Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the world’s most exotic and rare beans available. Grown on the hillside of the Blue Mountains in Jamaica, you will find a hefty price tag attached to the bag if you want to sample this coffee.
There is a rhyme to the reason as to why this coffee is so expensive, though. In the article below, we will discuss why these beans are so costly; Plus, how you can pick out the real deal from the fakers. We will also share details on the flavor, aroma, and how the beans are grown.
Why Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Is So Expensive
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is some of the rarest in the world. As the beans are so scarce, yet so in demand, they produce a high price. Samples of Jamaican Blue Mountain beans are known to go for as much as $12 to $15 just to try it.
Grown on the high hillsides of the Blue Mountains on the eastern coast of the island, coffee plants that produce coffee beans are not easily cultivated or harvested.
Location
Coffee grows best at high elevations. Coffee farms that plant at over 3,000 feet often harvest the world’s most distinguished and highly celebrated coffee beans. It’s no wonder the green beans from Jamaica’s Blue Mountains are some of the best.
Although the Blue Mountains rise to 7,500 feet, the beans need to be planted at approximately 5,900 feet to be considered a coffee of the origin.
The elevation requirements also narrow the land available for planting. Currently, coffee is grown only in St. Andrew, St. Mary, St. Thomas, and the Parishes of Portland.
Combined, the four areas of land are less than 1,500 acres. To look at it another way, the amount of coffee this landmass can produce is equal to about 0.1% of what Columbia produces.
Needless to say, space is limited. The elevation, along with the volcanic soil, regular rainfall, and shading cloud cover, makes coffee in these regions some of the best.
Hard to Grow and Produce
It is not just the soil composition and environmental conditions of the high altitude that causes the high price, however. Growing and harvesting on the steep slopes of the mountain also make it difficult for workers.
Cultivating coffee beans at that height slows production as extra care must be taken.
More importantly, every coffee bean grown in the Jamaican Blue Mountains is picked by hand. The use of machines at that altitude creates a lot of logistical issues, but that is not the whole reason.
Each bean is picked by hand to ensure the quality of the beans. Each one is inspected to make sure it meets the standards of the origin.
Bean Density
A characteristic of good coffee is the hardness of the beans. They are denser than the average, and often more difficult to grind. Some people may mistake this for staleness, but it’s not the case.
Apart from being a bit rougher on your coffee grinder, hard, dense beans are considered some of the best.
Solid coffee beans have more natural sugar making them taste sweeter and creamier. This happens when they are grown at higher elevations where the temperatures are cooler.
The lack of warmth allows coffee plants to grow more slowly. In turn, the bean is allowed more time to absorb the sweetness from the fruit.
Density is not to be confused with brittleness, however. Brittleness occurs during the roasting process. It makes make coffee more acidic, bitter, and off-tasting.
- Only a small part of the island is approved as the Blue Mountain region. As such, farmers can only produce a limited batch.
- While the long maturation period of ten months (twice as long as typical coffee beans) allows for the growth of a sweet bean, it also means that farmers cannot produce on a large scale.
- The farmers and the board are strict with the picking and processing of the coffee beans. All the produce is handpicked, and quality control also uses hand selection. These labor-intensive practices further increase the cost of production but ensure only the best coffee goes into the bags.
- The farmers and workers farm on mountainous terrain. The cost of labor is high since the workers need protection and fair compensation for the manually intensive labor.
- The demand for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is high, yet there’s little supply. What’s more, Japan consumes approximately 80% of the produce, which leaves only 20 % for other consumers worldwide.
Where It’s Going
It is important to note that 80% of Blue Mountain Coffee is designated for Japan and the United States; with Japan getting the vast majority. This leaves only 20% of the already rare coffee going to the rest of the world.
Jamaica’s Blue Mountains only exports approximately 400 metric tons of coffee every year. This is a very small amount. Using Columbia again as an example, they produce the same amount of coffee every three hours as the Blue Mountains produce in a year.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Taste
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee has a clean, mildly spicy, and creamy taste, which stands out from the typically bitter coffees.
Each sip carries a warm, nutty, and chocolaty flavor balanced out by medium acidity. To wrap it all up are the rich herbal and floral aromas, with nutty overtones. Overall, we can say that Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is mouthwatering.
With each coffee brand, you’ll notice a transition between three distinct taste layers- chocolate, spice, and fruit.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Flavor and Aroma
The flavor and aroma of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee are very unique. Although equality of any coffee is often in the eye of the drinker, some beans have staple characteristics that make them unique to the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.
Coffee from this region, for example, is known to reach all the senses.
These rare beans have a delicate mouthfeel that is also rich and bold. Most drinkers report a sweet and smooth taste with herbal hints and floral after notes. There is little acidity or bitter aftertaste, as well. Others find it to have a slight chocolate taste with a stronger nutty flavor.
Some coffee drinkers find it to be more on the mild side while others find it bolder. It’s also often noted that the experience can change from one cup to the next.
Although how it is brewed and consumed plays a big role, the overall taste changes giving the drinker a different experience each time.
Best Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Brands
To enjoy Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, you need to purchase approved brands that deliver authentic roasted coffee beans to you. Here are some of the top Blue Mountain coffees.
