There are many reasons why coffee is popular around the world: it has a wonderful aroma, an unmistakable taste and stimulates the mind and senses. At its highest levels, coffee can be considered a luxury much like truffles, caviar or aged Bordeaux. In some cases the coffee takes on unique characteristics and is enriched with particular aromas thanks to the "special" contribution of some animals that digest the coffee beans by defecating the seeds. For many this may seem disgusting, but there are those who pay really high prices for some blends. To follow the Top 10 most expensive coffees in the world.
1 – Black Ivory
In the list of the most expensive coffees in the world, the gold medal goes to Black Ivory, produced in Thailand. This type of coffee belongs to the Arabica variety and owes its high cost to the production method. The elephants of Northern Thailand are in fact fed with coffee berries which, once expelled, are washed and ground. The final product acquires a very particular taste and texture. This type of processing justifies the high cost of this very particular coffee, which is around around 1.100-1.600 dollars per kilo. To obtain one kilo of this mixture, the elephants must ingest about 33 kg of berries mixed with bananas and rice; therefore, they only manage to produce 155 kg each year.
2 – Finca el injerto
Without doubt one of the most prestigious coffee farms in the world. The Aguirre family has been growing coffee on this beautiful site in the Guatemalan highlands of Huehuetenango since the 900s. The particularity of this rare and prized coffee, winner of many awards, lies in the heavy texture and aromatic flavor characterized by sweet notes, honey and toasted peanuts. It is also famous for being one of the few premium coffee blends with low acidity. The cost is around around $1.000 a kilo, justified by zero-carbon cultivation.
3 – Kopi Luwak
One of the most famous coffees in the world originating from Indonesia. The preparation calls for the special help of the Luwak, the ferret-like palm civets. These tender animals feed on the soft part of the red fruit of the coffee plant without completing the digestion. With this type of processing the bitter taste is reduced, the result is delicate with an aftertaste between chocolate and caramel. the cost is around 700-900 dollars per kilo. However, to meet the rapidly growing demand, many producers have begun to mistreat the luwaks, causing them to lose the bond between man and animal that characterized it. Even the quality has suffered, so as to lose its prestige.
4 – Hacienda la Esmeralda
Another of the most expensive types of coffee in the world is found in the Boquete region of the state of Panama. It is a coffee belonging to the Geisha or Gesha variety, among the most sought after. A niche product that justifies its high cost, around 250 dollars per kilo but which varies according to the available edition. It has a strong but at the same time fresh aroma that evokes a fruity taste of peach and apricot, while the scent is reminiscent of jasmine.
5 – Hacienda El Roble
HR-61 Hacienda El Roble coffee takes its name from the specific lot on which the plant was grown. We are in the heart of Colombia, where the producer Oswaldo Acevedo came across this variety by chance, deciding to start a niche production. This coffee embodies all the flavors of South America: it has floral notes, a chocolate flavor with hints of green mango and honey and good acidity. Only 22 kilograms are collected each year for this reason it can cost over $200 a kilo.
6 – St. Helena
This coffee is grown on the island of Sant'Elena, where Napoleon Bonaparte was confined in prison. Even today, Caffè Sant'Elena is grown as it once was, following a traditional method with hand-picking and sun-drying. It is characterized by a very strong aroma, with a caramelized taste with a citrus touch. the price stands about 180 euros per kilo, largely due to the cost of transport given that Saint Helena is located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about 2 thousand km from the west coast of Africa.
7 – Jamaican Blue Mountain
This coffee is grown in the Jamaican Blue Mountains which reach an altitude of 3.350 metres. Unlike many types of coffee which are harvested twice a year, JBM is brewed only once. It has larger than normal grains and is highly appreciated for its sweet, delicate and slightly fruity flavour. Furthermore, it is used to prepare a typical Jamaican coffee liqueur, the "Tia Maria". It is packaged in wooden barrels instead in the typical jute bags, the price per kilo is about $180 a kilo.
8 – Fazenda Santa Ines
The strong point of this coffee is its fruity and sweet flavour. In the territory of Minas Gerais, in the Brazilian mountains of Mantiqueira in Brazil, the Fazenda Santa Ines coffee plantations are located. It is characterized by its sweetness, a full body and a very creamy finish. It also has citrus notes of lemon and cloves. The most famous variants are Catucaí, yellow and red Catuai, yellow and red Bourbon and Acaiá. Its price is around $120 a kilo.
9 – Los Planes
Finca Los Planes coffee is grown on a farm in El Salvador. This coffee won second place in the 2006 Cup of Excellence and sixth place in 2011. A coffee with an unusual taste, between mandarin and caramel with the sweetness of cane sugar. The cost is around $80 a kilo.
10 – Hawaiian Kona Coffee
To close this ranking, the Hawaiian Kona with a price around $35 a kilo. His coffee has a fantastic flavor and an unmistakable taste. It finds a place among the world's most expensive coffees because it's made of a rare variety of bean. Also, this cafe is in short supply which means most vendors use a blend of 10% Kona coffee and 90% cheaper variety. To enjoy the full Hawaiian coffee experience, be sure to purchase and consume 100% Kona coffee.
