To be called “Jamaican Blue Mountain”, the coffee must comply with a number of criteria, as set forth by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica. It must be grown in the Blue Mountains between the elevations of 3000 and 5500 feet. All area above this point is a forest reserve, and coffee grown at the lower elevations cannot be labelled as Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee! The board ensures the quality and classification of the coffees and regulates the coffee industry of Jamaica.
Clifton Mount Estate is located in the heart of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains on the cool and misty slopes of Catherine’s Peak. One of the oldest coffee plantations in Jamaica, Clifton Mount has been producing beans of rare quality and aroma since the 1790s. Encouraged by J. Martinez & Co. estate owner John Martinez, in 2004, a mill was built to process the coffee on the property so that it could be offered as an estate coffee.