| Jamaica |
| |
 GEOGRAPHY
& CLIMATE:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba.
Mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain.
Tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior.
COFFEE BACKGROUND:
In 1728, Sir Nicholas Lawes, the then Governor of Jamaica,
imported coffee into Jamaica from Martinique. The country
was ideal for this cultivation and nine years after its
introduction 83,000 lbs. of coffee was exported. Between
1728 and 1768, the coffee industry developed largely in
the foothills of St. Andrew, but gradually the cultivation
extended into the Blue Mountains. Since then, the industry
has experienced many rises and falls.
 SPECIES:
Arabica
ALTITUDE AT WHICH GROWN:
Jamaican coffee is a story of extremes: The lowland coffees
of Jamaica are so ordinary that they are seldom sold in
the United States except as fillers for cheap blends.
On the other hand, the highland coffees traditionally
rank among the world's most distinguished, and Jamaican
Blue Mountain, however one defines that name, is the world's
most celebrated, most expensive, and most controversial
coffee. Blue Mountain Peak stands approximately 2256 m
(7402 feet) high, the average rainfall for Jamaica is
about 198 cm (78 inches) and the average temperature is
27 C (82 F). Today, responsible roasters designate estate-produced
coffees grown at over 3,000 feet in the Blue Mountain
district of Jamaica as authentic Blue Mountain (Wallensford
(best) or Silver Hill Estate Mountain).
Today it appears that either Wallensford Blue Mountain
has greatly fallen off in quality. The original Wallensford
coffee from fifteen years ago was an understated masterpiece,
a quintessentially classic coffee with enough of everything:
rich flavor and aroma, full body and moderate acidity
in perfect, subtle balance. The Blue Mountain coffees
shipped today retain the body and richness, but lack the
acidity; they are smooth, well-bodied, moderately rich
coffees.
PREPARATION METHOD: “Washed” |
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