Why is Blue Mountain Coffee the best coffee?

Almost everyone who has heard of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee knows that it is the most expensive coffee in the world. But not everyone knows why. Just like Rolls Royce cars and Stradivari violins, when something gains the reputation of "the best in the world", this reputation makes almost everyone who has heard of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee know that it is the most expensive coffee in the world. But not everyone knows why. Just like Rolls-Royce cars and Stradivari violins, when something gains the reputation of "the best in the world", this reputation will often make it form its own characteristics and turn it into an eternal myth.

We need to know the myth of Blue Mountain Coffee carefully, because the image of the past is often inconsistent with today's reality. 1725, Sir Nincholas Lawes brought the first batch of Blue Mountain coffee trees from Martinique to Jamaica and planted them in St Andrews. Andrew) area. Today, St. Andrew's area is still one of the three major producing areas of Blue Mountain coffee, and the other two areas are Portland and St. Thomas. In eight years, Jamaica exported more than 375 tons of pure coffee. 1932, the coffee production reached its peak, and the harvested coffee exceeded 15000 tons.

However, by 1948, the quality of coffee declined and the Canadian buyer refused to renew the contract. Therefore, the Jamaican government established the Coffee Industry Committee to save the fate of top coffee. By 1969, the situation had improved, because Japanese loans were used to improve production quality, thus ensuring the market. Even in 1969, Japanese coffee drinkers were willing to pay insurance for this kind of coffee. Today, this kind of coffee has reached the point where it is enthusiastically loved.

By 198 1 year, about 1500 hectares of land in Jamaica were reclaimed for coffee cultivation, and another 6,000 hectares of coffee fields were invested for coffee. In fact, today's Blue Mountain area is a very small place, with a planting area of only 6,000 hectares. It is impossible to grow all the coffee marked "Blue Mountain" there. Another 65,438+02,000 hectares of land are used to grow two other types of coffee (non-Blue Mountain Coffee): Alpine Supreme Coffee and Premium Washed Jamaican Coffee.

Blue Mountain coffee is one of the best coffee growing conditions in the world, and Jamaica's weather, geological structure and topography provide a unique and ideal place. The ridge that runs through Jamaica extends to the east of the island, and the Blue Mountain is as high as 2 100 meters. The weather is cool, foggy and rainy frequently. Use this fertile soil and rain to adjust. Here, coffee trees are planted in a mixed way, so that they are accompanied by banana trees and avocado trees in terraced fields.

Some small estates also grow blue mountain coffee, such as Valenford Estarte, Yinshan Eatate and Martinez (Atlantn Estate of J. Martinez). Even the largest landowners in this area are small-scale farmers by international standards. Many of them are small landlords, and their families have been working on this land for two centuries. Jamaica's coffee industry is facing a series of problems, such as the impact of hurricanes, the increase in labor costs and the difficulty of mechanized terraces. Many small manors and farms are difficult to cultivate reasonably.

However, Blue Mountain Coffee is a coffee retailer that pays attention to credibility and wants to keep some coffee stocks anyway. Britain's leading retailer said: No matter what the price, he will continue to sell Blue Mountain Coffee all year round, because he has many customers who only recognize "Blue Mountain".

Because Japan has been investing in Jamaican coffee industry, most of the cultivation of Blue Mountain coffee is controlled by the Japanese, and there is no doubt that they have also obtained the preemptive right of Blue Mountain coffee. 1992, Jamaica sold 688 tons of blue mountain coffee to Japan, 75 tons to the United States and 59 tons to Britain. Now, 90% of the harvested Blue Mountain coffee is bought by the Japanese. Now because the rest of the world can only get 10% of Blue Mountain, Blue Mountain coffee is always in short supply regardless of the price. In Britain, langford Brothers has been the only supplier for many years. Later, edmonds Group was also supplied by Jamaican Salda Food Company.

