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Before you get to the interesting bit, my ramblings; fuelled in part by my own-grown JBM, and the odd bottle (or two) of local beer, the (excellent!!) Red Stripe: you gotta read this intro!!! NO scrolling down!!! OK!! Something you read in the "subject" line must have aroused your interest; I really am a genuine JBM, coffee grower: and if you want the "official" line on Jamaican coffee (not just the JBM) go to www.ciboj.org the web site of our local coffee industry regulatory board (I was involved with the web site "design", and can claim the "rogues gallery", as MY idea!!) OK, we know it is slow to download, but that is being looked at. My only connection with the coffee board, is as a "grower", who wants to help and assist, in any way possible, like this, a bunch of ramblings, to dispel all the mis-information, and get the truth, to any interested people. As a serious coffee drinker, you must be aware of the great problem: faked, phoney, and/or adulterated coffees: from the best figures I can "glean" from sources: buy some JBM on E-Bay (for example): at best you have a 1 or 2% chance of getting a pack of 100% "real" stuff, and even then, it could be of "low or bottom" quality. JBM, has the Coffee Industry Board, to protect the name, and the registered trademarks, and does all possible to ensure the quality of the coffee, but once the beans/coffee leave "territorial waters", they have no control: so what happens to all the worlds other great coffees, who do not have ANY protection?? The only legal powers the CIB has, is in regard to the misuse of the registered trademarks and logos. YOUR part is to report any "duff" coffee you come across: if it is (or claims to be JBM) report it to the CIB, on their web site. If they find any infringements of the use of their trade marks, they DO take "appropriate" action At this point, have no suggestions as to where to report, non Jamaican, phoney coffees!! Other than to "Awful Coffee" on this web site? In a later episode I will give you a few tips to help you identify poor quality coffee, green beans, or whole roasted beans, visually: once the coffee has been ground, there are very few visual indicators, remaining. MY part, is to do what I can, to produce the best JBM, that I possibly can: and get it to you, the serious coffee drinkers, at the best price I can do it for; if for no other reason, but to give you a "genuine sample" against which to judge any other (coffee CLAIMING to be!!) JBM. If you go and explore the CIB web site, you will see just how difficult it will be for me to do this!! in more than the odd pound of coffee, at a time!! It will be some years yet, before I have any "spare" coffee, but if you want a sample to use as a reference against "other" coffees, please contact me, and I will suggest some growers, who I know, produce only the best JBM coffee. My pensions (I have taken early retirement) are MORE than sufficient to keep us all (me and my dog pack) in "comfort": the coffee is a "hobby", in that I do NEED the money it can potentially give me. My motivation is the quality of my coffee, and just to "break even" on any sales, and make a small profit so that I can give Chris (my Bwoy, who looks after the coffee, and the garden for me) a "reasonable" annual bonus, just before Christmas; US$50 would be like a full weeks pay; US$200 bonus: excellent for him (I currently pay him TOP local wages, throw in the little extras, and he has an unequalled job, around here: total cost to me, is around US$2,800 per year!). If you enjoy reading this, keep an eye out for further "episodes"; where I will give you an in-depth description of every stage of getting from a coffee seed, to a cup of the nectar. What it is that makes JBM coffee, so special, ( it is all to do with the geology, and the specific micro-climate, of the area ), the effects of hurricanes on the Island, and the coffee: along with any thing else, which may be of interest to you: Jamaican recipes, and what it is in the cuisine, that so perfectly "prepares" the palate, for the JBM coffee, afterwards. Enough of the boring/business bit, let's get into the "ramblings" proper! Go here to learn about Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee growing! Robin Plough, friend of www.coffee4dummies.com For questions about JBM, mail to: Этот e-mail адрес защищен от спам-ботов, для его просмотра у Вас должен быть включен Javascript |
Intro
Intro
