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This reach I'd like to bring back some coffee grounds for my fellow coworkers. In no way what so ever am I a coffee connoisseur as I maybe drink 20 cups a year. So my question is this...where do you recommend I purchase the grounds? Would the Blue Mountain sold in burlap bags at Sunnyside in Time's Square be suitable or should I check elsewhere? Thanks much!
By grounds I assume you mean ground coffee, not used coffee grounds? Real JBM is very expensive now, supposedly anything less than $40/lb is not real. I bought some that was in burlap bags at One Mile at Drifter's bar for about $31, tasted good, but probably not the real deal.
Yes, meant ground coffee.
I usually bring back a few pounds of beans, and grind them fresh every morning. Always tastes fresher than the pre-ground stuff. I almost always get it from Times Square. Not because I like to shop there, or the price is better, but because they sell more and the product is fresher. I have bought some from the small shops on the beach that I found were quite old and really sucked. Also look close at the labels. Not all are genuine blue mountain coffee. Some are "high mountain," or similar.
Agreed, phineas. Buy whole bean, not ground, and check the date (expiry date should be at LEAST a year out), and look for the Blue Mountain seal if you want authentic. No seal, no Blue Mountain. All of those things are equally important. I like Coffee Roasters of Jamaica these days, but none of it tastes the same as it did 10-15 years ago. Not sure why, I've heard varying reasons (most come back to hurricane Ivan).
I'm not a coffee drinker, but my friend who intended to bring packages back as gifts was shocked to find how much prices had gone up in the last couple of years, and also surprised to see that the prices at the airport shops outbound were not that different; in previous years, he thought that the airport prices were significantly higher than the Negril prices.
I would check out Value Master Grocery store in Negril.
I advise against getting coffee in the airport. I purchased two bags of coffee at airport Blue Mountain store two years ago but it was so stale I had to throw them away.
All the JBM bags we saw had a date stamp on them, and we paid attention. We did buy at Value Master, but 1) the price was as high as everywhere else, and 2) the price at the register was significantly higher than the price labels on the shelf, so it was very difficult to comparison shop.
You are better off buying directly from a vendor. I get mine from one and it is fresh. You can PM me if you want details
Sadly the days of us bringing an empty suitcase just for coffee are long gone. Now it's a few bags at most
Some of the best coffee I've ever had in Negril was fresh roasted beans from a rasta named Thunder. He gets the beans from farmers on the mountain and roasts them in the back of his house. He is located near Alfreds across the street. Just ask anyone (vendors, locals, etc.) in that area and I"m sure they can point you in the right direction. As I understand it, much of the money he collects on sales goes back to the farmers. Its a pretty sweet deal. And if you're lucky you can watch him roast them! It's a lovely experience! I always bring a few lbs back to Canada to enjoy and give as gifts. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by roz
....and this is why I love this forum.
Thunder's is high mountain, not JBM and he over roasts it imo.
I have bought fresh roasted coffee beans from Thunder before. He told me it was high mountain coffee and not blue mountain coffee but it was excelent coffee. I love the high mountain coffee and thats almost always what we buy there to make in our room and to bring home. I always bring a bag of blue mountain coffee beans home as a gift for my mom every time we visit Jamaica and i usually buy it at times square or the grocery store
LOL I find it to be very lightly roasted, and I've bought his a few times.Quote:
Originally Posted by saeyedoc
Must have caught him on an off dayQuote:
Originally Posted by Lola
Do I remember reading once that you can purchase fresh roasted beans at Café Goa? If so, are they good?
Yes, you can purchase beans from Big Roy at Cafe Goa. I haven't tried his coffee recently, but it always gets solid reviews.Quote:
Originally Posted by KitchenBeeotch
Lately, I've been buying a small bag of High Mountain grounds at L&M or Wise Choice, for making coffee in my room. If the bag is fresh, I find the High Mountain grounds to be very good. I then pick up a pound of Blue Mountain beans to take home. We'll see how it goes on my next trip, as far as pricing. If the Blue Mountain beans are out of control, I will probably just buy some High Mountain beans to take home. I've been meaning to try Thunder, as well.
Jablum in the airport was about $50/lb two weeks ago
Cheaper to by it online.Quote:
Originally Posted by saeyedoc
Tried that once and it was very stale. Too many imposters alsoQuote:
Originally Posted by halfwaytree
I have bought from Thunder before, it was very good stuff, but I have to agree with another poster. High Mountain Coffee, and it seemed to be roasted lightly. It was very mild coffee when drunk. I've always preferred the taste of Wallenford Estate Dark Roasted JBM. Someone once posted on here a roaster in Canada that buys it raw in bulk, roasts it, and ships it out (on ebay). The name escapes me right now, but I have purchased twice from them and the coffee is exactly as advertised. I still prefer to try to purchase locally when in Negril, to help the JA economy. I only buy on Ebay when we start jones'n for it, and our next reach is months out.
