Just What is Blue Mountain Coffee

Rising to 7,500 feet, the Blue Mountains sit between Port Maria to the north and, Kingston to the south, on the Island of Jamaica. Frequent rainfall results in a rich soil with good drainage and, a climate that is misty and cool on these mountains, some of the highest mountains in the Caribbean. And, it is here in these conditions that are ideal for growing Blue Mountain coffee, that one of the most sought-after coffees in the world is grown.

In fact, in order for coffee to be called Jamaican Blue Mountain, it must be grown between 3,000 and 5,500 feet elevation. Not any higher and, not any lower. The parishes of St. Andrews, St. Thomas, Portland and, St Mary occupy the specified elevation and, are constantly shrouded by a misty, blue haze. It's because of this ever-present cloud that gently covers the coffee trees, that the coffee cherries are allowed to develop their exquisite taste characteristics as they slowly ripen.

Partly because of the carefully defined and the limited area in the Blue Mountains where this coffee is grown and, partly because of the very, very limited amount of Blue Mountain coffee available outside of the Japanese market, the cost for any amount of this coffee is very high. It has become one of the world's most exclusive coffees with a reputation for it's fantastic smooth, sweet taste, rich full-body and, exceptional aroma, not to mention it's very pleasant after taste. So while coffee aficionados debate whether it's the onshore breezes, the volcanic soil-type, the temperature and rainfall, or even the altitude which leads to the optimal amount of  shade and sun, what they can all agree on is that about 85% of the total annual production of the coffee beans is exported to Japan.

With so little coffee remaining available for the rest of the connoisseurs worldwide, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is protected as a trademark worldwide. This means that only coffee that is certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica can be labeled as the original as long as it is grown in the recognized region in the Blue Mountains and the Board has monitored the coffee's cultivation as well. Of course, this is to assure the consumer that coffee grown in other parts of Jamaica are not passed off as Blue Mountain Coffee.

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