Top recording artistes from Jamaica
Arabica coffee trending to decaf
What Would Happen if the most popular coffee bean–Arabica, became decaf? Science fiction today, but likely reality in your great grandchildren’s lifetime.
Imagine a world where everyone is sipping decaf. The thought alone could make even the calmest coffee lover feel jittery (ironically). After all, decaf doesn’t quite pack the punch of its caffeinated cousin. It’s like coffee’s less fun sibling, the one that shows up to the party but doesn’t dance. And why is that? Decaf is stripped of most of its caffeine through processes like washing the beans with solvents, water, or carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, this also tends to rinse away the rich flavors, leaving behind something that resembles “coffee,” but in the same way a photocopy resembles a masterpiece.
However, what if this decaffeination trend was already underway in the coffee world itself, and not by choice? Enter Arabica coffee, the favorite bean of the coffee-drinking world. Known for its smooth, balanced flavor, Arabica is often the bean of choice for discerning coffee drinkers. But here’s the kicker: Arabica beans are gradually weakening in caffeine content, thanks to climate change.
Arabica plants are highly sensitive to changes in temperature, pests, and soil quality. Rising global temperatures are pushing these plants out of their ideal growing zones. As a result, they’re producing beans with less caffeine. To make things worse, pests like the coffee borer beetle, which thrive in warmer climates, are attacking Arabica crops, further reducing the health of the plants and, consequently, the caffeine in the beans.
Now, let’s imagine a world where Arabica completely dominates the coffee market—say goodbye to the more caffeine-packed Robusta beans. If Arabica continues to lose caffeine at a hypothetical rate of 0.5% per year (totally made-up but plausible), then by the year 2264, Arabica lovers would essentially be drinking decaf without realizing it! That’s right—your descendants might sit down at a café, take a sip of their favorite brew, and wonder why they feel sleepy instead of buzzed.
In a world ruled by weak Arabica beans, we might see the rise of alternatives—genetically modified super-caffeinated beans, perhaps, or a switch to synthetic caffeine boosters. But until then, we should savor the rich, caffeinated goodness of coffee while we can because, one day, it might just be a shadow of its former self.
AI generated article built on Jamaicamocha parameters and queries.
Port Strike Brewing Coffee Crisis
NEW YORK, Oct 1 (Reuters) – The unloading of hundreds of containers with imported coffee beans at the United States’ East Coast ports has stopped due to the strike of portworkers, aggravating the tight supply in the largest coffee-drinking nation.
The delays in delivery of imported coffee to U.S. roasters and coffee chains could further increase bean prices which hit multi-year highs last week due to limited supply, and raise costs for companies and consumers.
Prices for coffee held in U.S. warehouses are already rising due to the delays, said one coffee trader with containers stuck in ports.
“We have some 40 containers waiting to be moved,” said the head trader of one of the largest coffee importers in the U.S., which supplies roasters and cafeterias nationwide.
“The owners of the containers already told us they will charge additional fees if the boxes take longer than normal to be returned,” he added, asking not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.
A portworkers strike entered its second day on Wednesday, halting the movement of containers through ports from Maine to Texas, affecting shipments of hundreds of products including food.
Some coffee sellers have stopped offering spot deals as they wait to see how the strike develops, said a second trader.
U.S. coffee stocks are at a low historical level, the traders said, since importers have been avoiding high inventories to reduce storage costs during a period of high interest rates. That situation makes the port problems worse.
“Some regions (in the U.S.) might have a supply squeeze,” said the first trader.
Industry participants believe, however, that the labor issue could be quickly solved because the magnitude of the problem demands attention.
“We source coffee from 35 different countries. If this (strike) goes on for a long time, everybody will be impacted,” said Will Ford, president of operations at Arkansas-based Westrock Coffee Company (WEST.O).
Why Starbucks in Jamaica Doesn’t Sell Jamaican Coffee
Years after Starbucks recommitted itself to incorporate Jamaican coffee into its local offerings, the reality tells a different story.
Walk into any Starbucks store in Jamaica today, and one thing is constant: it does not sell Jamaican coffee. This contradicts the very intention of its entry into the market back in 2017 and its recommitment to offer local beans in 2020.
At the time of Starbucks’ expansion into Jamaica, the company expressed excitement about using local Blue Mountain and High Mountain coffee varieties. As local franchise holder and businessman Ian Dear noted, “Starbucks has proudly sourced Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee since the early days of its operations…and it continues to be a key feature in the Starbucks Reserve line of small-lot coffees in the U.S. and select international markets”.
When Starbucks first entered Jamaica, it briefly offered local coffee during its first year, albeit at prices nearly double those of supermarket brands. The challenge, however, lay in sourcing quality beans at a competitive price.
