Blue Mountain Coffee - Worth Every Penny

Jamaica is word famous for many things, sandy beaches, Bob Marley, reggae music as well as coffee. The high esteem for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee among keen coffee drinkers has driven its price up to between $46 and $60 a pound. You may be wondering what is it about this particular brew that warrants such a high price tag?

True to its name, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is grown in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica, generally located between Kingston to the south and Port Maria to the north. Rising to 7,500 feet, the Blue Mountains are the highest part of the Caribbean. The area is characterized by wet, cool weather and dark, rich earth with good drainage, ideal conditions for cultivating coffee. Though coffee is not native to Jamaica, it is the main export of the island.

Not any old type of Joe can be called Jamaican Blue Mountain. The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica must certify each and every bag of coffe beans to make sure that only the highest quality beans display the prestigious trademark. The Board only recognizes beans grown in particular parishes of Jamaica: Portland, St Andrew, St Thomas and St Mary.

The geographical region that grows Jamaican blue mountain coffee is fairly restricted and can only produce a certain amount of coffee. The limited availability, the matchless quality resulting from pains-taking growing methods, the alluring aroma and the world famous name of Jamaican Blue Mountain have no doubt contributed to its reputation as one of the most sought-after coffees in the world - more so than columbian coffee, or French roast coffee, for example. So long as hardcore coffee drinkers continue to covet it, it will be also one of the more costly.