The difference between Blue Mountain Coffee and other coffees in transportation is that it is transported in a barrel with a capacity of 70kg, which is an imitation of Bonifieur barrel produced in Guadeloupe. This barrel was originally used to load flour from England to Jamaica, and usually has a trademark and the name of the manufacturer. The Coffee Industry Committee issues certificates to all pure Jamaican coffees, and affixes the seal of approval to exporters.

The Jamaican government used to insist that all Blue Mountain coffees were roasted in Jamaica to ensure the same quality. In fact, baking is a fine art, and doing this job well requires experience, training and expensive facilities. From the consumer's point of view, coffee beans should be obtained and drunk immediately after roasting. Coffee roasting in Jamaica cannot meet this requirement. Now Jamaica's raw coffee beans can be exported.

From the above, we can know the general production situation of blue mountain coffee, and pay attention to the blue mountain 99 that can be drunk in China now. 9% coffee is only grown near the Blue Mountains. Only 6,000 hectares of coffee with an altitude of 1.600 meters above sea level can be called blue mountain, and the output is always below 900 tons. According to the principle that 10% is supplied to the world outside Japan, do you think that this world can only consume 90 tons of coffee every year, and you can drink it at any coffee shop in Shanghai for tens of dollars?

The best blue mountain coffee is undoubtedly one of the best coffees. Although the price can guarantee the sufficient supply of Blue Mountain coffee, it cannot guarantee the best flavor of coffee. It is also worth noting that the taste of this coffee is much more expensive than it looks. If you want to taste its best taste, you should put more coffee beans than other coffees, otherwise the taste will be a little misnomer, so the real cost of reflecting the taste is that it will add 10% to 15% more coffee beans than the second price coffee.

Real blue mountain coffee is made from the best raw coffee beans in the area, which is the pleasure of regular tasters. Its flavor is rich, balanced, fruity and sour, which can meet people's various needs. In addition, the high-quality fresh blue mountain coffee has a particularly lasting flavor, just as the drinker said-endless aftertaste.

In addition, the best blue mountain coffee bean is peaberry 1, also known as pearl bean, which is a small round bean carefully selected from products at an altitude of 2 100 meters. I've always heard from some friends in Taiwan Province Province that I've never been so lucky to drink it. Dozens of coffee lovers buy a barrel, and then have a party and an opening ceremony.

Flavor: The fragrance is very rich, with persistent fruit flavor.

Particles: fuller.

Acidity: moderate

Uniformity: relatively stable

Suggested baking method: moderate baking

Grade: excellent

The world-famous Blue Mountain Coffee is produced in the Blue Mountain Range of Jamaica. The caffeine content of Blue Mountain Coffee is very low, less than half of other coffees, which is in line with modern people's health concept.

Look, Blue Mountain.

The Blue Mountains straddle the eastern part of Jamaica Island. The mountain has such a good name because the British soldiers who arrived in Jamaica before saw the blue light on the peak and shouted, "Look, Blue Mountain!" " From then on, it was named "Blue Mountain". In fact, Jamaica Island is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. On a sunny day, the bright sunshine shines on the sea, and the distant mountains are shrouded in a faint blue atmosphere because of the refraction of the blue sea, which is ethereal and mysterious.

Most of the Blue Mountains are above 1800 meters above sea level, and the highest peak is 2256 meters above sea level. It is also the highest mountain in the Caribbean and a famous tourist attraction.

The climate in this area is unique.

The unique flavor of Blue Mountain coffee is related to the unique geographical location and climatic conditions of Blue Mountain. Blue Mountain is located in the coffee belt between 25 degrees north latitude and 25 degrees south latitude. The new volcano has fertile soil, fresh air, no pollution, rainy all year round and large temperature difference between day and night. Most importantly, every afternoon, clouds cover the whole mountain top, which not only provides natural shade for coffee trees, but also brings abundant water vapor, making the taste and fragrance of Blue Mountain coffee outstanding.

