Many thanks to the folks at Marley Coffee for sending us a selection of their coffees.
It’s natural to associate Marley Coffee with Jamaica. After all, its founder, Rohan Marley, is Bob Marley’s son.
But the truth is, Marley Coffee sells coffees from many different regions. Not just from Jamaica.
The package they sent us included coffee blends from Jamaica, Africa and Central and South America – all of it 100% Arabica.
Another thing to understand about Marley Coffees is that the company has an ongoing commitment to doing the right thing. You’ll find that their coffees are either Rainforest Alliance Certified, USDA Organic or certified 100% Blue Mountain Coffee. Plus they support a variety of non-profits.
Anyway, let’s get to the first coffee we tried - the Jamaica Blue Mountain Blend.
This is 20% certified Jamaica Blue Mountain, blended with coffee beans from Central America.
It’s a medium–roasted coffee and we ground it just prior to brewing, which we did with our Bonavita drip brewer.
I’m fairly familiar with Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, and had to be mindful not to compare this to a 100% Certified Jamaican coffee. This is a blend, and needs to be judged on its own merits.
This is a very smooth and easy coffee. There is enough acidity there avoid any feeling of blandness, and the acidity is balanced with a natural sweetness, with hints of citrus and berries.
For us, this coffee hit the sweet spot.
Some coffees try too hard. The search for a full, bold feel results in harsh spikes of bitterness. At the other end of the spectrum, other coffees are too soft and sweet.
This blend hits the center spot just right. It has the boldness you want in a coffee, but at the same time all the flavors are evenly balanced. No spikes.
And beyond the smoothness, you get the character that comes through with those hints of fruit.
A very nice coffee and one we can happily recommend.
You can buy Jamaica Blue Mountain Blend at Amazon.com.About the author: Nick Usborne, aka Coffee Detective, is a writer and long-time coffee enthusiast. Read more…
More to read if you are interested in Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee:
Why Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee is so good, and why it costs more.
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee – from seed to harvest.
Processing coffee in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains.
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