Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

In the Live And Let Die and Carte Blanche novels, James Bond drinks Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.

James Bond creator Ian Fleming lived in Goldeneye, Jamaica where he wrote all his Bond books.

The coffee was a favorite of Ian Fleming himself while he was in Jamaica, according to the book James Bond The Man And His World (page 4).

The writer mentions Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee in the novel Live And Let Die (1954) as Bond has breakfast in Jamaica at the start of Chapter 17:

“Paw-paw [papaya] with a slice of green lime, a dish piled with red bananas, purple star-apples and tangerines, scrambled eggs and bacon, Blue Mountain coffee - the most delicious in the world - Jamaican marmalade, almost black, and guava jelly.”
- Ian Fleming, Live And Let Die, Chapter 17

In the 2011 James Bond continuation novel Carte Blanche, author Jeffery Deaver also has Bond drink "a cup of fiercely strong Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee" in Bond's flat in Chelsea at the beginning of Chapter 6. This chapter starts with a lot of brand names, including a Canali suit, Turnbull & Asser shirt and tie, a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 34mm and his Bentley Continental GT and a 1960s Jaguar E-Type.

In the 2013 James Bond continuation novel Solo by William Boyd, Blue Mountain coffee is mentioned as well, in Chapter 9 when Bond is in an African Jungle: "[Bond] would have happily killed for a cup of Blue Mountain coffee and a cigarette".

About Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee or Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is a classification of coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.

The Blue Mountains are generally located between Kingston (filming location of the movie Dr. No) to the south and Port Antonio (where parts of No Time To Die were filmed) to the north.

Jamaica, Blue Mountain coffee area

The Blue Mountains (not the coffee) are mentioned several times in the novels Dr. No and The Man With The Golden Gun.

The coffee was introduced to Jamaica in 1728 and has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world. The best lots of Blue Mountain coffee are noted for their mild flavour and lack of bitterness.

Where to buy

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee can be found in specialty coffee stores around the world. Be aware that there are different types of grades of Jamaica Blue Mountain beans and some brands sell blends (with only a percentage of Blue Mountain coffee).

Online you can find the pure Blue Mountain coffee (beans or grind) for example at:
- Island Blue Coffee
- Jamaica Coffee Roasters
- Blue Mountain Coffee
- Jablum Coffee
- Cafe Blue
- Marley Coffee
- Hayman Coffee
- Volcanica
- Difference Coffee (Nespresso)

Hayman Coffee

Hayman Coffee offers 100% Grade 1 Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee as roasted whole beans, ground coffee, unroasted green raw beans and Nespresso capsules. Hayman offer free standard shipping to most countries worldwide.

Volcanica Coffee

Volcanica Coffee, a family-owned specialty coffee roaster focused on exotic coffees, offers 100% pure Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee roasted beans and a less expensive blend. They offer free shipping on orders of $60 or more to USA, but international orders are subject to shipping costs.

Difference Coffee

Difference Coffee offers Nespresso capsules of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, priced at £35 for 10 capsules. They offer free shipping on orders of £60 or more to the UK Mainland, and on orders of £200 or more to the USA, otherwise delivery is £20 or £30 depending on your country.

Amazon

Currently some companies, including Wallenford and Volcanica, offer Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee beans and grinds on Amazon in the United States. Note that 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee costs around $100 - $120 for a pound (16oz or 450gr). If the price is much lower, it's probably a blend.

You can also find Keurig compatible cups on Amazon, for example from Dancing Moon.

Nespresso

If you have a Nespresso machine, you can get capsules of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee from Hayman Coffee ($65 for 16 pods, free shipping worldwide) or Difference Coffee Co. (£35 for 10, free shipping UK for orders over £60).

Keurig

If you own a Keurig machine, you can find Keurig compatible cups with 100% pure Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee at:
- Blue Mountain Coffee ($32 / 12 cups)
- Jablum Blue Mountain Coffee (Etsy, $32 / 12 cups)
- Keurig compatible cups at Café Blue ($27 / 12 cups)
- Dancing Moon (Amazon, $32 per 12 cups)
- Clydesdale by Coffee Traders (Amazon, $28 / 12 cups)

Making coffee like James Bond

There are two coffee machines used by James Bond in books and: a Chemex coffee maker and La Pavoni Europiccola.

In the Ian Fleming novel From Russia, with Love (1957). Bond, when in London, is brewing his breakfast coffee with a Chemex. It is mentioned that he uses coffee bought from the De Bry's shop in New Oxford Street in London.
Read more about the Chemex Coffeemaker

In the movie Live And Let Die (1973) we see Roger Moore as James Bond make an espresso with a La Pavoni Europiccola machine.

James Bond and Jamaica

The link between James Bond and Jamaica is quite strong, starting with the fact that Ian Fleming wrote all Bond novels at his GoldenEye estate on the island’s northern coast.

The books Live And Let Die, Dr. No and The Man With The Golden Gun are partly set on Jamaica and scenes for the movies Dr. No, Live And Let Die and No Time To Die were filmed on the island.

A beach at Oracabessa Bay has been named James Bond Beach and the airport has been named Ian Fleming International Airport. And Lashana Lynch, who starred in No Time To Die as Bond's fellow 00 agent, is a British actress with Jamaican roots.