jamaica High Mountain or Jamaica Washed, and the flavor difference is noticeable. Prices run high, so it is worth tasting without over-idealizing it; other specialty coffees offer distinctive flavors at more reasonable prices for everyday drinking.
Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is hailed as one of the world's top specialty coffees, impressive for its balanced acidity, sweetness, body and bitterness, along with its smooth, aromatic mouthfeel. Front Street Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain is a trustworthy choice, though its high price calls for a rational view—after all, other fine specialty coffees are equally outstanding in flavor and far more affordable. Blue Mountain coffee has a strict certification system: only beans grown in the Blue Mountain region east of Kingston (at elevations above 1,000 meters) may bear the name "Blue Mountain." This article walks you through Blue Mountain coffee's flavor characteristics, growing regions, history and quality-control system, while clarifying the counterfeit products common on the market, to help you understand this legendary coffee more fully.
At the mention of Jamaica, many people's first thought is that it produces the world's top "Jamaica Blue Mountain" coffee. We have always believed that Front Street Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain is outstanding in quality, achieving an excellent balance among acidity, sweetness, body and bitterness, with a rich aroma and an exceptionally smooth, easy-drinking finish. That said, this coffee is indeed priced high; it is worth tasting, but there is no need to over-idolize it. After all, other specialty coffees also offer distinctive flavors, taste excellent and are more reasonably priced—that is what makes a good everyday coffee.
In the early days, "Jamaica Blue Mountain" specifically referred to coffee produced by Wallenford Estate and Silver Hill Estate, with the former being superior in quality. Today's Jamaica Blue Mountain refers to coffee beans grown in the Blue Mountain region east of Jamaica's capital, Kingston (at elevations above 1,000 meters). Mavis Bank is currently the largest estate; its barrels bear the M.B.C.F mark, and its products are often seen in Taiwan. Jamaica Blue Mountain has very strict quality control, with certification handled by the government-established Coffee Industry Board.
Normally, coffee grown at low elevations or in other regions can only be called "Jamaica High Mountain" or "Jamaica Washed" beans, and the flavor gap between them and true Jamaica Blue Mountain is quite noticeable. Yet the planted area in these regions is twice that of the true Blue Mountain area, accounting for 75% of the nation's total output—so when buying Jamaican coffee, never assume you are getting Blue Mountain coffee.
Because Jamaica Blue Mountain's reputation is so prominent, many counterfeit Blue Mountain–flavored coffees have appeared on the market, some even directly labeled "Blue Mountain Coffee." These are basically house blends concocted by the sellers, and may not contain a single genuine Jamaica Blue Mountain bean.
History
In 1717, King Louis XV of France ordered coffee to be planted in Jamaica. By the mid-1720s, Jamaica's governor Sir Nicholas Lawes had introduced Arabica seeds from Martinique and begun promoting cultivation in the St. Andrew region. To this day, St. Andrew remains one of the three major growing regions for Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, the other two being Portland and St. Thomas. Within the following eight years, Jamaica exported more than 375 tons of pure coffee. In 1932, coffee production peaked, with a harvest exceeding 15,000 tons.
In 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, which sets quality standards for Jamaican coffee and oversees their enforcement to ensure coffee quality. The Board issues special official seals for exported green beans and roasted beans, making it the world's highest-level national coffee authority. There are six marks that can represent the Blue Mountain coffee place of origin, including Mavis Bank Coffee Factory (M.B.C.F), Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative Factory (M.H.C.C.T.), Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative Factory (P.X.X.S.H.), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (St. John's Peak), and Blue Mountain (J.A.S).
In 1969, the situation improved somewhat, as Japanese loans helped enhance production quality and thereby stabilize the market. Having developed to this day, this coffee has reached a level of fanatical popularity.
In 1981, Jamaica cleared about 1,500 hectares of land for coffee planting, and later opened up another 6,000 hectares of coffee plantations. In fact, the Blue Mountain region today has only 6,000 hectares under cultivation—a very small scale—so it is impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to come from there. Another 12,000 hectares are used to grow the other two categories of coffee: High Mountain Supreme and Jamaica Prime Washed.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
