Best Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee (Where to buy?)

In 1728 Sir Nicholas Lawes, then Jamaica Governor and owner of the Hall Estate brought the first coffee plants to Jamaica. Initially, cultivation began at the lower parish of St. Andrew’s, but soon expanded to plantations deeper in the fertile Blue Mountains. The coffee industry has faced many ups and downs from these early days until now. Bewtween1800 to 1840, Jamaica produced 70,000 tonnes of coffee per year, making it the largest coffee producer in the world. Then in 1838, the abolition of slavery came. This is the end of many coffee plantations, as liberated farmers have begun planting and clearing all available mountains, so they have land to live on. In 1891 the coffee industry was generally confused, and legislation was therefore passed to provide “teaching on the art of cultivation and drying by sending competent trainers.”

In 1944 the government established the Jamaican Coffee Purity Center, where all types of coffee for export had to be examined. This purification and sorting process was a massive step towards improving the quality of exported Jamaican coffee. After the disastrous hurricane of 1951, there were only three coffee processing plants (called “pulperies”) that remained in operation in the Blue Mountains. To control the growth that was to follow, the Coffee Industry Council was set up to lay down guidelines on quality, cultivation, and processing. This council is still active to date and is checking out new crops to revitalize Jamaican coffee. In 1973 the three coffee processing plants at Mavis bank, Silver Hill and Clydesdale along with a newcomer, Wallenford, patented the name “Blue Mountain Coffee.”

A few years ago, the Twyman family won the legal right, through the Jamaican courts, to sell the superior product called “Blue Mountain.”

Jamaica is known for producing the most beautiful and expensive coffee in the world, and the reason is its location: the Blue Mountains. Only coffee trees grown at an altitude of between 3,000 – 5,500 feet can bear the name ‘BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE’ and more specifically that of the Parishes of Portland, St. Andrew and St. Thomas, and most importantly, cultivated on the estates of Mavis bank, Silver Hill, Clydesdale or Wallenford. Coffee growing at an altitude between 1,500 – 3,000 feet is called ‘HIGH JAMAICA.’ And coffee that grows below 1,500 feet is called ‘JAMAICA JAMAICA,’ (All land in Jamaica above 5,500 feet is a forest preserve, so no coffee is grown there.) Classifications of the coffee categories are based on factors such as size, appearance, and imperfections.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is a totally protected certification sign concept. It comes from a recognized development site in the Jamaican Blue Mountains, and its cultivation is controlled by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board. It is cultivated at 7,500 feet, perhaps the highest mountain elevation in the Caribbean. The weather of the area is cool and misty with high rainfall. The soil is fertile with excellent drainage. This combination of soil and environmental conditions is considered perfect for coffee. The concentration of beans is only the first stage of a function involved. After collection, the coffee is cleaned and washed. Jamaica is one of a very few countries worldwide that allows coffee to rest and mature for a minimum of six weeks under the sun to ensure the required quality. After drying it is transported and packed only in wooden barrels. Over the last few decades, this coffee has gained a distinction that has made it one of the most famous, expensive, and sought-after coffees worldwide. Apart from its use for brewed coffee, beans are the basis of the flavor of the coffee liqueur [Tia Maria].