Coffee Bean Direct Blog

It Costs How Much?!?!

There has been some curiosity amongst our readers (with me as well) as to why coffee like Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kona are so pricey. Is it the taste? Is it the location? Is it the availability? So, in response to these burning questions I did a little research to find some answers… I hope this suffices!

Kona
Let’s start with Kona because this is the only coffee produced in the United States and I am proud to be an American (oh that red, white and blue!) Americans should be proud to produce Kona because it is among the best in the World! It is also the most regulated coffee in the world. Why you ask? Well, lets start with its location first.

The Kona Coffee Belt is located on Hawaii’s Big Island, which is an ideal environment for growing coffee. Seriously this is like a coffee grower’s Mecca! With fertile volcanic soil and ideal altitude, sun exposure, temperature, rainfall and drainage, how could the coffee produced there not be amazing?!

The only problem with this location is that it is only a 20 mile stretch of land, which is only about 1500 acres. This is where the large price tag (average $28/lb) comes into play, because there is a small supply to go along with the large demand.

Now, because this is such an expensive and sought after coffee, there have been quite a few cases in which people have fraudulently sold coffee claiming that it is 100% Kona when in reality it only contains a small percentage of Kona… if any! This is where the strict regulations of this particular bean came into play. Now if you sell a coffee that contains Kona beans, but not 100% Kona you are required by law to sell it as “Kona blend” or “Kona Style.”

Coffee Bean Direct has both Kona and Kona Blend and there is a huge difference in the price tag! We suggest you try the Kona Blend if you want to see what all the fuss is about, but aren’t ready to jump into the price of the real deal.

Jamaican Blue Mountain
Alright, now onto Jamaican Blue Mountain, this is a classification of coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica (just in case you couldn’t figure that out by the name). Blue Mountain coffee is noted for its mild flavor and lack of bitterness (or as we like to say around here “this coffee is smo0o0th!”). It’s no wonder that over the last several decades, this coffee has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world (average $35/lb).

Traditionally only coffee grown at elevations between 3,000 and 5,500 feet (1,700 m) could be called Jamaica Blue Mountain. Technically, coffee harvested from the parishes of Saint Andrew, Saint Thomas, Portland and Saint Mary may be considered Blue Mountain coffee.

Only coffee works situated at Moy Hall, Silver Hill, Mavis Bank, Langley or Wallingford estates and coffee works with the approval of the Minister can produce coffee under the name of Jamaican Blue Mountain. Coffee Bean Direct gets its Jamaican Blue for the Mavis Bank, Wallingford and Amber Estates (location approved by Minister), depending on availability.

All and all both of these coffees are worth trying, but if you are nervous and want to ease your way into the price tag try our Kona Blend or Jamaican Blue Mountain Style.