Boca Java’s Jamaican Blue Mountain Gourmet Coffee
Genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain Mavis Bank coffee is internationally known as the rarest and most expensive of coffees. Although the rarity of Blue Mountain has contributed to great mystique surrounding this unique coffee, it is the rich taste and distinct aroma that makes it truly exceptional. Only fifteen percent of the coffee grown in Jamaica is authentic Mavis Bank Blue Mountain Coffee.
This coffee is named for the distinctive mountain ridge which crowns Jamaica. The conditions in Jamaica are ideally suited to growing coffee, as the island has a temperate climate and rich soil. These conditions can create a superior bean when a coffee plant is well tended, as people have known for centuries, ever since coffee was first introduced to Jamaica. Over time, coffee from the Blue Mountain region became particularly renowned, and today it is a protected certification mark, meaning that coffee produced in the Blue Mountains and certified by the Coffee Board of Jamaica is the only coffee that may be labeled as ?Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.
Grown on the rough and rugged Blue Mountains in Jamaica, Blue Mountain coffee has been a select and elite coffee for over two centuries. It’s unique and rich flavor is also the reason it is a rare and sought after blend. In order to achieve its superiority to other coffees, Jamaican Blue Mountain is grown at higher elevations than other coffees in the world. The Blue Mountains climb to over 7,400 feet, and their drainage, rainfall, rich soil, and cool climate produce an extremely smooth and rich coffee.
Blue Mountain Coffee is a connoisseur’s delight made from the best local blue-green beans. Blue mountain coffee is recognized as one of the most prized coffees world wide and is in high demand. The Jamaican government has certified this as official 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.
Because of the region where it is grown, Jamaican Blue Mountain is not mass produced. The low sales volumes certainly have little to do with flavor, as coffee lovers for years have boasted about this prestigious label. The lower sales level is credited to the cost of the coffee. You see, Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is grown in rugged conditions under very strict supervision and guidelines which are closely guarded throughout the process. Only coffee approved and tested to meet the high-quality standards of the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board can be certified as Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.
Coffee beans are the seeds of the coffee “cherry”; two seeds normally grow within each cherry. On the tree, the beans are covered by the silverskin (a vestigial remainder of the fruit’s development, also called the spermoderm). The silverskin is covered by a parchment skin (the endocarp), which is covered by a slimy layer (the parenchyma), surrounded by a thin layer of pulp (the mesocarp), all covered by an outer skin (the exocarp). These layers must be removed prior to roasting, though some silverskin often remains attached.
Jamaican Blue Mountain is one of the world’s most controversial coffees. The best Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is characterized by a nutty aroma, bright acidity and a unique beef-bouillon like flavor. However, lack of attention to quality has led to some mediocre, over-priced product. Some confusion exists about where the boundaries for growing this coffee actually lie, and often coffees of lesser quality are packaged under its name. Jamaican High Mountain is a term that applies to coffees of lesser quality that are grown at a lower altitude than Jamaican Blue Mountain. Jamaica High Mountain and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffees are produced using the wet-process.
Jamaican Blue Mountain is a coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, between Kingston and Port Maria. Rising to 7,500 feet, the Blue Mountains are some of the highest in the Caribbean. The climate of the region is cool and misty with high rainfall and rich soil. This combination of climate and soil is considered ideal for coffee. Jamaica Blue Mountain is noted for its mild flavour and lack of bitterness and over the last several decades has developed a reputation as one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world.
Those who are lucky enough to savor the flavor of true Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, can easily identify it as a choice coffee fit for a king. Buyers of the whole bean can also identify the prestigious blend by its signature wooden barrels, complete with certification and stamp of approval only earned by true Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.
Jamaica Blue Mountain is subtly complex with a smooth texture, generous aroma, nuanced flavors, and perfectly balanced body and acidity. There are stringent regulations around what coffees can be called Jamaican Blue Mountain. The coffee producing area of the Blue Mountains is tiny, and just a few Estates now produce the old-style quality and mild, aromatic flavor which made this origin so famous. It’s the combination of the unique regional conditions - rich soil, lofty altitude and cool mists - along with meticulous quality control in processing that makes this such a prized coffee.
There are many trade names which coffee is called. Most all the trade market names reflect the plantation where the coffee is grown. However, no one sells green coffee by a trade name world wide. It is more like Jamaican High Mountain means it was grown on a High Mountain other than the Blue Mountain in Jamaica. There are hundreds of Brazilian Bourbon Santos’s. All these coffees are mixed together in warehouses. In general, subtle differences and individual identity are lost. On the other hand, the subtle differences and individual identity are not all that important.
The Coffee Industry Board, a quasi government body located in Kingston (The capital of Jamaica) overseas the Island’s coffee industry. It regulates which companies meet the stringent standards required before a company can promote its product as Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. There are only four pulperies in Jamaica that are allowed to buy cherries and process them as Blue Mountain Coffee.
The Coffee Industry Board is the only body allowed to export Blue Mountain Coffee; it purchases beans and exports them on behalf of all the farmers and factories. The Board also regulates which growing areas can qualify as Blue Mountain Coffee. This limits the growing acreage to 15,000 acres, all of which are above 2,000 - 5,000 feet above sea level. Coffees grown outside these areas are called “Low Land” or “High Mountain” coffee. In order to preserve the quality and reputation of the Blue Mountain Coffee label, the Coffee Industry Board must make regular inspections of the factories and facilities.
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