Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee Cultivation Process

In addition to the climate and location, the production process of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee is part of the reason why it has such delicious taste and fine flavor.  To ensure that the highest quality Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee is produced, The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica monitors and regulates the Blue Mountain Coffee cultivation process. 

The cultivators and exporters of Jamaican coffee must be approved by The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica and granted a license before their coffee can be branded and labeled Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee.

 The cultivation process is as follows:

• Seedling – When new coffee plants need to be planted, approved coffee seedlings are planted in May and October.  100% genuine Blue Mountain Coffee is only grown from high quality seedlings. 
  
  

• Pruning – Pruning is a very important part of the cultivation process.  When the coffee plant reaches 4-5 feet tall, pruning is done to extend the life of the coffee plant, to allow easier access when picking the ripped coffee cherries and more coffee per plant.  Pruning shall begin the first time the coffee blossoms cherries and the ripped coffee cherries are picked for pulping and remain continuous throughout out the life of the coffee plant.
  

• Fertilizing – Fertilizing is prudent because various pests and diseases can cause damage to the coffee plant and cherries.  The Coffee Board Industry of Jamaican is in charge of advocating the proper guidelines that licensed cultivators and exporters of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee must follow.

• Growing – Flowers begin to emerge approximately 3 years after the seedlings have been planted.  During the peek of the Jamaican Blue Mountain® coffee plant (about 6 years), just about everyday, the flowers will blossom open and coffee cherries are present.  The coffee plants life expectancy is about 55-65 years.
  
  

• Harvesting - The coffee cherries are picked by hand.  They are then placed in floating tanks and the floating coffee cherries are disposed.  The remaining coffee cherries are then placed in large tanks again and the floating cherries are again disposed.  This is done twice to ensure quality.  The coffee cherries are now ready for pulping.
  
  
  
  

• Pulping - There is two stages of the pulping process.  The first stage, the outer red skin is removed from the coffee cherry.  The second stage, the coffee seed is washed to remove the sticky substance, resulting in wet parchment. 

• Drying & Curing – The drying and curing of wet parchment takes approximately 10 weeks.  The wet parchment is put thru a vigorous drying process for about 4-6 days.  The wet parchment is either dried naturally by sunlight or thru a mechanical dryer.  The dry parchment is cured for the remaining 9 weeks.
  
  

• Hulling & Sorting – The cured parchment is put through a huller (machine) to remove the outer shell of the bean, called the husk.  The result is 1 –3 green beans.  The green beans are sorted based on certain physical characteristics such as grade, body, color, defects and taste.  The strict guidelines are set forth by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica.  There are grades I, II, II, Peaberry and Triage. 

• Roasting, Brewing & Cup-Tasting – Cup-testing also helps in determining the quality of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee.  Blue Mountain Coffee is ground and the aroma is observed.  A glass of coffee is brewed, the aroma is observed again and then the freshly brewed coffee is tasted.  Keble Munn and David Evans were two of the most notable cut-tester’s for Blue Mountain Coffee.   
  
  

• Coffee Board Industry – a certificate of authenticity is issued before any Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee can be exported from the island of Jamaica. 

We guarantee our delicious Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee is 100% genuine and that is approved by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica.  Our coffee comes from a Blue Mountain Coffee cultivator and exporter that is licensed by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica to cultivate and export this fine, exquisite coffee.