Jamaican Blue Mountain

Flavor Characteristics (see Coffee Taste Terms):

• Complexity: Complex and balanced
• Acidity: Medium
• Body: Heavy mouthfeel, like cream
• Aroma: Earthy

Facts about Jamaican coffee...

• Facts: The most expensive coffee in the world.
• Region: Caribbean island, south of Cuba, east of Dominican Republic
• Main growing areas: central Blue Mountains
• Coffee from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica is considered by many to be the best coffee in the world. It is also the most expensive coffee in the world, moreso even than Hawaiian Kona. It is so expensive in fact that many coffee sources do not offer it, knowing it is out of price range of the typical consumer.
• From an online store, expect to pay approximately $50 for a pound, and from a retail store, do not expect to find a 100% Blue Mountain blend. From a retail store, expect instead to find a cleverly named blend that likely has little real Blue Mountain beans in it.
• The government of Jamaica is so intent on protecting the good name of its coffee that the production and quality control is state-run. Feel free to dabble in any of the Blue Mountain blends made available at a reasonable price, but the day you really want to try Blue Mountain, buy 100% Blue Mountain from a reputable vendor that will not try to deceive you with words in the coffee name that indicate it isn't 100%.

If you like Jamaican coffee, you might like...

• Ethiopian coffee: Both of these coffees have a complex flavor but with both sides of the flavor spectrum covered so that it is complex but balanced. They also both have a medium acidity. That's where the similarities end. From there, Ethiopian coffee has a lighter body than the thick Jamaican coffee. Both coffees boast of aromatic qualities that make the flavor even more complex, but the aromas are different. Jamaican coffee has an earthier aroma, while Ethiopian coffee has a more floral aroma.
• Yemeni coffee: Yemeni Mocha coffee is probably closer in taste to Ethiopian coffee than Jamaican coffee, but they are still comparable. Yemeni coffee has a higher acidity than Jamaican coffee, but a complex and balanced flavor. Yemeni coffee also has a lighter body than Jamaican coffee, though not has light in mouthfeel as Ethiopian coffee. Like Ethiopian coffee, Yemeni coffee has strong aromatic qualities, but they are more floral than Jamaican's earthy-aroma coffee.

Jamaican coffee is available at:

Boca Java