Compounding the problem, all the beans were shipped to Seattle for roasting and bagging, only to be shipped back to Jamaica. This process made local coffee prohibitively expensive for the Jamaican market.
Despite the initial excitement, none of the Starbucks locations in Jamaica currently offer Jamaican-grown coffee. This missed opportunity has been a disappointment for the local coffee industry, which had hoped that Starbucks’ presence would lead to increased international exposure and local job creation. Instead, Jamaican farmers and stakeholders are left questioning the unfulfilled promises, as Starbucks continues to rely on imported coffee, leaving its local varieties absent from the menu. The goal of supporting the Jamaican economy and promoting its world-renowned coffee remains unrealized.
The only thing Jamaica based is its Been There Travel mugs.
A Free Coffee Sample Turns Into A One-way Ticket To The Throne
Reminiscing about a mishap with a free sample of Starbucks’ Oleato coffee. The outcome was a bit harsh and a valuable lesson was learned.
A Free Coffee Sample Turns Into A One-way Ticket To The Throne
Jamaica Coffee Exports Rise Amid Global Decline in Commodity Coffee
Jamaican coffee exports are bucking the global trend. Its rising when others commodity coffees are falling.
Jamaican coffee exports rose by 18 percent to US$27 million in 2023, up from US$23 million in 2022, that’s latest data from the UN Tradecen the bible of global trade.
This increase is especially significant in light of the challenges facing the global coffee industry, where major players like Colombia, Kenya, and Brazil have all reported declines in export volumes due to a mix of environmental and economic factors.
The United Nations’ trade data show that global coffee exports dropped from US$46 billion in 2022 to US$42 billion in 2023. Countries like Colombia saw a sharp one-third decrease, while Kenya and Brazil reported dips of 20 percent and 14 percent, respectively. These declines are largely attributed to unfavorable weather conditions, including droughts and floods, as well as ongoing economic uncertainty.
In contrast, Jamaica’s coffee sector, particularly its renowned Blue Mountain coffee, has remained resilient, bolstered by a strong demand for premium beans in key markets like Japan, the USA, and China. Japan remains Jamaica’s largest coffee importer, accounting for 50 percent of the country’s exports, followed by the USA and China.
Despite weather challenges and predictions that the 2024 crop may shrink, Jamaica’s coffee farmers have benefited from strategic shifts towards premium markets, a focus on quality, and the growing trend among consumers to support small-batch and ethically sourced coffee.
While other major coffee-producing regions continue to struggle, Jamaica’s coffee industry appears to be on a path of sustained growth, positioning itself as a unique player in the high-end segment of the global coffee market.
AI for coffee blends. Sounds like gimmicks
An artisan roastery based in the Finnish capital has introduced a coffee blend that has been developed by artificial intelligence, in a trial in which it’s hoped that technology can ease the workload in a sector that traditionally prides itself on manual work, according to an AP article.
It is only apt that the Helsinki-based Kaffa Roastery’s ‘AI-conic’ blend was launched this week in Finland, a Nordic nation of 5.6 million that consumes the most coffee in the world, at 12 kilogrammes per capita annually, according to the International Coffee Organisation.
The blend – an AI-picked mixture with four types of beans dominated by Brazil’s velvety Fazenda Pinhal – is the end result of a joint project by Kaffa, Finland’s third-biggest coffee roastery, and local AI consultancy Elev.
“Leveraging models akin to ChatGPT and Copilot, the AI was tasked with crafting a blend that would ideally suit coffee enthusiasts’ tastes, pushing the boundaries of conventional flavour combinations,” Elev said.
Kaffa Roastery’s managing director and founder Svante Hampf told The Associated Press on Saturday that the two partners wanted to trial how AI and its different tools could be of help in coffee roasting, a traditional artisan profession highly valued in Finland.
“We basically gave descriptions of all our coffee types and their flavours to AI and instructed it to create a new exciting blend,” said Hampf, while showcasing ‘AI-conic’ at the Helsinki Coffee Festival that annually brings together roasteries and coffee aficionados.
In addition to coming up with its chosen mixture of beans from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala, AI created the coffee package label and a detailed taste description, saying ‘AI-conic’ is “a well-balanced blend of sweetness and ripe fruit”.
Hampf acknowledged he was surprised that AI “somewhat weirdly” chose to make the blend out of four different type of coffee beans, rather than the usual two or three which allows distinction in taste between flavours from different origins.
After the first test roasting and blind testing, Kaffa’s coffee experts agreed, however, that the tech-assisted blend was perfect, and there was no need for human adjustments.
According to Elev’s spokesman Antti Merilehto, “AI-conic is a tangible example of how AI can introduce new perspectives to seasoned professionals” while offering coffee lovers new taste experiences.
Kaffa Roastery hopes the trial serves as an opener of dialogue between coffee professionals of things to come in the future in Finland, a nation that has both a strong coffee culture and a passion for technology with a flourishing start-up scene.
