Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Origin Overview: Why Authentic Blue Mountain Coffee Beans Are So Expensive

Almost everyone who has heard of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee knows it's the most expensive coffee in the world. But not everyone knows why. Moreover, many people only know about Blue Mountain coffee's high price but are unaware of its actual cost. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee is here to share some knowledge about Blue Mountain coffee.

The Historical Context of Blue Mountain Coffee

It's necessary to carefully understand the mythology of Blue Mountain coffee, as past perceptions often don't align with today's reality. In 1728, the first Arabica coffee seeds were introduced by then-Jamaica Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes from Hispaniola (now Haiti). He planted them on his high-altitude mountain land in the St. Andrew region.

At that time, coffee was cultivated as an alternative crop for the steep mountainous terrain that occupied 2/3 of Jamaica's land area, which was unsuitable for sugarcane cultivation. Coffee cultivation wasn't driven by economic considerations but rather to develop the mountainous areas and strengthen colonial rule. Furthermore, the British government at the time imposed high taxes on coffee to encourage tea consumption.

Coffee thus spread slowly in Jamaica, and in the colonial era lacking technology and markets, coffee plantations were mostly like chicken ribs, sold back and forth by plantation owners. Sales contracts included not only the number of coffee trees but also the number of male and female slaves who cultivated the coffee.

In 1790, the British government significantly reduced coffee taxes, and Jamaica's coffee industry finally迎来了 huge development.

Despite being severely impacted by the War of 1812-14 between Britain and America, Jamaica had become the world's largest coffee exporter by 1814, with exports reaching approximately 34 million pounds. But no one expected that this would be Jamaica's coffee's most brilliant moment to date, as no year since has reached this export volume.

In 1838, with the end of slavery in the British Caribbean, many newly freed coffee growers left the plantations, and many plantations were sold or divided into small plots. Some estates were also sold or rented to local farmers. After this upheaval, Jamaica's coffee production and quality both significantly declined.

In 1948, the Jamaican government established the Coffee Industry Management Department to improve coffee quality and revitalize export operations.

In 1952, the Coffee Industry Management Department was upgraded to the Coffee Industry Board (CIB), playing an increasingly important role in Jamaica's coffee industry development.

In 1953, the CIB designated an area of approximately 6,000 hectares in the Blue Mountains and stipulated that only coffee produced in this region could be called Blue Mountain Coffee. Coffee from other regions was called High Mountain Coffee. High Mountain Coffee had very small production, mostly consumed by the tourism market and locally. Even though some quality was comparable to Blue Mountain Coffee, its reputation and price couldn't match, so production decreased year by year.

By 1980, Blue Mountain Coffee had gained international fame, and some unscrupulous merchants began selling fake Blue Mountain Coffee, labeling it as "Blue Mountain Coffee."

From 1984-1985, the market-savvy CIB designed and registered the "Blue Mountain Coffee" trademark, owned by the CIB, with extremely strict usage management. This move could undoubtedly be called one of the most successful marketing cases in coffee history, as it not only cleverly protected genuine Blue Mountain coffee beans but also further established Blue Mountain Coffee's market prestige.

In 1988, when Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee plantations were nearly destroyed by hurricanes, several Japanese trading companies joined forces to provide substantial loans to some of the best coffee plantations in the Blue Mountain region. This also allowed Japanese coffee merchants to deeply participate in Blue Mountain coffee production and sales. They used preferential purchasing rights to almost monopolize the entire high-quality Blue Mountain market, directly causing prices in Europe and North America to remain high. In 1992, Jamaica sold 688 tons of Blue Mountain Coffee to Japan, 75 tons to the United States, and 59 tons to the United Kingdom. Now, 90% of harvested Blue Mountain Coffee is purchased by the Japanese. Therefore, the Japanese determine Blue Mountain Coffee's pricing power, which has led Blue Mountain Coffee down the path of sky-high prices. Coupled with the rapid development of China's coastal regions after 1992, at that time only major hotels and guesthouses in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing were equipped with Blue Mountain Coffee. This subconsciously created the perception that Blue Mountain Coffee was the highest-grade coffee bean.

In 2018, the CIB was incorporated into the newly established Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA).

