Is Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee the Best Coffee in the World?

Is Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee the Best Coffee in the World?

Almost everyone who has heard of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee knows it is the most expensive coffee in the world, but not everyone knows why. Just like Rolls-Royce cars and Stradivarius violins, when something gains the reputation of "the best in the world," this reputation often shapes its own character and becomes an eternal legend.

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The True Value of Blue Mountain Coffee

The finest Blue Mountain coffee is undoubtedly among the best coffees one can obtain. While the price guarantees the availability of Blue Mountain coffee, it does not similarly guarantee that this coffee has the best flavor. It's also worth noting that this coffee tastes more expensive than it appears. To experience its best flavor, you must use more coffee beans than when drinking other coffees, otherwise the flavor becomes somewhat unworthy of its reputation. Therefore, the true cost of experiencing its flavor lies in using 10%-15% more coffee beans than the next most expensive coffee.

It is said that true Blue Mountain coffee is made from the finest local raw coffee beans, which is precisely where the connoisseur's delight lies. Its flavor is rich, balanced, and fruity with acidity, satisfying people's various needs. Additionally, high-quality fresh Blue Mountain coffee has a particularly lasting flavor, just as wine connoisseurs say—it leaves an endless aftertaste.

The History and Myth of Blue Mountain Coffee

It is necessary to understand the myth of Blue Mountain coffee carefully, as past perceptions and today's reality often do not align. In 1725, Sir Nicholas Lawes brought the first Blue Mountain coffee seeds from Martinique to Jamaica, planting them in the St. Andrew area. Today's St. Andrew region remains one of the three major producing areas for Blue Mountain coffee, with the other two being the Portland and St. Thomas regions. Within eight years, Jamaica exported over 375 tons of pure coffee. In 1932, coffee production reached its peak, with more than 15,000 tons harvested. However, by 1948, coffee quality had declined, and Canadian buyers refused to renew their contracts. For this reason, the Jamaican government established the Coffee Industry Board to save the fate of premium coffee. By 1969, the situation had improved because Japanese loans were used to enhance production quality, thus guaranteeing the market. Even in 1969, Japanese coffee drinkers were willing to pay a premium for this coffee, and today, this coffee has reached a level of fervent admiration. By 1981, Jamaica had developed another 1,500 hectares of land for coffee cultivation, followed by investment in developing an additional 6,000 hectares of coffee land.

The Growing Region and Conditions

In fact, today's Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, and not all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" is grown there. Another 12,000 hectares 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 conditions in the world. Jamaica's weather, geological structure, and terrain together provide an exceptionally ideal location. The mountain range running across Jamaica extends to the eastern part of the small island, with the Blue Mountains reaching over 2,100 meters. The cool, foggy, and frequently rainy weather makes this fertile land well-balanced with rainfall. Here, people use mixed cultivation methods to grow coffee trees, planting them alongside banana 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 this land for two centuries.

Challenges and Market Dynamics

Jamaica's coffee industry faces a series of problems, such as the impact of hurricanes, increased labor costs, and difficulties in mechanizing terrace operations. Many small estates and farms find it difficult to rationalize their cultivation. However, Blue Mountain coffee is one that reputable coffee retailers must stock regardless of circumstances. A major British retailer said: regardless of the price, he will continue to sell Blue Mountain coffee year-round because he has many customers who only recognize "Blue Mountain."

Today, 90% of harvested Blue Mountain coffee is purchased by the Japanese. 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 because 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 sole supplier. Later, the Edmonds Group also obtained supply from Jamaica's Salda Foods.

Transportation and Quality Certification

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

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