Jamaica Blue Mountain

I started purchasing this whole bean coffee about one year ago. Unfortunately from one of the largest online coffee vendors in the US. However, the shipping cost if the purchase is less than $75 adds an additional $10 to the cost. Then I decided to search on Amazon to see if any coffee vendor sold this same type of whole bean coffee et voila, enter Volcanica. Since they sell through Amazon and the same for shipping, there is no shipping charge if a Prime member. When I first tried this coffee it was about six or seven dollars cheaper but even this price hike is tolerable because of the quality and taste of it. I have been purchasing coffee from this aforementioned vendor for more than a decade; however, since I discovered the Sumatra Gayo, I now buy only three coffees. This Sumatra Gayo has now replaced my everyday drinking coffee which was the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe whole bean coffee. The Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia produces some of the best coffees anywhere. After all, coffee was first found in Ethiopia. When I first tasted this coffee I really thought I had received a bag of Jamaica Blue Mountain. I simply could not believe I was drinking a Sumatran coffee. But I was. About the fifth purchase of this coffee I was dealt another surprise. But this one was not a good surprise. The coffee did not the smooth, rich flavor I was used to. What happened? Why did this wonderful coffee turn so off-putting? So acidic? So unpleasant tasting. Maybe I was inebriated? No, since I can’t imbibe alcohol any more. However, this last purchase I made and received just two days ago was back to the FANTASTIC coffee I had experienced years ago. Why did it change. I believe I found out the reason. In case you don’t know, when coffee beans—especially Arabica coffee beans—you must let the beans oxygenate by expelling carbon dioxide. That takes a minimum of seven (7) days. The key word is ‘MINIMUM.’ I had a bag of these beans in the freezer from my purchase previous purchase one month before. The roasting date was in February 2024 and was and like the several purchases before it, was roasted just a little over one week when I ground 17 grams of beans approximately beginning on the eighth (8th) day after roasting. This last purchase, however, was roasted in mid-February which was approximately six weeks after roasting. (The bag of beans in the freezer is still there. I simply will not purchase another bag until May 2024 and from now own will wait about six weeks after roasting to grind and make the coffee. Because the Volcanica beans are NOT in a bag that allows the carbon dioxide to escape during the first seven (7) days following roasting I will pour the beans into an open container for two additional weeks for them to oxygenate. As long as the beans have six weeks of resting following the roasting date I will get to enjoy one of the three best coffees in the world—IN MY OPINION. I have indeed read several roasters and coffee experts agree with my thoughts regarding the Sumatra Gayo Whole-Bean Coffee. Although not anywhere near the price of the Jamaica Blue Moon Estate or the Hawaii Kona Volcanic Estate coffees, Volcanica’s price for their Sumatra Gayo’s price of $25.99 is a steal. The low acidity, full bodied taste, its smooth and rand deep, rich flavor are qualities that make this such a favorite anywhere. ABOLUETELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

