What's in the 8 most expensive coffees in the world, costing up to 100 USD/cup?

Since being used by humans as a beverage, the demand for coffee has continuously increased year by year. The instant coffee market has grown strongly to more than 36.3 billion USD in 2020 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Ranking of the most expensive coffees in the world

1. Finca El Injerto Coffee ($15)

Finca El Injerto coffee is grown at an altitude of more than 1600m above sea level, in the Guatemala region located in Central America. This is a type of coffee that is only supplied by a single farm, on land that used to be a sugarcane growing area. Each cup of coffee costs $15, and micro lots are still often sold at auctions.

2. Coffee Fazenda Santa Inês (19 USD)

Fazenda Santa Inês is produced in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, near the Mantiqueira mountain range. At $19, each cup of coffee is sweet, with hints of clove and lemon. The unique terrain, along with the coffee harvesting process that is done entirely by hand to ensure complete quality, have made Fazenda Santa Inês one of the most expensive coffees in the world.

3. Molokai Coffee ($25)

Molokai coffee is named after the small island where it was found, located in the Hawaiian archipelago. Molokai was discovered in the 1800s, but it was not commercialized until 1980. This type of coffee bean, called red catuai, grows on volcanic soil, giving it a richer flavor with a higher degree of roasting. That also makes the price of a cup of Molokai coffee not cheap, at 25 USD.

4. Black Ivory Coffee ($50)

This type of coffee is also known as elephant dung coffee, produced in the northern part of Thailand. There are about 20 elephants on duty to eat and excrete coffee beans here, then the coffee beans will be collected. Enzymes in the intestines of elephants will remove the protein in coffee beans (which is the cause of bitterness), thereby creating a special taste, no longer bitter like regular coffee.

It is the small quantity, and the special taste that make Black Ivory so expensive, at 50 USD per cup.

5. Hacienda La Esmeralda Coffee ($55)

Hacienda la Esmeralda has won numerous coffee awards over the past two decades and is regarded by coffee lovers as a one-of-a-kind beverage. This coffee is grown under the guava shade on Mount Baru in Panama. Thanks to its rich, enticing flavor, a cup of Hacienda la Esmeralda coffee costs up to $65.

6. Elida Geisha Coffee 803 ($75)

Elida Geisha coffee beans carry a sweet blend of flowers. Elida Geisha 803 is an exclusive coffee offered by Klatch Coffee Roasters in California, USA at an incredibly expensive price - $75 for a small cup in 2019.

Previously, this coffee was also introduced in an auction and reached a record of 803 USD/poud (equivalent to 18.7 million VND/453.5g).

7. Kopi Luwak Coffee ($100)

This is the famous weasel coffee. Weasel (or spotted civet) will eat the coffee berries, then their waste will be collected by staff. The enzymes in the ferret's stomach will cause the coffee beans to lose their natural characteristics, replacing them with a more delicate and gentle flavor that is extremely attractive to drinkers. Weasel coffee has always been considered a luxury drink, only for the rich, with prices up to 100 USD per cup.

8. Elida Geisha Natural Coffee 1029 ($100)

In 2020, Klatch Coffee Roasters continues to introduce one of the most expensive coffees in the world, worth $ 100 per cup, made from expensive coffee beans nicknamed Elida Geisha Natural 1029.

This type of coffee costs 1,029 USD/pound - equivalent to nearly 24 million VND/453.5 grams). It is an exclusive coffee and only 1,600 cups have been sold globally, making it one of the most expensive coffees ever produced.

Besides the above types, there are also some coffee brands that are also famous for their expensiveness such as Jamaican green mountain coffee, Los Planes coffee and Hawaii Kona coffee. Not only for enjoyment, each cup of coffee is the crystallization of the quintessence of many lands and processing methods. And for anyone who is passionate about this enchanting drink, enjoying one of these coffees will be an unforgettable experience.