Water should be between 196° and 198°F (91° and 92°C). Any hotter and it will burn the beans; too cold and the flavors of the beans won’t be fully extracted. No thermometer? Just bring the water to a boil, turn it down, wait a minute to two, and it should be just right.

Grind the beans immediately before brewing. Grinding releases the flavors and aromas of the coffee, so the longer the gap between grinding and brewing, the less flavorful the cup. You should also grind according to the brewing method: coarser for a French press, for example, and finer for espresso.

FOR GREAT COFFEE

Use a drip pot, French Press, or percolator. Use 2 level tablespoons of ground coffee per 8 oz serving. Add more or less coffee to suit your individual taste.

FOR SUPERB COFFEE

Use a kettle with a gooseneck-shaped spout, which will release the water in an even stream when you pour. The pour-over method is simply that: pouring water over the beans, which then percolates through a filter into a vessel below. Pour the water more slowly for an intensely flavored cup, or more quickly for a lighter sip. Enjoy immediately.

Coffee absorbs smells, so to store, freezing in an airtight/vacuum-sealed container is recommended. Beware of imitators – always look for the 100% Blue Mountain designation (the JBM Logo seen on this website) on the package; high mountain coffee and Blue Mountain coffee are definitely not the same.

Many connoisseurs agree that it is the world’s best. An exquisite balance of aroma, body and acidity is the medley that makes Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee very special. However, it is the mellow, sweet aftertaste that makes this unique brand a cut above the rest! Of the 28,000 acres dedicated to growing coffee in Jamaica, only 9,000 of these are within the legally defined Blue Mountain coffee growing parameters.Jamaican coffee comes from the Arabica Typica variety, which yields a bean which is very delicate and flavorful. The growing process produces a high-yield crop with optimum acidity. The high mountain regions afford ideal growing condition, where the mist keeps the plants damp and cool. Plus…Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee has two-thirds less caffeine than other arabica coffee!

In 1728, the Jamaican Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes introduced coffee to Jamaica, specifically to the parish of Port Royal –today renamed as St. Andrew-, from the island of Hispaniola, now Haiti. Natural conditions proved to be most favourable and the product was found to be of very high quality. Cultivation expanded rapidly and by 1800 there were 686 plantations in operation. With the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, followed by the emancipation in 1838, the industry declined rapidly, due primarily to the lack of labour. In 1814, exports totaled 15,199 tons, but by 1850 only 186 plantations were in operation and exports had fallen to 1,486 tons. During the last hundred years the pattern of plantation coffee grown has changed and the industry has been maintained mainly by small holders.

• World famous Jamaican coffee has commanded the admiration of coffee connoisseurs throughout the world for centuries.
• Shipments of Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee in the early 1800s commanded premiums of several thousand English pounds per ton.
• The Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee experience integrates a cup of exceptional balance and an exotic and intense aroma, along with an intricate range of flavor notes which may include within the bouquet, a subtle hint of herbs, spice and chocolate.
• The coffee is cultivated high up in the mist-covered Blue Mountains of Jamaica which peaks at an altitude of 7,402 ft above sea level.

The specialty coffee world recognizes that Arabica Coffee produces a far superior cup than the Robusta coffee and in the Jamaican coffee industry, it is the species of choice.The micro-climates of the Blue Mountains – its balance of sunshine and shade, its rich, volcanic-based soil, unique rainfall distribution and the surrounding flora and cool temperatures, offer superb conditions for the slow maturation of the coffee cherries. This slow maturation process stimulates the development of the flavor-enhancing compounds which contribute to the unique qualities of the Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee cup.

As with the finest handcrafted items in the world, the care and processing of Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee is carried out by skilled artisans.Only bright-red cherries are selected by experienced reapers and then pulped within the Blue Mountains. The red, soft outer skin is removed, and within twenty-four hours the wet beans are transported to certified processing facilities. The wet beans are then sun-dried, stored and cured in wooden silos or jute sacks for no less than eight weeks.

This curing process heightens the transformation of the flavor-enhancing compounds within the bean that contribute to the mellowness of Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee. Jamaica Blue Mountain Green Coffee Beans is the only coffee in the world that is packaged and shipped in wooden barrels; this is done to preserve the integrity of this – the most sought after coffee globally!