VOLCANICA 7/5/24 EAST AFRICAN COFFEE STATUS & OUTLOOK Based on the USDA’s latest outlook, Africa accounts for 11-12% of the world’s total coffee production, including 10.5% of the Robusta crop and 12.5% of the 23/24 Arabica crop. There are 54 countries in Africa, but only about a dozen produce coffee. While Ethiopia accounts for most of it, the high-quality specialty grade Arabica coffee production is limited to 6-7 East African countries, including some very small countries with problematic histories. Located in the equatorial coffee belt, East African coffee benefits from ideal coffee growing conditions, including volcanic soil, high altitude, climate, access to fresh water and tradition. Conscientious processing, disciplined coops and dedicated smallholder farms also play a role. Coffee is a subjective topic and while good coffee can be found throughout the equatorial belt, the acid rich East African coffees are recognized as the world’s most distinctive. The traditional varieties and grade from Ethiopia (Yirgacheffe) and Kenya (south-central highlands) are particularly noteworthy and often compared. While some would include 100% authentic Kona (miniscule production, hard to get & subject to fraud), the best Tanzanian and the crazy expensive Geisha (Panama & elsewhere) among the best, the coffee from Kenya and Ethiopia is widely viewed as the world’s most consistent, distinctive and recognizable. Regardless of source, it is important to note that countries producing the most distinguished specialty coffee also produce average or worse coffee. In a way, East African coffees are like finalists in a beauty contents, it’s hard to pick the winner. The contest is also dynamic, i.e., this year’s crop winner could be next year’s loser. While the demand for specialty coffee continues to grow, small coffee farmers have been burdened by an exploitive value chain. Living on a few dollars a day, Africa’s small coffee farmers have had little incentive to produce the low yielding crop. If impoverished farmers do not get a bigger piece of the value chain’s pie, higher prices and a shortage of high-quality coffee seem likely. FINDING REPUTABLE RETAIL ROASTERS When purchasing country of origin coffee, the quality will vary by crop year, terroir, region, sub-region, botanical variety, grade, processing, storage, logistics, roast and freshness. Excluding effective auctions, higher prices may not guarantee a better tasting coffee. Storage and freshness are key because coffee does not age well. Indeed, assuming the flavor has not been compromised by logistics and storage, fresh green coffee has a 6–12-month shelf life while fresh roasted whole bean has a 30-day window. As the importer of these potentially fine coffees, IT IS THE RETAIL ROASTER WHO DETERMINES THE QUALITY AND FRESHNESS OF OUR COFFEE. Finding a reputable retail roaster with good customer service, a good menu of single origin coffee and consistency is a Herculean task. Given the limited shelf life, always looming new crop and roaster inconsistency, the ongoing journey never ends. Organic, free trade, direct trade, sustainable, certified, relationships and consistent buying all make sense, but coffee that shoots the lights out on the cupping table is really what the specialty coffee game is about. While there are exceptions, roaster websites are not generally well developed or organized and many do not disclose all the information required to make an informed purchase, including the origin, roast, ounces per bag, processing, etc. Some lack contact information while others fail to follow up on inquiries. Many also use a poor choice of colors and fonts that make the websites difficult to read. Fortunately, many roasters specializing in East African coffee provide more detail and organized information, including the granular source, varietal, processing, roast and roast date. Blends are being hyped by roasters and while they might be relevant to coffee drinkers, they are not very relevant to coffee lovers that already know what they want. Affordability is another issue because there are high-quality single origin coffees that are affordable and offer real value. Indeed, many blends are priced higher than good single origin coffee. VOLCANICA EAST AFRICAN COFFEE: As Good As It Gets Volcanica is currently offering nine East African single origin coffees, including the Kenya AA (Nyeri Hill Estate), the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and the Tanzania Peaberry (Nitin Estate, Ngorongoro Crater). All are washed and roasted light or medium light. In addition to being among the highest quality East African coffee on the market today, they offer real value. Indeed, Volcanica’s 16 oz pricing is less than what many of their competitors are charging for 12 oz. Volcanica’s website is also developed, organized and provides granular details appreciated by coffee lovers. JBC has also done a good job with their website development and disclosure. I have chased the perfect cup of East African coffee for over forty years and these three are among the best. Will sample the other six in the months ahead and share the results with another post.

It is tasty. I would call it a medium roast with good flavor. It also seems to be lower acid. Regrettably it’s not affordable

We just bought a DeLonghi Eletta Explorer for Christmas, and these beans have been excellent with it. The flavor is smooth, rich, and not bitter at all. Fresh aroma and consistent quality — we’ll definitely be buying these again.

I waited until late in life to get into coffee. I really started enjoying it more when I quit smoking cigarettes 2 months ago. So compared to most I'm very new to the coffee world. I have tried a few other brands in my new quest for that "perfect cup of coffee" - for me. I tend to enjoy Arabica medium pecan roast or medium roast. In my quest, I did a little research and Volcanica kept coming up on "best of" lists. So I thought I'd give it a try, without much more research into the SEO in SEMRush of these lists to see if they were all written by the company or persons for backlinks. The coffee is good, but it is worth the extra money compared to similar products by other coffee houses? Eh, not really... I mean it is good do not get me wrong. It has a great rich flavor in all the right spots. Yet it has a hint of "burnt popcorn" as an aftertaste. I brewed it completely by the book too. I tried several different grinds etc. Then just over halfway through the 1-pound bag, it lost its rich flavor. I started drinking it almost black and it is like drinking water now. Kind of disappointed. I even kept it in an air tight steel container made for storing coffee. I am glad the company is based in Georgia, they have a great range of roasts to choose from. Alas, I must leave the Volcanica land of coffee and continue my quest for that perfect medium roast.

Excellent flavor and great taste…mikd acidity with a smooth unique flavor. These beans are very pleasing. Overall , a very nice Guatemalan bean. Premium quality beans cost a little more but these beans are well worth the extra pesos.

