To everyone involved in Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee I must ask this question: What Ja-maican all 'dis hype about?
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee carries a reputation as one of the most prestigious and expensive coffees in the world with the price per pound ranging between $25-$75. With this reputation in mind, I was excited to sample beans from two well-known farms—Clydesdale and Clifton Mount. After conducting my usual thorough analysis, I found myself wondering: is this coffee truly worth the hype, or is its fame resting more on legacy than flavor?
With a price tag that high, the expectations are set equally high. Much like food, higher quality product should be able to shine on its own without a lot of work. My expectation for these samples was to have an explosion of flavor in the cup without having to roast it dark. As much as I love dark roast, the different coffees tend to run together at that level and it becomes a waste.
To evaluate these coffees, I roasted each sample to two levels: light and dark. The light roast aimed to showcase the beans' inherent characteristics, while the dark roast explored how flavors developed under higher caramelization. Both were also tested as espresso to gauge their versatility.
Clydesdale Estate is approximately 3500 meters in elevation, which is a relatively high altitude. This coffee retails for $69/pound.
The Clydesdale sample was, unfortunately, a major letdown. Regardless of the roast level, the coffee was bland and lacked depth.
Light roast: Undeveloped flavors dominated by grass, grain, and sour chocolate, with an unpleasant barnyard undertone. Yes, it tasted like a Clydesdale.
Dark roast: Slightly more body but the same grassy and stale notes persisted.
Espresso: Amplified the negatives, with sourness and off-notes overwhelming any redeeming qualities.
Clifton Mount Farm, grown a lower altitude of 1300 meters in elevation. This coffee retails for roughly $50/pound.
While marginally better than Clydesdale, the Clifton Mount coffee still fell far short of expectations.
Light roast: A faint hint of fruit peeked through, but it was overwhelmed by sour grass and bread-like flavors.
Dark roast: Similar lack of complexity, though it avoided the barnyard note.
Espresso: Despite being freshly pulled, it tasted as if it had been sitting for hours—flat, lifeless, and sour.
My Take on Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee:
After carefully sampling these beans, I came to a surprising conclusion: at best, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is mediocre. Its price tag of nearly $60 per pound is staggering, especially when compared to other coffees I’ve worked with. For example, Brazilian Cerrado, priced around $3 per pound, delivers far more flavor and complexity.
Conclusion:
While it’s always worth exploring legendary coffees, not all live up to their billing. For me, the Jamaican Blue Mountain samples fell far short of the mark. That said, every coffee enthusiast should judge for themselves—your taste buds might tell a different story.
If you’ve tried Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Was your experience similar to mine, or did you find it to be worth the hype?
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