Barrel Packaging: A Blue Mountain Coffee Specialty

The difference between Blue Mountain Coffee and other coffee in transportation is that it's shipped in 70kg wooden barrels, which are replicas of the Bonifieur barrels produced on Guadeloupe Island last century. These barrels were originally used to transport flour from England to Jamaica and typically carried trademarks and manufacturer names. The Coffee Industry Board issues certificates for all authentic Jamaican coffee and stamps them with approval upon export.

The Jamaican government used to insist that all Blue Mountain Coffee was roasted in Jamaica to ensure consistent quality. In fact, roasting is a delicate art that requires experience, training, and expensive facilities. From the consumer's perspective, coffee beans should be obtained and consumed immediately after roasting. Coffee roasted in Jamaica cannot meet this requirement, and now Jamaica can export raw coffee beans. Later, according to market demand, small and medium barrels of 15kg and 30kg were also introduced.

Does China Have Real Blue Mountain Coffee?

You've probably heard that Blue Mountain Coffee is monopolized by the Japanese and that mainland China has no real Blue Mountain Coffee. Obviously, such a perspective comes from not following the news and having thoughts stuck 20 years in the past.

Until 2010, mainland China had no quota for directly purchasing Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica. After the 2008 economic crisis, Jamaica attempted to reduce its dependence on a single coffee buyer. Coinciding with the expiration of agreements with Japan, Blue Mountain Coffee bean quotas gradually opened to more countries. According to media reports, in July 2010, the Hangzhou Coffee and Western Restaurant Industry Association was invited to visit Jamaica and signed a letter of intent for cooperation as China's sole general agent for Blue Mountain Coffee raw beans. In May 2011, the first container of Blue Mountain Coffee raw beans arrived at Ningbo Port. This should be the first official entry of Blue Mountain Coffee beans into mainland China's market.

The first batch of Blue Mountain Coffee beans to enter China did not change the situation of scarce supply, and Blue Mountain Coffee showed no trend of price reduction. On the contrary, China's demand for Blue Mountain Coffee continued to grow. According to 2021 data from the Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture, China has become one of the top four importers of Blue Mountain Coffee.

However, the premium from raw beans to roasted beans for Blue Mountain Coffee is extremely large. Taking Blue Mountain raw beans sold on Taobao as an example, the raw bean price after markup is 550 yuan/1kg. After deducting the evaporation weight from roasting, calculating by 100g per pack of roasted beans, the raw bean cost is 68 yuan. This means Blue Mountain Coffee beans with a raw bean cost of 68 yuan can sell for 300-400 yuan.

Many people find it incredible that FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No.1 coffee beans sell for only 158 yuan/100g, and some have questioned this. But if you know the raw bean cost, you'll find that FrontStreet Coffee's pricing is very reasonable.

What Does Blue Mountain Coffee Taste Like?

Some friends have only heard of Blue Mountain Coffee's reputation but haven't experienced its charm. If you happen to have bought a bag of Blue Mountain Coffee beans, you might want to see how FrontStreet Coffee brews it.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using pour-over brewing for Blue Mountain Coffee beans. It's best to use freshly roasted and properly rested beans, as this will bring out Blue Mountain Coffee's flavor and口感 better. If you buy FrontStreet Coffee's beans, FrontStreet Coffee will send beans roasted within 5 days. After 1-2 days of logistics time, they will arrive in your hands just after the 4-7 day resting period, which is precisely when the coffee flavor is at its best.

For brewing equipment, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a Kono dripper, as this makes it easier to brew out the rich, sweet characteristics of Blue Mountain Coffee.

Brewing Parameters:

• Dose: 15 grams
• Grind size: Medium-coarse, 75% pass-through rate on #20 sieve
• Ratio: 1:15
• Water temperature: 87°C
• Method: Three-stage pour

First stage: Pour 30ml of water for 30-second bloom;

Second stage: Pour 100ml of water, spiraling from center outward then back to center.

Third stage: When the water level drops to nearly expose the coffee bed, pour 95ml of water,

End when all coffee liquid has finished dripping through, total time 2 minutes.

Blue Mountain Coffee's flavor characteristics: balanced sweet-sour-bitter, full-bodied, creamy texture, with nutty and chocolate notes.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473