Most of us can’t live a day without a cup of coffee or more, particularly during early mornings. Even as one of the most widely-consumed beverages in the world, not all coffee is affordable. So if you’re looking for some expensive (and maybe fancy) coffee, you can check out these 8 Most Expensive Coffee In The World!
1) Black Ivory
As classy as it may sound, Black Ivory coffee actually originated from elephant droppings in northern Thailand. The process of turning them into one of the world’s most expensive coffee echoes the similarity found in Indonesia’s Kopi Luwak (see no. 6 below). Like the latter, the Thai elephants consume Arabica coffee beans, where the beans are fermented through their stomach enzymes. That breaks down the proteins and develops its distinct aroma. The elephants deposit the beans from their bodies, which will then be handpicked by their caregivers to be washed and dried in the sun before being taken to roast.
2) Finca El Injerto Coffee
Don’t be fooled by their small-sized coffee beans since they happen to be one of the most expensive coffee in the world. Originating from Guatemala, the history of Finca El Injerto coffee stretches way back to 1874 where it was first grown in the highlands of Huehuetenango. Although the coffee has low acidity, it boasts a complex blend of cognac-like flavour with a hint of chocolate and citrusy aftertaste.
3) Hacienda La Esmeralda
Cultivated in the highlands of Panama’s Boquete region, Hacienda La Esmeralda is prized for its amazingly robust flavour. So, what makes this coffee among the world’s most expensive? The answer lies in its exclusivity, where the beans are specially sourced from the coffee trees of the Geisha varietal situated at 1,500 metres above sea level. Not to mention the overall high labour cost in growing and processing the Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee turns out to be one of the underlying factors as well.
4) Hawaiian Kona
Here’s an expensive coffee made from the Arabica Kona beans renowned for its low acid but full-bodied flavour. The coffee’s hefty price tag comes from the fact that they only grow in limited quantities around one to three hectares per farm on the Hawaiian Islands.
5) Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Just like the name suggests, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is specially cultivated from the eponymous mountains at a high altitude of 1,800 metres above sea level. This particular coffee is also renowned for its mild and smooth taste with a subtle hint of nutty flavour, making it a favourite among many coffee connoisseurs, particularly in Japan.
6) Kopi Luwak
Similar to Black Ivory (see no. 1), you’re not going to like where Kopi Luwak actually comes from. For the uninitiated, this unique Indonesian coffee is the result of a palm civet, a cat-like mammal responsible for ingesting the coffee cherries. These beans are then fermented through the civet’s digestive tract before they end up defecating them. From there, farmers would collect them from the faeces to be washed thoroughly and undergo roasting and brewing.
7) Ospina Dynasty Gran Café Premier Grand Cru
Believe it or not, the history behind the namesake coffee beans is really fascinating. Back in 1835, the two Ospina brothers allegedly escaped from prison and grew a coffee farm together, which in turn, became the first big-scale commercial coffee-growing operation. The popularity of the Ospina coffee brand eventually surged with the involvement of three former Colombian presidents and the rest, as they say, is history. In case you are wondering why the Ospina coffee costs a fortune, keep in mind the coffee beans comes from the rare Colombian Arabica Typica trees and are only grown in the volcanic highlands of the Antioquia province at a minimum altitude of 2,286 metres. Taste-wise, the Ospina coffee leans toward a more fruity flavour with a hint of chocolate and macadamia.
8) Saint Helena Coffee
Apparently, the legendary French military general and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was a fan of coffee. Or more specifically, the Saint Helena coffee, which is cultivated in the eponymous island located approximately 1,200 metres west coast of Africa. The coffee boasts a distinctly nutty flavour with a citrusy aftertaste.
Coffee not your thing? You can also check out 8 Most Expensive Desserts In The World!
