The story of coffee on the island begins in 1728, when the Governor, Sir Nicholas Lawes, received a coffee plant from the Governor of Martinique. Lawes had already experimented with several crops, and he planted the coffee in the St Andrew area. Initially its production was relatively limited; in 1752 Jamaica exported only 27 tonnes (30 tons) of coffee.
The real boom started in the second half of the 18th century, with coffee spreading from the St Andrew area up to the Blue Mountains. In 1800, 686 coffee plantations were in operation, and by 1814 Jamaica’s annual production was around 15,000 tonnes (16,500 tons) (although some estimates are considerably higher).
After this boom, the industry started to see a slow decline. The primary reason was probably the lack of labour, although other factors also played a role. The slave trade had been abolished in 1807, but the emancipation of slaves on the island did not happen until 1838. While there had been some efforts to recruit formers slaves as private labourers, coffee struggled to compete with other industries. And when combined with both poor soil management and the loss of the favourable trade conditions that Britain had previously extended its colonies, it resulted in a steep decline for coffee. By 1850 there were only around 180 plantations left, and production had dropped to 1,500 tonnes (1,650 tons).
At the end of the 19th century, Jamaica was producing around 4,500 tonnes (5,000 tons) of coffee but serious issues with quality were starting to appear. In 1891, legislation had been passed to try to spread knowledge about coffee production in an effort to increase quality, and infrastructure was put in place for the centralized processing and grading of coffee. This programme had limited success, although a Central Coffee Clearing House was constructed in 1944 for all coffee to pass through before export, and in 1950 the Jamaican Coffee Board was formed.
From this point onwards coffees from the Blue Mountain region made slow and steady gains in reputation until they came to be considered among finest coffees in the world. At that time, however, few well-processed coffees were available and today Jamaica’s coffees cannot really compete against the very best coffees from Central and South America, or East Africa. Jamaican coffees tend to be clean, sweet and very mild. They lack the complexity or distinct characteristics that one may expect from speciality grade coffees. However, they were consistently producing, and cleverly marketing, clean and sweet coffees long before other producers were, and this gave their coffees a distinct advantage for some time.
Since the early 20th century, Jamaican coffee has become known for its clean, sweet and mild flavours.
The provenance of Blue Mountain coffee is tightly controlled, based on the altitude of crops. Distinctive wooden barrels further emphasize the brand.
TASTE PROFILE
Clean, sweet coffees though rarely complex or juicy and fruity.
GROWING REGIONS
Population: 2,950,000
Number of 60kg (132lb) bags in 2013: 27,000
There is really only one growing region of note in Jamaica, and it is probably one of the most famous growing regions in the world.
BLUE MOUNTAIN
The subject of one of the most successful pieces of marketing in coffee’s history, this particular region of Jamaica is clearly defined and well protected. Only coffees grown between 900 and 1,500m (3,000 and 4,900ft) in the parishes of Saint Andrew, Saint Thomas, Portland and Saint Mary can be referred to as ‘Jamaica Blue Mountain’. Coffees grown between 450 and 900m (1,500 and 3,000ft) can be called ‘Jamaica High Mountain’, and anything below this may be called ‘Jamaica Supreme’ or ‘Jamaica Low Mountain’.
The traceability of Blue Mountain coffees can be somewhat confusing, as most of the coffees are sold under the name of the mill in which they are processed. These mills may occasionally keep a large estate’s coffee separate, but usually they buy from the myriad of smallholders who grow coffee in the region.
For a long time, the majority of Jamaica’s Blue Mountain production was sold to Japan. It was exported in small wooden barrels rather than in jute bags. Also worth noting is that, due to its ability to achieve very high prices, there is usually a fair amount of coffee fraudulently mislabelled as Blue Mountain on the market.
| Altitude: | 900–1,500m (3,000–4,900ft) |
| Harvest: | June–July |
| Varieties: | Jamaica Blue Mountain (a Typica derivative), Typica |