Good Articles

Jamaica is renowned for many things, sandy beaches, Bob Marley, reggae music as well as coffee. The high regard for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee among avid coffee consumers has sent its price up to between $46 and $60 per pound. You might well ask what is it about this particular brew that warrants such a price tag?

True to its name, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is grown in the Blue Mountain area of Jamaica, located between Kingston to the south and Port Maria to the north. Reaching a height of 7,500 feet, the Blue Mountains are the highest point in the Caribbean. The area is characterized by cool, wet weather and dark, rich soil with good drainage, ideal prerequisites for producing coffee. Though coffee isn’t native to Jamaica, it’s the chief export of the island.

Not just any type of coffee can be called Jamaican Blue Mountain. The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica must certify each and every bag of beans to make sure only beans of the highest quality bear the prestigious trademark. The Board only certifies beans grown in particular Jamaican parishes: St Mary, Portland, St Andrew and St Thomas.

The geographical area that produces Jamaican blue mountain coffee is relatively small and can only manufacture a certain amount of coffee. The limited availability, the superb quality resulting from pains taking cultivation methods, the alluring aroma and the world-famous name of Jamaican Blue Mountain have no doubt contributed to its fame as one of the most sought-after coffees in the world - more so than columbian coffee, or French roast coffee, for example. As long as hard-core coffee-drinkers continue to demand it, it will also be one of the most expensive.