It’s one of the world’s most expensive coffee beans with a one-kilogram bag of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee costing up to $200. And, even as the price of this rare and unique coffee skyrockets, Australian demand is at an all- time high.
One of the largest Australian sellers of the bean is Merlo, and according to their Head of Coffee, Simon Brooks they will sell and deliver hundreds of kilos of Jamaica Blue nationwide in the next few months.
“Regardless of cost, Australians can’t get enough of Jamacia Blue. It is for coffee aficionados what Penfolds Grange is to wine lovers,” explained Brooks.
“It’s painstakingly grown under a tropical rainforest canopy, on steep slopes at 910 metres above sea level, making production difficult. Everything is done by hand – from harvesting, processing and sorting.
“The quality control is astounding, with every single bean inspected to make sure only the best makes it to market. Once it’s processed it must go to the Jamaican Coffee Board before it can be released.”
Pushing price for Jamaica Blue higher is the fact 80 per cent of all it is exported to Japan, leaving only a small percentage for the rest of the world.
“Merlo has been selling Jamaica Blue for over 25 years, so we have a secured fixed supply,” he said.
“We regularly receive 15-kilogram wooden barrels (worth $3,000 each) or 60-kilogram sacks worth a whopping $12,000 into our Brisbane HQ.”
