It's the exquisite taste surrounding this world famous coffee that stimulates conversation and drives roasters and retailers mad and makes them ask: is my Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee really real? The authenticity of this expensive coffee is worthwhile revisiting because, to this day, myths abound.
Last year around Thanksgiving, I had a customer take note of our 150lb barrel of green Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee tucked in a corner, and exclaim, "Wow, I just bought the same coffee over at the bulk store for .99lb! It said it was genuine!" It made me smile and grimace at the same time. How does your customer know that your Jamaican Blue Mountain is genuine? How do you know as a roaster/retailer that what you're buying is, in fact, genuine?
Let's take a quick look at some facts. Twenty years ago, the annual production of this coffee approximated ¼ million pounds of green beans, however, 90% of the Jamaican coffee sold that year in the States as Blue Mountain, was not the real thing at all. That means only 10% was genuine which also means there's been a history of unscrupulous buyers and sellers of this sought-after bean. Secondly, the only certifying body for this coffee is the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board. Their mandate is to uphold strict requirements for identifying and labeling all Jamaican coffee. In addition, because of years of mistrust amongst all parties, you will find that there is a lot more blended Jamaican than straight.
Up steep hillsides amidst the pitch pine are the coveted Arabica trees which produce the exceptionally smooth coffee known as Blue Mountain. The mountains north and east of Kingston tinge blue-green at altitudes between 4000 and 7000 feet above sea level. In the early part of the century, famous estates such as Wallenford shipped exclusively to Great Britain, Jamaica being a colony until 1962. At that time much of the shipment was of a lesser-prized version called high mountain or lowland. To be "Blue Mountain" was to be grown over 2300 feet and in one of three particular parishes. This ensured the authenticity of the coffee. Unfortunately, in the late sixties, the British began reselling the coffee to the Japanese at double the price for this high quality bean. The Jamaicans became outraged and vowed to develop a system to protect themselves as growers: they decided only to sell roasted and packaged coffee. Naturally, that didn't sit well with roasters who like to buy green and roast and package their own. Several different mechanisms were set up but failed to meet all the parameters for a successful partnership between Jamaica coffee growers and destination buyers.
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee benefits from some of best growing conditions anywhere in the world: look no further than sandy clay loam, ample rainfall and constant temperatures. This serendipitous of holy trinities manages to produce the fine mists critical in diffusing the extreme sun. Small wonder that the beans smooth, complex nature launch it into the realm of champagnes and fine wines. The bottom line is that you can buy pre-packaged roasted and blended coffee, or if you can find a trustworthy importer whose 150lb barrel of green Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is stamped Wallenford Estate, and if you pry the lid open with a crow bar, there rests on top a certificate of authenticity certified by the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board, you can be fairly assured that yours is real.
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