“This (trial) was the first step in seeing how AI could help us in the future,” Hampf said, adding the project brought smoothly together “the artisan skills of a roastery” and AI-provided data. “I think AI has plenty to offer us in the long run. We are particularly impressed of the coffee taste descriptions it created.”
– AP
ChatGPT : What’s the best coffees from Jamaica
We asked ChatGPT the best brands from the Jamaica Blue Mountains and we got you covered. (We removed answer number 1 , because ‘Jamaica Blue Mountain’ is a trademark for the entire sector rather than a specific operating brand). But in general ChatGPT got it right.
Jamaicamocha coffee brokers: Best coffee brands from Jamaica?
ChatGPT: Jamaica is known for producing some of the best coffee in the world, particularly the Blue Mountain variety. Here are some of the best coffee brands from Jamaica. It is known for its mild and smooth flavor with hints of chocolate and nuts.
- Wallenford Estate: Wallenford Estate is a well-known coffee producer in Jamaica, and their Blue Mountain coffee is considered one of the best. It has a full-bodied flavor with a hint of sweetness and a smooth finish.
- Clifton Mount Estate: Clifton Mount Estate produces high-quality coffee beans in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Their coffee has a unique flavor profile with hints of citrus and floral notes.
- Jablum/Mavis Bank Coffee Factory: Mavis Bank is a popular coffee brand in Jamaica, and their Blue Mountain coffee is highly regarded for its balanced flavor with notes of chocolate and fruit.
- Old Tavern Estate Coffee: Old Tavern Estate is a small coffee producer in Jamaica that specializes in high-quality Blue Mountain coffee. Their coffee has a rich and full-bodied flavor with a smooth finish.
Overall, these coffee brands are known for their exceptional quality and unique flavor profiles, making them some of the best coffee brands from Jamaica.
The difference between Jablum, Island Blue and Wallenford
These three brands sell Jamaica Blue Mountain (JBM) coffee but over the years their stories were somewhat intertwined.
Things to know historically.
Jablum is the most known brand globally of JBM.
Wallenford is the oldest brand and was formerly the regulator of all JBM until Government split its regulatory from marketing functions in about the late 90s.
Island Blue is the newest but owns the largest non-blue mountain coffee lands.
Things to know about current ownership:
Wallenford was acquired by Canadian billionaire Michael Lee-Chin in 2013 and then in 2016 he also acquired Jablum.
IslandBlue was formerly called ‘Wallenford Blue’ but ceased paying royalties for the use of the name when Wallenford was acquired by Lee-Chin. Island Blue is owned by Jamaica Standard Products (JSP) which buys Jamaica Blue Mountain beans and brands it as Island Blue. JSP also separately operates the largest Jamaica High Mountain factory in the island. High Mountain coffee is farmed outside the Jamaica Blue Mountain region. Its High Mountain products are not branded as Island Blue.
Things to know about taste profile.
Wallenford and Jablum are both large JBM producers and now owned by a common company. Both brands share space and facilities now. It is not immediately clear whether all buying and roasting operations are amalgamated. A general tip however is that Wallenford offers a chocolatey nutty and lemon almost wine taste profile while Jablum is light cocoa and at times hazelnut to vanilla.
Island Blue is more chocolatey with spice tones.
What does Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee taste like
Tones of chocolate, nut and spice without bitterness. That’s the classic taste profile of Jamaica Blue Mountain (JBM). In other words three distinct layers of tastes. The profile can vacillate slightly with more curated brands offering a transition between chocolate, spice and fruit.
The complexity and smoothness gained a reputation since the 1960s as a coffee that stood world’s apart from your typical cup. Context is important. The 60s was an era before Starbucks, when instant coffee was largely prevalent. Additionally, the average coffee drinker opened a can of dark roasted ground beans. The industry at the time was set on delivering the cheapest cup. That often meant dark very bitter brew. Besides if people had an issue they just added sugar and milk.
Within this era of mass bitter coffee was a beverage from Jamaica that could be consumed black! A brew that allowed the subtle layers of tones to cover the palette of its drinker. No doubt this resulted in it being a delicacy which fetched a premium price.
Then came Starbuck cafes. Its entry largely killed the canned bitter coffee market and resulted in shifting the value chain from cheap to tasty beans. It resulted in the world adopting farming, harvesting, producing and brewing practices that were standard in places like Jamaica and other high end quality coffee nations. The result commodity beans are more flavourful.
Nowadays it is commonplace to source beans from around the world with satisfying taste profiles. But most cannot get the Jamaica Blue Mountain balance of chocolate, spice and fruit. Usually commodity coffees are nutty. Or spicy. Or fruity. It is very rare that they get contrasting tones in one like a quality JBM.
So what does Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee taste like: It tastes like quality.
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