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Grading and Certification of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee_Price of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Beans

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style ) Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is known by almost everyone as one of the most expensive coffees in the world In 1725 Sir Nicholas Lawes brought the first batch of Blue Mountain coffee seedlings from Martinique to Jamaica planting

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Almost everyone who knows Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee knows it is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. In 1725, Sir Nicholas Lawes brought the first batch of Blue Mountain coffee seeds from Martinique to Jamaica, planting them in the St. Andrew area.

Jamaica's Coffee Growing Regions

Today's St. Andrew growing region remains one of the three major Blue Mountain coffee growing regions, with the other two being the Portland region and the St. Thomas region.

Today's Blue Mountain area is a small place with only 6,000 hectares of cultivation area, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. An additional 12,000 hectares of land are used to grow two other types of coffee (non-Blue Mountain coffee): High Mountain Supreme and Prime Washed Jamaican.

True Blue Mountain coffee is one of the coffees grown under the most superior cultivation conditions in the world. Jamaica's weather, geological structure, and topography jointly provide a uniquely ideal venue. The mountain ridge running across Jamaica extends to the eastern part of the small island, with the Blue Mountain range reaching over 2,100 meters above sea level. The cool, foggy, and frequently rainy weather makes this fertile land well-balanced in moisture. Here, people use mixed cultivation methods to grow coffee trees, planting them alongside banana trees and avocado trees on terraces.

Some small estates also grow Blue Mountain coffee, such as: Wallenford Estate, Silver Hill Estate, and J. Martinez's Atlanta Estate. Even the largest estate owners in this region are considered small-scale by international standards, with many estate owners being small landholders whose families have worked on this land for two centuries.

Characteristics of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Beans

The best Blue Mountain coffee is undoubtedly one of the best coffees available. This coffee tastes more expensive than it looks. To taste its best flavor, you must use more coffee beans than when drinking other coffees, otherwise the flavor is somewhat undeserving of its reputation. Therefore, the true cost of expressing flavor lies in using 10%-15% more coffee beans than coffees that rank just below it in price.

True Blue Mountain coffee is made from the finest local green coffee beans. Its flavor is rich, balanced, and full of fruity and acidic notes, satisfying various needs. Additionally, high-quality fresh Blue Mountain coffee has a particularly long-lasting flavor—with an endless aftertaste. Blue Mountain coffee is divided into five grades: No. 1 Blue Mountain; No. 2 Blue Mountain; Selected Round Bean Blue Mountain; and No. 3 Blue Mountain.

Flavor: Extremely rich aroma with excellent sweet aftertaste

Recommended Roasting Method: Medium roast

Rating: ★★★: Excellent

The Jamaican Coffee Market

Blue Mountain coffee is a coffee that reputable coffee retailers must stock regardless of circumstances. A major UK retailer said: Regardless of price, he will continuously sell Blue Mountain coffee throughout the year because he has many customers who only recognize "Blue Mountain."

Currently, 90% of post-harvest Blue Mountain coffee is purchased by the Japanese. Since the rest of the world can only obtain 10% of Blue Mountain coffee production, Blue Mountain coffee is always in short supply regardless of price. In the UK, for many years, Langford Brothers Company was the only supplier. Later, the Edmonds Group also obtained supply from Jamaica's Salda Foods.

The difference between Blue Mountain coffee and other coffees in transportation is that it is shipped in 70kg wooden barrels, which are replicas of the Bonifieur barrels produced in Guadeloupe last century. These barrels were originally used to transport flour from the UK to Jamaica and usually carry brand names and manufacturer information. The Coffee Industry Board issues certificates for all authentic Jamaican coffee and stamps them with approval before export.

The Jamaican government used to insist that all Blue Mountain coffee be roasted in Jamaica to ensure consistent quality. In fact, roasting is a delicate art that requires experience, training, and expensive equipment. From a consumer's perspective, coffee beans should be obtained and consumed immediately after roasting. Coffee roasted in Jamaica cannot meet this requirement. Now, Jamaican green coffee beans can be exported.

Currently, the Jamaican Coffee Board can issue certificates for all exported Blue Mountain coffee.

Types of Certificates

Certificates are divided into three types:

1) Quality certification certificates issued by the Jamaican Coffee Board

2) Authorized sales certificates issued by Blue Mountain coffee manufacturers

(Blue Mountain coffee is distributed by 4 Jamaican government-licensed processors and exported by 16 licensed exporters)

3) Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee origin certificates

Quality certification certificates indicate time and quantity. The Jamaican Coffee Board randomly selects a package from submitted Blue Mountain coffee for inspection. If it meets Blue Mountain coffee conditions, a certificate is issued.

Identifying Authentic vs. Fake Blue Mountain Coffee

1 Appearance: Blue Mountain coffee green beans are blue-green in color, very uniform in appearance, medium to small in size, with slightly upturned ends. They expand significantly after roasting and become very full.

2 Grinding: True Blue Mountain coffee beans grow at high altitudes, and their cytoplasmic structure is relatively loose. When ground by hand, they feel very crisp, smooth, and continuous, without any resistance.

3 Aroma: The aroma is very rich and dense; so-called blended Blue Mountain coffee does not have this aroma.

4 Taste: True Blue Mountain coffee has a balanced, rich taste without any flavor being overly prominent or lacking. This is also something no other coffee bean can achieve and is the most critical identification point. Blue Mountain peaberries have a more subtle aroma and relatively stronger taste.

5 Feeling: Blue Mountain coffee as

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans have full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer extremely high value for money. A half-pound (100g) package costs only about 158 yuan. Calculated at 15g of coffee powder per cup, one package can make 6 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 25 yuan. Compared to coffee shops selling cups for over 100 yuan each, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.