According to Brisbane-based coffee roaster Merlo, Australian demand is at an all-time high for one of the world’s most expensive coffee beans, Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.
With a one-kilogram bag of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee costing up to $200, Head of Coffee Simon Brooks says Merlo will sell and deliver hundreds of kilograms of Jamaica Blue nationwide in the next few months.
“Regardless of cost, Australians can’t get enough of Jamacia Blue. Coffee is the second most popular beverage globally after water, and the second most traded commodity after oil. Every day close to 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide,” Simon says.
“But one of the most sort after beans globally is Jamaica Blue Mountain. It is for coffee aficionados what Penfolds Grange is to wine lovers.
“It’s painstakingly grown under a tropical rainforest canopy, on steep slopes at 910 metres above sea level, making production difficult.”
Simon says everything is done by hand: 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,” Simon says.
Pushing price for Jamaica Blue coffee higher is the fact that 80 per cent of its harvest 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,” says Simon.
“We regularly receive 15-kilogram wooden barrels, worth $3000 each, or 60-kilogram sacks worth a whopping $12,000 into our Brisbane Headquarters.”
To buy and have Jamaican Blue Mountain delivered, customers can select from a 200-gram tin for $44 through to a one-kilogram bag for $200.
To place an order, visit www.merlo.com.au
