About Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee
Blue Mountain Coffee can only be given the brand name Blue Mountain Coffee if it is grown at a specific altitude (800-1,200m) and area in the Blue Mountains (peaks at 2,256m) in the eastern part of Jamaica. The Blue Mountain brand is managed by JACRA (Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority), the Jamaican government's Ministry of Agriculture, which controls standards and quality such as taste, aroma, and size.
Even within the same standards, the higher the altitude, the slower the coffee cherries will grow and the better the quality.
Blue Mountain Coffee standards (ranks) are mainly divided into bean color, roasting quality, aroma, mouthfeel, defective bean tolerance rate, screen size, and moisture content. Generally speaking, the larger the coffee bean, the higher the quality.
When it comes to the most popular types of coffee in the world, Jamaica's Blue Mountain ranks at the top of the list. Known for its sweet, bright flavor, bright acidity, and lack of bitterness, authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the rarest and most expensive coffees. The taste is delicate and changes depending on storage and roasting methods.
In order to export Blue Mountain from Jamaica, a license must be obtained from JACRA, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Jamaica. Producers bring their beans to the JACRA inspection facility and undergo standard tests for the items listed in the table above. If the beans do not meet Blue Mountain's standards in any aspect of moisture content, color, or defective beans, all beans are returned to the producer. If the product passes the test, it will be handed over to JACRA as cargo and exported from Jamaica without any modification by the producer.
These steps prevent non-Blue Mountain varieties from contaminating Jamaican export shipments.
Of course, licensed businesses such as our company cannot sell beans mixed with other beans as Blue Mountain. Beans sold as Blue Mountain Blend must contain at least 30% Blue Mountain to use that brand name.
Due to climate change, it is becoming difficult to continue producing the same beans. Heavy rains, droughts, and natural disasters occur in Jamaica. However, in order to maintain the same quality, producers are working hard every day, using techniques such as shade-growing.