Jamaica Blue Mountain Clydesdale Estate

This is the real deal folks, the creme de la creme. Jamaican Blue Mountain is a mild, subtle, gentle island coffee. This coffee defines smoothness. Outstanding balance and creamy milk chocolate tones. Keep the roast moderately light to protect those subtle flavors and enjoy a true connoisseur's cup. 

Arrival Date: December 10th, 2019

Acidity & Brightness: Mild and subtly sweet

Balance & Finish: Exceptionally well balanced with a quick, walnut finish

Body & Texture: Full bodied with a smooth, creamy texture

Flavors: Milk chocolate, maple syrup, red grape and rosewater

Grade: Grade 1, as clear of defects as you can get, Single Estate

Processing: Fully Washed, shade grown, hand picked, sun dried

Varietals: Blue Mountain

Certifications: Jamaican Coffee Industry Board Certified

Roasting:  Start with a City or Light roast or 30 seconds to a minute after first crack starts. Feel free to take this to the end of first crack (City+ to Full City) but be wary of second crack. This is NOT coffee you want to over roast. For the full effect, keep it on the lighter side of medium so you can really enjoy everything this coffee has to offer.  Allow the coffee to rest 3 to 5 days prior to drinking for a well rounded cup.

Recommendation: Yeah, we know it's expensive. This is the 2nd most expensive coffee in the world! If you only try it once, then you can still feel that you truly know coffee. It's got connoisseur written all over it! Perfect for treating friends or family on a special occasion such as Christmas or New Years.

Reminder: This coffee is raw, it must be roasted before brewing

Our Review: True Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica, is in the top tier of the world's most exclusive, luxurious and expensive coffees. Because of that, it has been subject to fraud and counterfeiting and all manner of subterfuge. You really have to know and trust your supplier. Watch out for coffees labeled "Jamaica High Mountain", "Jamaica Blue Blend" or "Jamaica Blue Mountain Style". There are only 4 mills certified to produce true Blue Mountain Coffee, Clydesdale Estate's being one of them and we've got the Certificate to prove it!

This particular lot has been sourced from family-owned farms located near the Saint Andrew parish nestled in the Grand Ridge of the Blue Mountains, Jamaica. Coffee produced in the Jamaican Blue Mountains has a protected designation of origin (PDO) because of the renowned reputation of Blue Mountain coffee.  Coffee is intercropped with banana, Inga, mango and many other shade trees. The Clydesdale wet-mill is the most modern in Jamaica with technology to recycle and treat water before returning it to the environment. The dry mill, located in an economically underprivileged part of Kingston, employees over 600 women to hand sort coffee.  In addition to the social impact from stable employment, funds are also invested in projects to support over 30 schools.

Jamaica Blue Mountain is truly an "island" coffee and should be thought of as different from the high grown, hard bean coffees from the mountains of Central America and East Africa both in the way you roast it and in the way it cups. The bean is softer, with a different cell structure, so you should take that into account when roasting. Treat it more like a Brazil when roasting; lower grown and more susceptible to heat. Start with a small batch and go lower on the heat and time than you normally would and be very aware of your cracks. Start light first or 30 seconds to a minute following the beginning of first crack. If you want just a bit more development, pull your roast shortly after the end of rolling first crack. Avoid second crack and any oil on the bean! Think "slow and low" when deciding how to roast this coffee for optimal results, but obviously, don't make the mistake of being too cautious and "bake" the beans by roasting 20 minutes +. Allow the coffee to rest 3 to 5 days prior to drinking for a well rounded cup.

And what should you expect in the cup? Jamaica Blue Mountain is justly famous for an incredibly smooth cup. It is a mild coffee, with no edginess, and all the flavors are subtle. It has nice body, with a cream and milk chocolate flavor as well as a maple syrup sweetness and subtle red grape and rose water. Excellent aromatics. While it may lack the boldness of a Guatemalan, or the raw zing of a natural Ethiopia, Jamaica Blue Mountain is a great coffee for those times when you want a rich, easy going, laid back, creamy cup with subtle intriguing flavors. Expensive? Yes, it certainly is. It's the second most expensive coffee in the world behind Kopi Luwak (~$100/lb). Not your "everyday" coffee, but it's perfect for celebratory occasions such as Christmas, New Years or a birthday. Not to mention, you can't really call yourself a true coffee geek if you haven't given this a try!