Only coffee grown in the blue mountain area above 1800 meters above sea level can be called blue mountain coffee. A coffee lover the reporter met in America was more demanding. He insisted: "The coffee planted at an altitude of 2,256 meters is blue mountain coffee." Coffee beans grown in the lower mountainous areas of Jamaica Island can only be named "Jamaican Alpine Coffee" because of their different qualities. In addition, the same coffee tree species, whether planted in Hawaii, Kenya, Papua New Guinea or other places with similar climate, can not produce the taste of blue mountain coffee beans.

Healthy black coffee

The earliest coffee on Jamaica Island was 1728 from Haiti in Latin America. By 1790, some coffee farmers among the refugees in exile in Haiti settled in the blue mountain area and brought coffee planting technology here. 1838, Jamaica abolished slavery and allowed freed slaves to cultivate their own land. The freed slaves moved to the mountains to grow coffee and export it to Britain. Coffee is appreciated by the British upper class and gradually becomes famous. This kind of coffee is the blue mountain coffee that fascinates coffee lovers all over the world today.

The pure Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee perfectly combines the unique taste of sour, bitter, sweet and alcohol in coffee, forming a strong attractive and elegant atmosphere, which is beyond the reach of other coffees. People who love to drink blue mountain coffee say, "It is a' coffee beauty' that combines all the advantages of good coffee." Jim, the general manager of Pete's company, which is famous for its coffee and tea business in the United States, described Blue Mountain Coffee as follows: "Its taste is fragrant, smooth and mellow, giving me a feeling as precious as a gem. It is precisely because the taste of Blue Mountain Coffee is moderate and perfect, so Blue Mountain Coffee is generally drunk in the form of black coffee. "

Traditional production technology

Blue mountain coffee can maintain its best state today, and it is also inseparable from local business policies. From 65438 to 0932, Jamaica adopted a policy of encouraging coffee production and reducing the island's dependence on sugar exports. Different from most coffee producing countries, the local government does not plant a large number of high-yield and poor-quality coffee in order to increase the output value, but focuses on quality, preferring to sacrifice the output of coffee and ensure the quality of Blue Mountain coffee. Therefore, Jamaica is one of the countries with less coffee production in the world. Brazil, the world's largest coffee exporter, produces 30 million bags of coffee every year, while Blue Mountain Coffee only produces about 40,000 bags every year.

In addition, the processing and production of Blue Mountain Coffee is also very elegant. Strict and detailed standards have been set for processing, baking and packaging. And there are regulations on what kind of organic fertilizer you need during the growth period. All of them were harvested manually at harvest time. Jamaica is also the last country that still uses traditional wooden barrel packaging to transport coffee.

Only after this series of harsh standards stipulated by Jamaica Coffee Industry Bureau can coffee get the guarantee issued by the government and be officially named "Blue Mountain".

Americans don't drink blue mountain coffee.

The United States is a country that loves coffee, but the reporter did not find this "coffee beauty" in several major supermarket chains and Starbucks coffee shops in Houston. According to a waiter at Starbucks coffee shop in downtown Houston, their coffee here is mainly made from coffee beans from Africa, Colombia or Indonesia. Blue mountain coffee is relatively rare in the market, and 90% of blue mountain coffee is occupied by Japanese. At present, the "blue mountain coffee" seen on the market does not contain a kind of positive blue mountain coffee beans. There is a kind of "Jamaica Mixed Blue Mountain" coffee, which is a mixture of 30% blue mountain coffee and 70% best Jamaican alpine coffee. The above two kinds of coffee try to imitate the taste of blue mountain coffee, but they are not perfect.

The reporter interviewed several customers near the coffee shop, some of whom had never even heard of Blue Mountain Coffee. The "cold reception" of Blue Mountain Coffee in America is related to the habit of drinking coffee in America. Since 1970s, flavored coffee has gradually become the favorite coffee of Americans. It is made by adding spices for seasoning to coffee beans or adding coffee partners with good taste to cooked coffee. There are hundreds of kinds of flavored coffee, among which vanilla, hazelnut and almond are the most popular in the United States.

Flavored coffee is mostly made from cheap coffee beans. Blue Mountain coffee costs $80 per pound (1 pound), while Maxwell coffee costs only $3 per pound.