True Blue: The Jamaican Coffee Experience

It's All in the Name

“What is in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.” This famous line from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet carries profound meaning as it suggests that the name "Romeo" in this case, is simply a label to distinguish him from another. In the coffee world, the name Jamaica Blue Mountain similarly resonates with a certain level of quality and specialty. With coffee cultivated in roughly 70 countries around the world, this particular name stands out. One may wonder: just how did this island in the Caribbean draw such a spotlight in the coffee culture?

Coffee Lands in the Americas

Coffee traveled a long way from the lush and misty mountains of Southwestern Ethiopia to the rest of the world. The journey to the Americas launched off from France of all places. King Louis XVI in France was obsessed with the beverage and tended to a coffee plant that was gifted to him by the Dutch. Since France’s climate was not ideal for the cultivation of coffee he kept this specimen in his royal greenhouse. A French naval officer by the name of Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu was on leave from Martinique and he was convinced the climate on the island was ideal for growing coffee. He requested a cutting from the Nobel Tree but was denied by the king.

Determined de Clieu staged a daring effort to break into the greenhouse to obtain a plant to take back to Martinique. As if the heist was not risky enough, the travel back to the Americas proved to be fraught with additional challenges among which de Clieu resorted to rationing out his drinking water with the fledgling tree. His efforts were fruitful and the confiscated plant yielded thousands of coffee trees. Much of the coffee cultivated across the Americas are descended from this single noble plant. Needless to say, with the successful cultivation of coffee in the islands King Louis XVI forgave Gabriel for his crime.

The Blue Mountains

The coffee plant finally finds a place on the island of Jamaica around 1728. Sir Nicholas Lawes, the governor of Jamaica at the time, was gifted a coffee plant from the governor of Martinique. Although limited in the beginning, by 1752 Jamaica was producing enough to begin exporting the crop. It was not until the 18th century that coffee production traveled up to the area we have come to know now as the Blue Mountains. The hype did not last long however as finding labor to tend to the coffee and other competing industries made it challenging to manage. The production and quality of the coffee diminished by the Mid 19th Century.

In 1950 the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board was formed and the region slowly gained the reputation we associate with today. Just as with any other coffee-producing country, Jamaica also has its own grading scale. The Coffee Industry Regulation Act specifies what coffee may use the Blue Mountain label and have different grades based on the elevation at which they were cultivated. This restricts the use of the trademark to only those authorized by the agricultural regulations and should be clearly marked to identify frauds.

Cultivation and Demand

Jamaica is known for some of the highest elevations in the Caribbean. The challenges of growing coffee at these altitudes make it difficult to find skilled workers. Growing coffee is very labor-intensive to begin with, and more so the higher up the mountain. The organization of the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board also defines strict geographical boundaries outside of which coffee cannot be grown. Traditionally, only coffee is grown at elevations between 3,000 ft. and 5,500 ft. could be called Jamaica Blue Mountain. The permitted growing regions are cool and misty giving the coffee the best conditions to develop the signature smooth and balanced cup. Depending on the elevations the coffee may be graded High Mountain, Supreme or Low Mountain.

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is also inspected before being exported to ensure authenticity. Unlike other coffees that are transported in jute or burlap bags, these coffees are transported in wooden barrels. Much like coffee grown in Hawaii, the scarcity drives up the price because of similar limitations of production and the strict regulations of exportation  For Jamaican coffee also factor into the equation that Japan purchases roughly 80% of the annual Jamaican coffee harvest. This leaves the remaining 20% for the rest of the world to fight over.

An Experience to be Had

Though limited in availability the experience of this smooth brew is saturated with the rich history of coffee in the Americas. The level of care in managing the quality of these high mountain seeds demonstrates the importance of tradition and preservation of integrity. If given the opportunity to experience Jamaica Blue Mountain take a moment to sip, savor and contemplate the journey coffee has taken around the world and into your favorite mug. 

- Reiko Piekarski

Coffee Ambassador

Fortuna Enterprises, LLC

Fortuna Enterprises - 20 Years of Seed to Success!

Established in 2000, Fortuna Enterprises is the consummate leader in providing complete and comprehensive solutions for all of your coffee shop needs. Located in Greensboro, NC, Fortuna excels in unparalleled customer service by offering specialty roasted small-batch coffee, a fully stocked warehouse, imports, design, equipment repair, consulting, barista training, and more!

We are compelled to be the unsurpassed authority for all coffee shop requirements. We use this drive to continue our extensive research in carefully selecting only the highest quality coffees, equipment, syrups and other coffee shop necessities. Our products have a proven record of premium industry performance and unmatched reliability. We buy large quantities from our suppliers so we are in turn able to negotiate extremely competitive pricing for our customers.
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