Every morning, millions of people fall out of bed and reach for their first cup of coffee of the day.
Most households get their coffee from their local supermarket; others indulge themselves with varieties available only to the wealthiest – unsurprisingly, when you stop to consider the significance the drink has taken on in our lives.
Whether you prefer your coffee with milk and sugar or black, you’d be hard-pressed to find more luxurious varieties than those below – five of the most expensive coffee types in the world.
Black Ivory – $1500/lb
Black Ivory Coffee is a product of the Black Ivory Coffee Company Ltd and is top of the charts when it comes to price. The preliminary process of creating the coffee entails picking top-quality Thai Arabica cherries, feeding them to elephants, and collecting them from their dung. That might sound outlandish, but connoisseurs agree that Black Ivory Coffee is superior in taste to any other variety.
The fact that it is so rare contributes to the high cost – to produce 120kg of the sought-after coffee beans requires about 3960kg of coffee cherries.
Kopi Luwak – $600/lb
Just like Black Ivory Coffee, Kopi Luwak comes from collecting coffee cherries from the faeces of the Asian palm civet.
During the digestive process, the civet’s intestines cause the cherries to ferment, which is believed to break down their proteins and improve the flavour of the final product. Unfortunately, the monetary value of Kopi Luwak has resulted in some unscrupulous people using caged civets to produce more beans – and rake in more profits.
Finca El Injerto Coffee – $500/lb
This coffee is a product of Guatemala which is enjoyed all over the world – although only by those who can afford it. The farm, Finca El Injerto, is owned and run by the Aguirre Family, and has been from 1874. They have been producing coffee since around 1900 and pride themselves for their environmentally-friendly agricultural practices.
The coffee beans are grown in the Highlands of Huehuetenango, with the most exotic and prized varieties being cultivated around 1920 meters above sea level.
Saint Helena – $145/lb
Saint Helena is a small island sitting in the South Atlantic Ocean, with a population of around 4534 and a 2000km distance between them and the closest landmass. It’s no wonder, then, that their coffee production is on the small side – or rather, exclusive.
Saint Helena produces around 300kg of coffee per year from an Arabica bean found only on the island. The finished product has a delicate flavour with hints of caramel, citrus and wine, perfect for sipping on when playing the Blackjack Canada offers available at sites like https://blackjackcanada.net/
Molokai Coffee – $60/lb
This coffee variety comes from Moloka’i, one of Hawaii’s smaller islands. Despite coffee being introduced by a German trader in the 1800s, it was not until the 1980s that the industry began to take off.
Molokai coffee is subject to stringent regulations, with the “Molokai” stamp of approval being reserved for only the best beans. The beans must be grown in a very specific location and must be of near-perfect quality.