Jamaica washed Arabica Blue Mountain Grade 1 - Wallenford Estate

Coffee first arrived in Jamaica in the early 18th century, when the Governor of Jamaica brought home some coffee plants from the French colony of Martinique and planted them in the St. Andrew parish. For quite some time, production remained low, until coffee production spread from the area of St. Andrew up to the Blue Mountains by the end of the century. The coffee plants thrived in the higher altitudes, and the coffee industry experienced a boom until 1814. Then, production started to decline over time and failed to keep up with competing industries. Not only did the country produce much less coffee at the end of the 19th century, but there was also a noticeable drop in quality. Several governmental actions failed to improve the situation until the 1950s when the Jamaican Coffee Board was established. From then on, Jamaica slowly recovered and coffee from the Blue Mountain region experienced a rising global demand.

In Jamaica, coffee is mainly grown on small plots of land at altitudes ranging from 100 to 1,650 meters above sea level. Many farmers have been growing coffee for generations. Only coffee grown at altitudes between 900 – 1,500 masl. in the area of St. Andrew, St. Thomas, Portland and St. Mary can be labeled Blue Mountain coffee. At these altitudes, the climate is ideal for coffee production. It is colder than the rest of the island due to the moisture-laden northeast winds. These winds hit the coast and rise into the mountains, where they meet cooler air, causing heavy clouds and dense fog. This reduces the exposure to sunlight, slowing down the development of the coffee cherry. Due to the slowed ripening process, the coffee beans develop a very special, rich aroma. While the overall production is still comparably small, accounting for only 0.02% of the global supply in 2015, Jamaica’s coffee industry is slowly recovering from the obstacles of the past.