1. Volcanica Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee- Wallenford
Volcanica Coffee is a reputable coffee roaster based in Atlanta. This family-owned business roasts exotic coffee beans, including the famed Jamaican Blue Mountain.
Volcanica operates on the strictest rules to ensure your gourmet coffee arrives at your table in its freshest form, usually 24 to 36 hours after your order.
The Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee from Wallenford Estate delivers a smooth chocolaty flavor profile and fruity orange peels notes that linger long after the first sip. With a pH of 5.1, the Wallenford Blue Mountain coffee comes off as sweet-toned and buttery, with a sprinkle of pungency.
After harvesting, the workers handpick the berries and take them through wash processing. Afterward, the product is dried in the sun on concrete slabs to bring forth the coffee’s vibrant flavors. Wallenford whole roasted beans are available in medium roast for your consumption.
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee- Wallenford is certified by the Jamaican Department of Agriculture. It is also Kosher Certified.
While the price tag on this coffee is high, it’s worth every penny. The silky texture and sweet aromas present in each coffee cup are guaranteed to elevate your coffee consumption experience.
2. Volcanica Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry Coffee – Wallenford
Yet another outstanding product of the Wallenford Estate is Peaberry Coffee by Volcanica. The coffee is available as whole beans, drip grind, espresso grind, and French press use.
This is one of the rarest coffees because it comes from Peaberry beans. The beans only come from 5% of the crop and produce more nuanced flavors than the rest of the coffee beans.
The floral notes and creamy textures make each sip of Peaberry coffee worthwhile. The beans have a 5.0 pH, which produces a well-balanced beverage.
Each of the berries is handpicked before going through wash processing. The beans are later sun-dried and ground on demand to preserve the tastes. You can purchase a bag of Peaberry coffee in a medium roast.
As with other Blue Mountain coffees, Peaberry coffee beans go through heavy regulation. Peaberry Coffee by Volcanica is certified by the Jamaican Department of Agriculture, Kosher Certified, Direct Trade certified, and Rainforest Alliance certified.
3. Volcanica Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee – Clydesdale
Volcanica delivers yet another delight from Clydesdale, a renowned coffee region in St. Andrew. This coffee delivers a smooth, balanced taste like other Volcanica coffees. However, it stands out for its distinctive honey, milky chocolate, and creamy taste. The coffee also has a pH of 5.2.
Each sip has underlying maple syrup and red grape notes, which linger with the aroma after consumption.
Like other coffee beans under Volcanica, these blue mountain beans undergo wash processing before being sun-dried. You can purchase the beans in medium roast or pre-ground coffee in various grinds to suit your preparation process.
The Jamaican Department of Agriculture approves of this product. Other certifications include Kosher and Direct Trade.
4. Green Coffee Traders 100% Jamaica Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Green Coffee Traders a respectable provider of fresh roasted Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. The company handles organic and Fair Trade organic coffees and provides one of the best offerings.
The coffee brew has a balanced flavor, with fruity and nutty tones complementing each other. You can purchase the blue mountain beans in the city roast. The coffee also has no bitterness, which makes it pleasant for every morning or a special occasion.
5. Plantation Blue 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Beans
Plantation Blue delivers the finest Grade 1 Coffee beans sourced from small farms on the Blue Mountains. The beans are certified by the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA).
You can purchase a bag of beans in a medium roast. The product comes in a tightly sealed bag to preserve the freshness of your beans. As soon as you open the bag, you’re invited in by the warm, chocolaty, and nutty aromas from the beans.
With this coffee, you can say goodbye to bitterness and high acidity. The French press grind also brings the toasted-almond taste to life.
6. Island Blue 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain Whole Beans Coffee
You can also get your authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee from Island Blue. The coffee beans are sourced, prepared, and packaged by the Jamaica Standard Products Company, Limited, one of the oldest in the area.
Island Blue takes pride in being certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica. The company handpicks the beans, hand sorts, air dries and roasts the beans to a fine medium roast.
The beans produce a solid caffeinated drink but with a smooth taste and little to no bitterness. Even before you sip, you’ll enjoy the embrace of the strong nutty and fruity aromas.
Blue Mountain Fakers
Unfortunately, the price of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee brings with it a temptation to profit.
A lot of beans are passed off as Blue Mountain grade or from the Blue Mountain region, yet they are not authentic. To ensure you are purchasing the real thing, it’s important to inspect the label of your beans.
Here are some phrases you want to avoid:
Blue Mountain Blends
Typically, packages that indicate their beans are a “Blue Mountain blend” are often a mix of beans from different origins.
It’s possible for 99% of the coffee to be non-authentic with only 1% (or less) being the real Jamaican Blue Mountain. As the term “blend” can have several meanings, it allows less scrupulous companies to give the impression of the real thing.
Jamaican High Mountain
This is like the last one. It’s a play on words that can make coffee drinkers assume they are purchasing Blue Mountain coffee. In truth, Jamaican High Mountain beans can very well come from the Blue Mountains, but it’s usually grown much lower in elevation.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Style
This commonly used packaging phrase usually means a mix of the two labeling faux pas above. The coffee could be a mix of beans with the majority coming from lower-lying areas, or it could be beans from someplace else altogether.
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