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Is Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Really Out of Style? The Story of Jamaican Coffee and Its Status

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style). When specialty coffee had not yet entered the public view, and most people's understanding of coffee was still limited to vague categories like black coffee and milk coffee, Jamaica Blue Mountain had already established itself at the pinnacle of the coffee world with its extraordinary reputation, relying on its balanced and mellow flavor profile

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

The Rise and Fall of Blue Mountain Coffee

When specialty coffee had not yet entered the public eye, and most people's understanding of coffee was still limited to vague classifications like "black coffee" and "milk coffee," Jamaica Blue Mountain stood at the pinnacle of the coffee world with its extraordinary reputation, winning public respect for its balanced and mild flavor profile.

However, as the saying goes "fortunes turn in cycles," with the wave of specialty coffee sweeping across the globe over the past decade, new varieties represented by Panama Geisha, with their more impactful presence, seem to have made Blue Mountain coffee a thing of the past.

The Blue Mountain Controversy

Today, the term "Blue Mountain" seems to have become commonplace. A casual search for coffee beans on various online platforms will reveal many Blue Mountain options.

However, there's a significant catch here!

For example, if you look closely at the names of these coffees, they are rarely simply "Blue Mountain Coffee" but rather similar to "Blue Mountain Flavored Coffee" or "Blue Mountain Blend." At least reputable coffee brands follow this practice, though some disreputable coffee brands might directly label them as Blue Mountain. These major brands go to great trouble to use such names because these coffees are not, in fact, strictly Blue Mountain coffee.

It is precisely for this reason that in the eyes of many baristas, discussing "Blue Mountain Coffee" is often one of the three topics in the coffee world considered "uncultured" or "outdated." (The other two are "Kopi Luwak" and "Why is this coffee sour?")

The Legacy of Blue Mountain Coffee

Everyone who knows about Blue Mountain Coffee knows it's one of the most expensive coffees in the world, but not everyone knows why. Like Rolls-Royce automobiles and Stradivarius violins, when something gains the reputation of "the best in the world," this reputation often gives it its own character and transforms it into an eternal myth.

Origin of the "Blue Mountain" Name

The Blue Mountain Range is located in the eastern part of Jamaica. The mountain was so named because on clear days, with the Caribbean Sea surrounding it, direct sunlight hits the azure sea surface, and the peaks reflect the brilliant blue light of the seawater.

What is Blue Mountain Coffee?

The coffee variety grown in Jamaica's Blue Mountains is Typica, a world-renowned excellent coffee variety. Besides Blue Mountain, famous varieties like Hawaii Kona and Sumatra Mandheling also come from this coffee variety.

The unique geographical advantages are also essential factors in achieving Blue Mountain coffee's balanced flavor. As an island nation in the Caribbean Sea, the sea breeze and Blue Mountains together provide this coffee-growing region with abundant rainfall and fertile soil. The volcanic rock soil and relatively moderate altitude give Blue Mountain coffee its mild and balanced flavor.

Green Bean Grading of "Blue Mountain Coffee"

In 1950, the Jamaican government established the CIB (Coffee Industry Board), a government agency responsible for coffee affairs in Jamaica, overseeing, regulating, and guiding Jamaican coffee cultivation, processing, and trade. The board established quality standards for Jamaican coffee:

That is:

Blue Mountain Coffee must be grown at altitudes of 910-1700 meters

High Mountain Coffee must be grown at altitudes of 460-910 meters

Jamaica Coffee is grown in areas at 460 meters altitude and below.

Among these, Blue Mountain Coffee and High Mountain Coffee are each divided into two grades. From highest to lowest quality, they are: Blue Mountain No. 1, Blue Mountain No. 2, High Mountain No. 1, High Mountain No. 2.

The Coffee Industry Board has also established strict requirements to ensure the quality of Blue Mountain Coffee, with clear requirements for the production region, cultivation techniques, harvesting, processing, and roasting methods. Such strict requirements have resulted in the low yield of Blue Mountain Coffee. Additionally, since Japan has continuously invested in Jamaica's coffee industry, most Blue Mountain Coffee is controlled by the Japanese, who also have priority purchasing rights for Blue Mountain Coffee. 90% of Blue Mountain Coffee is purchased by the Japanese. Since the rest of the world can only obtain 10% of Blue Mountain Coffee, Blue Mountain Coffee is always in short supply regardless of price.

Flavor of Blue Mountain Coffee

The best Blue Mountain Coffee is undoubtedly one of the finest coffees available. Although the price can guarantee an adequate supply of Blue Mountain Coffee, it cannot guarantee that this coffee has the best flavor. Moreover, this coffee tastes much more expensive than it appears. To taste its best flavor, you need to use more coffee beans than other coffees, otherwise the flavor will be somewhat lacking. Therefore, to fully express its flavor, you need to use 10% to 15% more coffee beans than coffees that are lower in price.

It is said that genuine Blue Mountain Coffee is made from the finest local green coffee beans, which is where the connoisseur's pleasure lies. Its flavor is rich, balanced, fruity, and acidic, satisfying people's various needs. In addition, high-quality fresh Blue Mountain Coffee has a particularly long-lasting flavor, just as wine drinkers would say—endless aftertaste.

Today, Blue Mountain Coffee, whose aroma and flavor have long faded, finds it difficult to grace the international stage. Wave after wave of coffee newcomers rise rapidly. Among them are coffee-improved varieties from coffee-producing countries with advanced agricultural techniques: Brazil, Colombia, and El Salvador, plus Ethiopia with its ancient, complex flavor profiles from the old world. The international coffee scene is in full bloom.

Opening Teacher Han Huaizong's "Specialty Coffee Studies," there is such an evaluation of Blue Mountain Coffee: "It holds romantic feelings, fascination with its poetic and dreamy reputation, and obsession with its subtle fragrance and light sweetness, but this infatuation has now vanished like smoke."

Jamaican Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Jamaican coffee - [Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Beans] offers full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, it offers excellent value for money - a half-pound 100-gram package costs only about 158 yuan. Calculating at 15 grams of coffee powder per cup, one package can make 6 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 25 yuan. Compared to the price of coffee shops that often charge over a hundred yuan per cup, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and unknown beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com