International Coffee Day 2022: 7 most expensive coffees in the world

In the rural province of Surin in Thailand, this coffee is made from Arabica cherries which are fed to the elephants at their plantation; their digestive enzymes are what give this coffee its unique flavour. 

The coffee beans are then collected from the elephant faeces which is why it is also called “elephant dung coffee”. Approximate 33 kgs of coffee cherries are needed to make one kg of Black Ivory Coffee

Price: Starts from $1000 up to $1500 for half a kg of coffee 

(Photo: Getty Images/Bloomberg)

Kopi Luwak is the world’s most exclusive and expensive coffee. The reason behind its high price is how it is made. Notably, the name Kopi Luwak is not the name of the coffee but the method of production. 

According to their website, the coffee beans are chosen and partially digested by the Indonesian palm civet and then excreted, this removes the outer layer of the coffee bean and they are then thoroughly cleaned, roasted and then distributed.

Price: ranges from $150 to $600 for less than half a kg
 

(Photo: kayakopi.com) 

Located in the Highlands of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, El Injerto coffee beans are some of the rarest in the world. Jesús Aguirre Panamá was the first owner of the farm and around 1900 he started planting and production of coffee. Today, it is managed by the third and fourth generations of the Aguirre family who have been working there since 1956. 

Their process is unique in the way that they wash the coffee beans with a single channel and break them down twice which significantly improves the quality of the grain. El Injerto coffee is also often auctioned. 

Price: $500 for about 450g 

(Photo: @elInjertoCoffee)

Hacienda La Esmeralda comes from the slopes of Volcán Barú in Panama, which was converted into a coffee plantation after the land was bought by an American banker named Rudolph A Peterson in 1967. 

However, the trees had been there since the 1890s. Hacienda La Esmeralda farms are known for their years of experience in producing the best Geisha coffee in the world and the rich taste of the coffee. 

Price: $350 for 450g 

(Photo: haciendaesmeralda.com/@HLEcoffee)

This coffee is grown and produced in Jamaica, but it comes from a very particular region of the country called the Blue Mountains, the longest mountain range in Jamaica. The slopes of these mountains are at the height of approx 1524 metres and receive plenty of rainfall, which aids the growth of the coffee beans. Coffee made from these beans also has a mild taste unlike the strong bitter taste of usual coffee and blue green colour. 

Price: Ranges from $50-$140 depending on the variety for half a kilogram 

(Photo: bluemountaincoffeehouses.com)

The Finca Los Planes coffee is grown in El Salvador on a family farm by Sergio Ticas Reyes. The Pacamara is a type of seed from which coffee is grown, it was a hybrid created by the Salvadoran Coffee Research Institute (ISIC) in the late 1950s. 

Reyes inherited the Los Planes farm from his grandfather who originally only grew Typica varietal. However, in 1996, the farm was renovated with Bourbon and Pacamara varieties. 

The farm is at an elevation of 1615 meters and the coffee is processed in the family’s wet mill under “gourmet” preparation protocols, which includes using clean water from a natural spring and milling and sun drying on the farm’s patio. 

Price: $40 for nearly 450g  


(Photo: freshcup.com)

This coffee is made from beans that come directly from the Kona district in Hawaii. These volcanic slopes of the island give the plantation enough sunlight, wind and rain which gives the coffee its unique rich taste. 

Price: $30-$35 for 450g 

(Photo: hawaiicoffeecompany.com)