I recently tried the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain Single Origin coffee which is served at the Jamaica Blue café chain that has sprung up in the UK the last few years.

I was excited to try a coffee I had heard about for years but always far too expensive or difficult to find. But now it’s available at a high street coffee chain at a somewhat reasonable price!

It’s a chain that started in Australia and has spread across the world, to include cafes in locations such as Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

I didn’t have the time to visit these stores, so I decided to venture a little closer to home to the Richmond and Ealing Broadway branches.

I first tried the Jamaica Blue Mountain Signature Blend as it’s a little easier on the Ol wallet.

FLASHBACK; I recall once ordering a packet of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee online only to discover it was a blend containing only 10% Blue Mountain and yet I swore I could still taste the residue of the caramel syrupy tone of the Blue Mountains.

The blend carried a smooth powdery, milk chocolate flavour with more acidity and bite than I expected. There is a very subtle velvety quality, almost like red wine, that is very dry.

The menu is full of the usual breakfasts items we are used to seeing in London, from Avocado Smash to Sourdough toast.

Then again Turkish eggs and Shakshuka are two items you don’t often see.

One strange entry is the Sausage and Egg Bagel where you also get Jamaica Blue Signature Blend coffee infused bacon jam… now that’s maybe a step too far!

When I did try the Jamaica Blue Single Origin Coffee I found it very subtle. The Signature blend was more memorable and yet the pure Single Origin went down so easy I could’ve had five cups if not for the price!

The company boasts that their Jamaica Blue Mountain “brings rich flavors of maple syrup sweetness, dark chocolate, and juicy raisin notes.” And while I agree with two thirds of that statement, you’d be hard pressed to find any raisin in it.

For both the Blend and the Single Origin I ordered a Long Black to get the full impact of the coffee.

Sidenote; what is a long black? And why is it not as common as an Americano or Flat White?

They sold 100 gram bags of the beans at the store for a whopping £17 to remind you that Jamaica Blue Mountain is premium, with only a few Coffee harvesters.

It must be grown at an altitude between 3,000 – 5,500 feet in order to carry the prestigious label, this is similar to a lot of cultural produce such as wines and cheeses that often have to be developed via certain techniques in a very specific geography.

It is grown in a rich, earthy, incredibly verdant hill full of tropical heat and exotic foliage; a diverse ecosystem that gives way to what is arguably the most sought after Single Origin Coffee produced anywhere in the world. It was a privilege to try it, I assumed I would have to go to somewhere like Harrods just to taste it pure.

Review: I loved the Blue Mountain Coffee and the Signature blend equally, but the prices are never going to get lower as Blue Mountain is a premium coffee but it is worth the occasional indulgence!