Blue Mountain Coffee – Regulation And Testing

By Author: Richard Harry
Total Articles: 14
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Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee has been known to come from an authentic high quality coffee bean. The cultivation process is delicate and goes under strict regulation. The coffee must be grown in specific boundaries in Jamaica, cultivated in certain elevations, and pass the quality testing. In the high mountains of Jamaica, Blue Mountain Coffee is grown in elevations between 3,000 and 5,000 feet. This premium coffee that is grown under those elevations have a different name and undergoes a different cultivation process.

Besides the cultivation process, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee goes through a strict testing process to ensure authenticity. The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica tests all outgoing Jamaican coffee to determine whether or not it can receive the Blue Mountain label. There are only limited number of licensed Blue Mountain coffee dealers on the island. One of the more widely known testing processes for gourmet coffee is the Organoleptic assessment. The Organoleptic assessment, also known as Cup-testing, is done by coffee experts who examine the sensory properties of the premium coffee including the color, taste, ...
... odor, and feel.

First, a sample of the blue mountain coffee grind is prepared. The sample size is usually between 1mm and drop coffee size. The sample is lightly roasted and checked for defects. Also, a lightly roasted coffee makes it easier for the fragrance and aroma analysis than darker roasts. The roast and color tested with a colorimeter or by grinding a portion of the coffee, placing it on white paper, and making a comparison. The aroma is analyzed by the tester using a variety of techniques. One technique involves boiling water and pouring it into samples of the blue mountain coffee. The tester then uses a preheated spoon to break the crust of the coffee and closely smell the sample when it is at its most potent level. Finally, the most important part of cup-testing blue mountain coffee is the flavor analysis. The tester allows for the pre-heated coffee to cool down, slurps a spoon of the coffee, and allows it to aspirate over the entire tongue. The tester is able to recognize the specific tastes, level of bitterness, and amount of sweetness for the coffee to be considered genuine.

Despite the strict regulation by the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board, there is an increase in the amount of counterfeit Blue Mountain Coffee. Quite often other manufacturers place the blue mountain label onto coffee that does not meet the quality. The reason this is done is because of the high price of premium coffee. Consumers, especially coffee fanatics, understand the quality of the gourmet coffee and are willing to pay a high price for a bag. With more cultivation techniques and more licensed farmers, the regulation and testing for Blue Mountain Coffee is consistently changing. It will be more difficult for manufacturers to make counterfeit Blue Mountain Coffee and beneficial for the farmers in Jamaica.

Richard Harry is associated with coffee industry. His business is spread across the world and supplies blue mountains coffee, premium coffee, Peaberry Coffee, Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee to customers. To read more information about blue mountains coffee visit, http://www.reggiesroast.com