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Why is Jamaica Blue Mountain, the King of Coffee, So Expensive? Hand-Brewing Recommendations for Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

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). Blue Mountain to coffee is like Rolls-Royce to automobiles, Lafite to red wine, and Bolt to the 100-meter track. Almost everyone who has heard of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee knows it is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Its high price,

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow the Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

The Legacy of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

To the world of coffee, Blue Mountain is what Rolls-Royce is to automobiles, what Lafite is to red wine, and what Usain Bolt is to the 100-meter track. Almost everyone who has heard of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee knows it as the most expensive coffee in the world. Its premium price perfectly complements its reputation as the "King of Coffee," consistently sought after by both connoisseurs and novices alike. It is said that Queen Elizabeth II's favorite coffee was Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.

Historical Origins and Development

In 1717, French King Louis XV ordered the cultivation of coffee in Jamaica. In the mid-1720s, Jamaica's Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes imported Arabica seeds from Martinique and began promoting cultivation in the St. Andrew region. To this day, St. Andrew remains one of the three major producing regions for Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, with the other two being the Portland and St. Thomas regions.

Within 8 years, Jamaica exported over 375 tons of pure coffee.

In 1932, coffee production reached its peak, with a harvest of more than 15,000 tons.

In 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, which sets quality standards for Jamaican coffee and oversees their implementation to ensure the quality of Jamaican coffee. The Board certifies both raw and roasted coffee exported from Jamaica with a special official seal, making it the highest-level national coffee organization in the world.

Currently, there are 6 trademarks that can represent the origin of Blue Mountain coffee: Mavis Bank Central Factory (MBCE), Mavis Bank Coffee Cooperative Factory (MHCCT), Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative Factory (PXXSH), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (St. John's Peak), and JABL (JAS).

By 1969, conditions had improved thanks to Japanese loans that enhanced production quality, thereby securing the market. Today, this coffee has reached a level of passionate admiration.

By 1981, Jamaica had opened an additional 1,500 hectares of land for coffee cultivation, followed by investment in another 6,000 hectares of coffee land. In reality, today's Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares of cultivation, making it impossible for all coffee labeled as "Blue Mountain" to be grown there.

Jamaica is also the last country to use wooden barrels for packaging and transporting coffee. Only after passing a series of stringent standards set by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (CIB) can coffee receive the government-issued certificate and officially bear the name "Blue Mountain."

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Pour-Over Method

Kalita wave, flat-bottom, and Kono dripper brewing

Coffee brewed with Kalita wave, flat-bottom, and Kono drippers will have a full body and excellent flavor persistence. During the extraction process, the Kono dripper utilizes the air pressure generated by the siphon effect for extraction. Therefore, the coffee particles achieve initial water saturation, creating an immersion-style extraction that increases concentration. Soluble substances are then carried out with the water flow. For those who prefer a heavier-bodied Blue Mountain coffee, this method is highly recommended.

Prepare 17g of coffee, water temperature at 88°C, grind size at BG 6M (Chinese standard #20 sieve, 47% pass rate), water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:14

Technique: First, use 30g of water for bloom, with a bloom time of 30s. Pour water close to the coffee surface. For the first pour, add water until reaching 120g, then pause. When the water level drops by 1/3-1/2, perform the second pour, stopping at 234g. Control the total brewing time to around 2 minutes and 15 seconds. If the time is sufficient but the brew hasn't finished dripping, you can discard the remaining liquid.