The Rise and Fall of Jamaican Blue Mountain

Jools' investigation into this elusive coffee will leave your taste buds clamouring for the sweet and fruity notes of Blue Mountain Coffee… <br /><br />When was the last time you encountered Jamaican coffee in your favourite cafe? Chances are, unless you frequent the high-end establishments of Mayfair (or happen to be royalty), the answer may well be "never."<br /><br />In this special episode, Jools takes Scott on a poignant personal journey into the land of her paternal heritage while casting light on Jamaican coffee's fascinating and disturbing past.<br /><br />Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee was once considered the cream of the coffee crop, but plummeting production beneath an ominous veil of secrecy has left the country's coffee industry in crisis.<br /><br />Along the way, the author of "The Mother of Us All", Karla Gottlieb, paints a picture of a paradise island invaded by colonialists and the ingenious fightback by a cunning queen. Smith's Coffee's Colin Smith explains the historical quirks that have led to most Jamaican coffee being sold to Japan. <br /><br />Dominic Wyndham-Gittens of Wyndhams Coffee Roasters in Barbados points the finger at the Jamaican coffee industry's painful decline. <br /><br />And Marshalee Valentine, President of JAWiC, offers a glimpse of hope for some green shoots of recovery.<br /><br />Content Warning: This episode contains mentions/descriptions of slavery and violence against enslaved people that can be disturbing or triggering.<br /><br /><br />— <br /><br />Join our Patreon to support the show! <a href="https://bit.ly/3vrispx" rel="noopener">https://bit.ly/3vrispx</a> <br /><br />Jamaican Women in Coffee: <a href="https://bit.ly/3tBFBpL" rel="noopener">https://bit.ly/3tBFBpL</a><br />Karla Gottlieb book, “Queen Nanny: The Mother of Us All” - <a href="https://bit.ly/3x4N95p" rel="noopener">https://bit.ly/3x4N95p</a><br />Lisa Hanna’s article on the state of the Jamaican coffee industry: <a href="https://bit.ly/39sCsSb" rel="noopener">https://bit.ly/39sCsSb</a><br />Video of a