First of all, this is a verified purchase review. I really bought the product. The product is Volcanica Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry, 100% arabica coffee (whole bean). This review applies to no other products purchased on Amazon. OK, so here's the gist of it: I am a connoisseur of fine coffees, including genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. I started drinking Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee way back in the early 1980s, when I first purchased it from a small roasting company in Palo Alto, California. I have subsequently purchased whole bean Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee from Peet's Coffee (when available, and not very often) and even from Starbucks (again, available only infrequently). Since genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain whole bean coffee is becoming harder and harder to find (fewer roasters are offering it because it is too expensive to appeal to most coffee drinkers and probably more of a hassle for roasters to obtain), I have turned to Amazon to try to satisfy my cravings for truly fine genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain whole bean coffee. While Amazon cannot be faulted in any way (their shipment arrived right on time, in perfect condition), Volcanica Coffee can certainly be faulted. If what I purchased here was truly genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain whole bean 100% arabica coffee (peaberry variety), then this coffee is a poor excuse for coffee bearing the "Jamaica Blue Mountain" name and label. Do not purchase this coffee unless you obtain some perverse pleasure from wasting your money. This stuff costs close to $100 for 16 oz (1 pound), and it is no better than any other "plain Jane" coffee you can purchase at Starbucks or online from Amazon. This coffee bears absolutely no resemblance in flavor qualities or after-taste compared to genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain whole bean coffee I have purchased directly from Peet's coffee or from Starbucks. I tried hard to give it a chance -- made several pots. Even took it to work with me in a thermos. It was barely drinkable. I mean I had to add sugar to it to make it even somewhat palatable. This is not what I remember genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee to be like. True genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain whole bean coffee is exceptionally smooth with a sweet after-taste (consumed black). In fact, true genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is deceptively smooth -- but very strong. It will give you a true jolt like almost no other coffee I have ever had. This coffee (under review) had none of these properties. I can only give it one star, and I would give it only 1/2 star if I could figure out how to do it. So, in summary, as they say in New Yawk, don't bother! Don't waste your hard-earned dollars on Volcanica Coffee brand Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Save your money for when you can find the real deal on the Peet's website or when Starbucks offers it locally somewhere in your community. The real deal is well worth having, and I recommend that all coffee drinkers try genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain whole bean coffee at last once before they die, because it is truly one of the world's finest coffees. But don't buy it from Volcanica Coffee. This purchase was sorely disappointing to me, and I will never again purchase it. This is a totally honest, unbiased, and objective review. I am just trying to save you your money.

Yes, this is one Supercalifragelisticexpialidocius coffee. I have purchased drunk over 80+ coffees from around the world in my lifetime and have now found the best of the lot save the Kona from Hawaii and the Jamaica Blue Mountain from Jamaica. Bet you could have figured that one out for yourself!!! I could not believe what I was drinking when I first experienced the first sip of this excellent brew. I don’t roast my own coffee beans but I do grind them and then make them on one of the best coffee makers on the open market—a Moccamaster Cup One. If Manna from Heaven was a black liquid then I have found it and loved every drop of the many cups I have since brewed. I know that I have waxed on and on about a coffee being so unbelievably delicious but I could not do anything else but state the truth. This coffee is has a nice body but is famous for its clarity and it’s this unbounded clarity that makes it so unique. In fact, in my opinion this coffee has the highest clarity of all the 80+ coffees I have purchased over the past 15+ years. I can or I think I can taste every individual undertone fruits it exhibits. I can distinguish passion fruit, mango, maybe some guava, and possibly apricot when dried. It also has a taste of tobacco, dark chocolate, as well as having some earthiness about it. It’s very low in acidity which will please many coffee drinkers like myself. There are Sumatran coffees such as another favorite of mine—Sumatra Mandheling. However, for me the Gayo is more complex and definitely smoother than the Mandheling. Don’t get me wrong as the Mandheling is a great coffee but not as distinctive as the Gayo. If you love a great cup of coffee in the morning or at lunchtime or in the evening or just anytime during the day, you won’t go wrong with the coffee. While Volcanica Coffee sells this coffee for ~$25.00/lb. other vendors sell this same coffee for as much as nearly $55.00/lb. I can’t explain the difference in price from one vendor to another but I can only hope that Volcanica retains their price at what it is today. Try it for I am sure you will really love it and might make it your day-to-day coffee. I have at three cups per day—minimum!