Haven't enjoyed coffee as much as Thunder's in a long time. I think the freshness has a lot to do with it. Now according to him and Barbara and their bags (labeled High Blue Mountain Coffee), it is Blue Mountain. I've heard several people say it is just High Mountain - how can you tell? Also, high mountain coffee that good? Baby I don't need to be blue!Quote:
Originally Posted by lisapat
saeyedoc is giving very solid info here, agreed on all of it.
I looked up Blue Mountain Coffee and found this.
The Coffee Industry Regulation Act
The Coffee Industry Regulation Act specifies what coffee may use the Blue Mountain label. Additionally, it restricts the use of the Blue Mountain trademark to those authorized by the Coffee Industry Board. Broadly speaking, coffee harvested from the parishes of Saint Andrew, Saint Thomas, Portland and Saint Mary may be considered Blue Mountain coffee.[2]
Traditionally, only coffee grown at elevations between 910 metres (3,000 ft) and 1,700 metres (5,500 ft) could be called Jamaica Blue Mountain. Coffee grown at elevations between 460 metres (1,500 ft) and 910 metres (3,000 ft) is called Jamaica High Mountain, and coffee grown below 460 metres (1,500 ft) elevation is called Jamaica Supreme or Jamaica Low Mountain. (All land in Jamaica above 1,700 metres (5,500 ft) is a forest preserve, so no coffee is grown there.)
Thunder goes to the mountains and gets his beans from farmers high up in them. He then roasts them back home.
I was told that coffee from Thunder is now $25 per pound. Has anybody bought any lately to confirm if that is accurate?
Yes this is accurate, plus shipping if you would like it mailed to you if you're not in Negril.Quote:
Originally Posted by ptucker
I can get you an e-mail if you'd like.
~Moose
I personally get my Blue Mountain coffee from Lina Coffee Roasters on eBay:
http://stores.ebay.com/linacoffeeroasters/
GRADE 1, ROASTED TO ORDER, 100% PURE AND NOT A BLEND! Wallenford Estate is the largest, most reliable, and most trusted processor of coffee in Jamaica and it is the most recognized and sought after brand in the world. http://www.linaepicure.com/JBM-Walle...ctinfo/JBMW21/
I get the 4 pounds and a bonus pound for $89, free shipping.
Top notch coffee.
~Moose
The whole Blue Mountain/High Mountain thing very much reminds me of the Swiss Watch industry. Very specific laws and regulations are involved in both industries as far as labeling goes. But as with Swiss watches when you get past the label the typical lay person cannot discern a Rolex from a Seiko in form and function.
I enjoy the coffee when I am on the island, but have quit bringing any home. The price increase has made it a novelty item in my opinion and better coffees are readily available. If you have some time to kill read about Rohan Marley and his quest to farm and retail Blue Mountain coffee and you will understand the pricing issue and why Marley Coffee exports a lot of beans from Ethiopia.
I buy my blue mountain coffee from LaToya at Blue Mountain coffee shop across from Alfreds. She has it for $20 a pound and it comes in half pound vacuum packs. Tastes great.
It's not real blue mountain for that price, probably high mountain.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stoners6
If you like it then its a good deal. I would just understand that it is likely High Mountain for that price and hopefully being sold to you accurately.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stoners6
What is the difference between blue mountain and high mountain? Noticeable taste difference?
It was discussed in this thread but the difference is where exactly the bean is grown, ie; elevation/location and branding. Some folks will say they can discern a difference, others will say they cannot. I have heard some say they prefer the cheaper High Mountain to the more expensive Blue Mountain, although it is typically vice versa.Quote:
Originally Posted by never2many
JBM is typically smoother which is attributed to the elevation of 2000 ft in the Blue Mountain range. HM can be a bit more bitter with various tastes as it can be grown anywhere.
And this can all be pure opinion, I have had instant coffee in Negril and it tasted amazing while looking out over the sea!
Definitely high mountain. It's not possible to buy authentic Blue Mountain for that price. Just isn't possible, even green unroasted beans go for more than that.Quote:
Originally Posted by saeyedoc
Also, Thunder sells high mountain, regardless of whatever he tells anyone. He also burns the crap out of it, which destroys the flavor, and the caffeine. Blue Mountain should be a light/medium roast, always.
Also also, I wouldn't recommend buying it online, as it tends to be from the previous year, or outright expired.
There is much better coffee out there, for far less money than you pay for JBM.
Agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by TAH
I found some supposedly JBM at One Mile for about $30pp and was told there's no way it's real at that price. Wallenford Estates at the airport was pushing $50pp this year. When JBM was $15, we used to bring 10-20# back, not any more.