The coffee from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica is known for its superior taste, medium body, intense flavor, low acidity & low caffeine.
History of Coffee in Jamaica
The Arabica species of coffee is believed to be the first species of coffee to be grown and is native to Southwest Arabia. Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee is derived from the Arabica species of coffee.
In the early 1700’s, Mathieu Gabriel De Clieu planted the first Arabica Coffee plant on the Caribbean island of Martinique. In the mid 1700’s, the Governor of Jamaica, Sir Nicholas Lawes, imported coffee beans and the first coffee plant from the island of Martinique, specifically the Arabica species of coffee.
The Arabica coffee plant was first planted and cultivated in the hills of St. Andrew and later expanded into the blue mountains. There was steady growth for over 50 years. In the late 1700’s until the early 1800’s cultivation was at it highest peak, but in the early 1800’s to the middle 1800’s the industry experienced many ups and downs.
In 1891, legislation was created to teach the proper way to cultivate and cure Blue Mountain coffee, but it was not until 1944 when such efforts were successful. In the mid 1940’s, the Jamaican government created the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica, which officially began in 1950.
Before any Jamaican blue mountain® coffee was exported, it must go through the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica, where it is cleaned, graded and inspected. In 1983, the duties of the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica changed. Now the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica must approve and issue licenses to the cultivators and exporters.
The coffee is harvested in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The mountains are between Kingston and Port Maria on the island of Jamaica and are the highest mountains in the Caribbean, making them the ideal climate for coffee harvest. The weather is usually cool and misty with excessive rainfall, making the soil rich and fertile.
Blue Mountain Coffee is recognized for its mild flavor and lack of bitterness, which is highly credited to the regulation of the cultivation process. Blue mountain coffee contains less caffeine than any other commercially grown species of coffee and it takes about 7 years to mature.
However, before purchasing coffee online make sure the coffee you are buying is certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica. They closely monitor the growth and distribution of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee. The regulations they have set forth is as follows:
- Coffee harvested at 3000-5500 ft. would be certified as Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee.
- Coffee harvested at 1500-3000 ft. would be certified as Jamaica High Mountain coffee.
- Coffee harvested at 1500 ft. & under would be certified as Jamaica Supreme or Jamaica Low Mountain Coffee.
Cultivation Process
In addition to the climate and location, the production process of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee is part of the reason why it has such delicious taste and fine flavor. To ensure that the highest quality Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee is produced, The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica monitors and regulates the Blue Mountain Coffee cultivation process.
The cultivators and exporters of Jamaican coffee must be approved by The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica and granted a license before their coffee can be branded and labeled Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee.
The cultivation process is as follows:
Seedling
When new coffee plants need to be planted, approved coffee seedlings are planted in May and October. 100% genuine Blue Mountain Coffee is only grown from high quality seedlings.
Pruning
Pruning is a very important part of the cultivation process. When the coffee plant reaches 4-5 feet tall, pruning is done to extend the life of the coffee plant, to allow easier access when picking the ripped coffee cherries and more coffee per plant. Pruning shall begin the first time the coffee blossoms cherries and the ripped coffee cherries are picked for pulping and remain continuous throughout out the life of the coffee plant.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing is prudent because various pests and diseases can cause damage to the coffee plant and cherries. The Coffee Board Industry of Jamaican is in charge of advocating the proper guidelines that licensed cultivators and exporters of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee must follow.
Growing
Flowers begin to emerge approximately 3 years after the seedlings have been planted. During the peek of the Jamaican Blue Mountain® coffee plant (about 6 years), just about everyday, the flowers will blossom open and coffee cherries are present. The coffee plants life expectancy is about 55-65 years.
Harvesting
The coffee cherries are picked by hand. They are then placed in floating tanks and the floating coffee cherries are disposed. The remaining coffee cherries are then placed in large tanks again and the floating cherries are again disposed. This is done twice to ensure quality. The coffee cherries are now ready for pulping
Pulping
There is two stages of the pulping process. The first stage, the outer red skin is removed from the coffee cherry. The second stage, the coffee seed is washed to remove the sticky substance, resulting in wet parchment.
Drying and Curing
The drying and curing of wet parchment takes approximately 10 weeks. The wet parchment is put thru a vigorous drying process for about 4-6 days. The wet parchment is either dried naturally by sunlight or thru a mechanical dryer. The dry parchment is cured for the remaining 9 weeks.
Hulling & Sorting
The cured parchment is put through a huller (machine) to remove the outer shell of the bean, called the husk. The result is 1 –3 green beans. The green beans are sorted based on certain physical characteristics such as grade, body, color, defects and taste. The strict guidelines are set forth by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica. There are grades I, II, II, Peaberry and Triage
Roasting, Brewing & Cup-Tasting
Cup-testing also helps in determining the quality of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee. Blue Mountain Coffee is ground and the aroma is observed. A glass of coffee is brewed, the aroma is observed again and then the freshly brewed coffee is tasted. Keble Munn and David Evans were two of the most notable cut-tester’s for Blue Mountain Coffee.
Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica (CIBOJ)
A certificate of authenticity is issued before any Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee can be exported from the island of Jamaica.
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