Jamaica Blue Mountain

Blue Mountain coffee: the caviar of coffee

There are many premium coffees, but few match the taste, fame, and excellence of the Jamaican Blue Mountain beans. It's no coincidence that connoisseurs have dubbed this variety "the caviar of coffee."

Introduced to the island more than 300 years ago, Blue Mountain flourishes in the rich soil and constantly humid climate.

The local soil promotes the growth of a unique variety of Arabica, which, due to its atypical location and distinct taste, fuels the fame of the Blue Mountain coffee beans.

Obtaining a bag of Jamaican coffee beans is not easy: on the one hand, Blue Mountain coffee is well known for its high price, and on the other hand, Japan annually consumes 80% of the export of this already limited coffee production.

Fortunately, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is still available on the market. The price—due to the high quality and limited production—is high but not out of reach.

However, to better understand the origin of the myth, it’s important to know the properties that make the taste of these beans so sought after and understand why the production of this coffee is so limited each year.

Velvety, round, not very bitter: the Arabica of the Blue Mountain

Jamaican coffee has a unique flavor, a blend of aromatic qualities that are rarely found in the same bean.

Despite this, those who have had the chance to taste it praise the harmony of flavors and the balance of this special coffee's taste.

The taste is round and smooth. The bitterness is barely present, as a very delicate note, and the acidity is nearly nonexistent.

A velvety taste, but certainly not lacking in character: vibrant, floral, with notes of chocolate, hazelnuts, and spices, much like the Harem range from Passalacqua.

It’s this unique blend of qualities that makes Blue Mountain Arabica so special and interesting.

A special experience, essential for anyone who defines themselves as a true coffee enthusiast, and enjoyable for casual drinkers curious to try a smooth and unique coffee.

The price of Blue Mountain coffee

When it comes to quality coffee, the first thing that comes to mind is the price. This is also true for these beans from the Greater Antilles island.

As mentioned, Jamaica’s Blue Mountain coffee comes from the Blue Mountain range, the only certified area for producing this authentic variety of Arabica.

As you might guess, cultivating coffee on the mountainside is not a simple task, especially when the arable land required to obtain the authenticity certificate is so limited.

The mountains are relatively low, with the highest peak not exceeding 2300 meters, but the cultivation mainly occurs between 910 and 1700 meters above sea level. It is in this strip of land that the soil and climatic characteristics that make this variety so unique are found.

A limited, difficult-to-cultivate territory, but one that is nourished by natural sources formed on the mountainside.

To cultivate this plant, it is the human being who must adapt to the circumstances, not the other way around.

For this reason, the annual coffee production is extremely limited. Only about 2 tons of beans are roasted each year.

Of these, 80% are destined for the Japanese market, so only a small amount of beans reaches consumers in the rest of the world.

Unique and difficult to obtain: the perfect recipe for a high-quality coffee that takes the price very seriously.

It all started with a coffee plant...

The history of the origin of Jamaican coffee is remarkable for its uniqueness.

In fact, coffee was not a plant native to the island. It only arrived by sea after King Louis XV of France sent three plants as a gift to the governors of his colonies in Martinique. This was in the 1700s.

Of these three plants, only one survived the journey. It ended up in the hands of Sir Nicholas Lawes, former governor of Jamaica.

From here it took very little to realize the potential, that this soil rich in Potassium, Nitrogen and Phosphorus, had in sustaining a coffee plantation.

Coffee cultivation exploded: in just 10 years exports of beans began

From there, it didn’t take long to realize the potential of the potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus-rich soil for supporting a coffee plantation.

Coffee cultivation exploded, and within just 10 years, bean exports began. 

Ripening and processing of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

To obtain an authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, it’s not enough to pay attention to the soil and altitude. The maturation, harvesting, processing, and roasting processes also play a crucial role in preparing this variety of beans.

Unlike most other varieties of Arabica found around the world, this one has a much longer maturation period: it takes 10 months or more.

This means only one harvest per year, which is half the frequency of the most common plantations, whose maturation time is twice as fast as that of Blue Mountain coffee. For this reason, the harvested beans go through a very different growth process and are much larger than other varieties.

In addition to this long wait, the beans are subjected to 6 extra weeks of rest after the initial processing. A delicate and carefully controlled preparation and roasting process follows to ensure that the unique qualities of the coffee are not compromised.

The Jamaican government personally regulates and controls the quality of the final product so that only the best beans can introduce the world to the name of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

The real Blue Mountain coffee

Growing Blue Mountain coffee is not easy: the exposure of the plantation must be the correct one, the same goes for the altitude.

But the Blue Mountains also produce other qualities of coffee, coffee that bears the name of “Jamaica High mountain Coffee”, when the production takes place between 500 and 1000 metres of altitude and “Jamaica Low Mountain Coffee” or “Jamaica Supreme”, when the cultivation drops below 500 meters of altitude. With all this choice available, care must be taken to find and choose the right Blue Mountain certified package.

Otherwise, the risk is that of finding a fine but different coffee in your hands.

In addition to certification, which protects consumers from imitations, attention must also be paid to the concentration of Blue Mountain coffee beans in the blend. Some coffee brands, apparently cheaper, offer a product that contains only a millesimal quantity of Blue Mountain beans.

This is not a scam, but a compromise that lowers the price of the final product, and it is not always clear to the customer who buys the coffee package expecting to perceive the presence of Blue Mountain Jamaica beans. 

Why you should try Jamaica Blue Mountain

The history of the Jamaica Blue bean has its roots in an incredible past. Its unique processing is the result of centuries of perfection, its taste is a heritage that the Jamaican government and producers jealously guard.

The Blue Mountain coffee is a product of a truly important tradition, it is a precious product. It is cultivated in harmony with nature and offers to the taste unique notes.

It is precisely this set of qualities that have made Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee famous in the world. The bean from the Jamaican mountains has really involved many lovers of the drink, who have rediscovered the pleasure of a delicate and unexpected experience in its flavor and aromas.

In this section you will find all our blends containing the Jamaica Blue Mountain beans, including a Tasting Set composed by us to give you the opportunity to taste three different compositions and to save money.