Whether you’re a fan of whole bean, drip grind, espresso or French press coffee, this popular drink is consumed by over 1 billion people per day. From the iconic Jamaican Blue Mountain to lesser known brews such as Hacienda La Esmeralda, these are the most expensive coffees in the world.
What Are The Most Expensive Coffees In The World?
What makes a coffee expensive? It’s partly down to rarity, and also to the length of the production process.
While cheap coffee can have quite a bitter taste, good quality coffee made from expensive coffee beans will have far more depth of flavor.
Single estate coffees, also known as single origin coffee, generally cost more than coffee blends. The definition of single estate coffee varies.
This can mean from a single farm or region within a country. Single origin coffees normally have a distinctive taste and unique personality.
Enjoy these specialty coffees at some of the best coffee shops in the world.
11. Guatemala Geisha – $48 per pound
Grown between two volcanoes, Guatemala Geisha is a single-origin coffee from Nueva Granada farm. Located in San Marcos, at an altitude of 5,000 feet, the farm is close to the Tacana and Tajumulco volcanoes.
This volcanic soil gives Guatemalan Geisha Coffee a chocolatey and nutty taste. These coffee plants originated in Ethiopia and have 30% less caffeine than regular coffee.
Guatemela Geisha coffee has intense notes of jasmine, with accents of bergamot and mandarin. This limited edition tea by Volcanica Coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified.
Volcanica offer over 120 different coffees and fresh roast weekly at their roasting facility in Atlanta. Free shipping is available on orders of $60 or more. We highly recommend their Mexican Reserve coffees too – both the medium roast and dark roast are full of flavor!
10. Nepal Himalayan – $50 per pound
Nepal Himalayan Lalitpur Coffee is grown at the Greenwell Organic Farm in Nepal. This ethical coffee plantation prides itself on treating its staff and their families fairly.
Awarded Best Gourmet Coffee at the 2nd International Contest of Coffee Roasted in their Countries of Origin competition in Paris, it tastes like Jamaican Blue Mountain at a much lower price.
Greenwell Organic Farm is located in Dudh Pokhari Village in the Lamjung District of Nepal, at an elevation of 4,400 feet. This is one of the Northernmost coffee regions in the world.
Nepal Himalayan Lalitpur Coffee is organically grown, certified kosher and has notes of cranberry, orange and prune with a pleasing acidity.
9. Swiss Water Decaf Kona – $55 per pound
This Swiss water Decaf Kona by Koa Coffee has all the flavor of coffee without the caffeine. The Swiss Water method is 100% chemical free.
In this process, caffeine is extracted from the bean and percolated through activated charcoal. The coffee beans are then returned to the hot water, so that they reabsorb the caffeine-free flavor elements in the water.
This method creates coffee that is 99.9% caffeine free, ideal for those who have trouble sleeping but want a rich tasting coffee. It’s packaged to taste as fresh when you open the bag as when the Koa Coffee team sealed it.
Swiss Water Decaf is grown on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. This decaffeinated coffee is available in whole bean and pre-ground packs.
8. Saint Helena Coffee – $79 per pound
Saint Helena coffee is grown on the remote island of Saint Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. Coffee was first introduced to the island by the British East India Company in the 18th century.
The island’s volcanic soils and mild subtropical climate proved well-suited for growing arabica coffee. Saint Helena developed its own unique “Green Tipped” arabica varietal which gets its name from the distinctive greenish hue on the tips of the coffee beans when ripe.
The coffee is prized for its smooth, mild flavor with notes of chocolate and citrus. It commands a premium price due to its rarity and cultivation by hand on steep, terraced plots. Annual production is very limited at around 5-6 tons.
7. Peaberry Hawaiian Kona – $88 per pound
Hawaii is known for its light yet delicate Kona Coffee. Grown on the slopes of the Big Island volcanoes, Kona coffee cherries are handpicked.
Some of the best Kona coffee is from Koa Coffee, a small family-run business. They have won PCCA Coffee of the Year and the Gevalia Cupping Competition.
Authentic kona coffee from Hawaii ranges in price from $42 to $88 per pound. The cream of the crop is Peaberry Whole Bean 100% Kona Coffee.
Peaberry is considered to be the Champagne of coffee. This whole bean coffee is available in dark or medium roast.
6. Jamaica Blue Wallenford – $100 per pound
One of the most famous coffees in the world, Jamaica Blue is expensive because its in high demand. Fresh from the mountains of Jamaica, this rich, aromatic coffee will remind you of tropical vacations.
To be classed as Jamaican Blue coffee, it must come from a recognized region in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica. The Jamaican Blue Mountains produce the world’s highest mountain grown coffee at over 7000 feet.
Jamaica Blue Mountain Wallenford is one of the best varieties, with an intense flavor and balanced acidity. 100% Certified Blue Mountain Coffee by the Jamaican Department of Agriculture, this medium roast coffee from the Wallenford Estate has notes of chocolate and orange peel.
5. El Salvador Santa Ana – $135 per pound
This unique coffee from El Salvador is made using the Pulped Natural process. Also known as the honey processed method, this gives a sweet, fruity taste of cherry and chocolate to your coffee.
The coffee beans are shade-grown under a canopy of trees, which is better for the environment and allows the crop to mature gradually. The labor intensive production process, coupled with the volcanic soil results in a rich yet smooth cup of coffee.
Each order of this gourmet coffee is shipped immediately on the same day as it is roasted. The coffee is carefully packaged to ensure optimal freshness. Choose between dark roast, light roast, medium roast or unroasted green beans.
4. Ospina Dynasty – $150 per pound
The oldest family owned coffee company in the world, Ospina Coffee was established in 1835. The founder, Don Mariano Ospina RodrÃguez was a pioneer of coffee growing in Colombia who became the President of Colombia in 1857.
Grown on the volcanic slopes of the Andes mountains, Ospina coffee is made from rare Arabica Typica beans. These are hand-picked when ripe, before being washed, fermented, sun dried, milled and roasted.
Ospina has a unique taste, with a velvety body and notes of berries and coconut. Definitely worth the high price tag!
3. Kopi Luwak – $160 per pound
Considered to be one of the most expensive coffees in the world, Kopi Luwak could well be the most unique! The word kopi means coffee in Indonesian and luwak means civet.
Kopi Luwak comes from Sumatra in Indonesia and is often nicknamed cat poo coffee. That’s because the coffee is processed by the Aisan Palm Civet cat, which eats only the ripest coffee cherries.
The beans ferment in the cat’s stomach and the partially digested beans are then excreted into the cat feces. Plantation workers retrieve the beans and roast them immediately to make civet coffee.
This free range Kopi Luwak coffee comes from the excretions of While cheap coffee can have quite a bitter taste, good quality coffee made from expensive coffee beans will have far more depth of flavor. The civet cats are not caged, and free range Kopi Luwak is of a higher quality as the civets choose which coffee cherries to eat themselves.
Roasted Kopi beans have a complex, sweet flavor with notes of sandalwood, dark chocolate, apricot and plum.
2. Hacienda La Esmeralda Panama – $350 per pound
This gourmet coffee from Panama comes from the region of Chiriqui in South-West Panama. This mountainous area has several microclimates, which give this Panama coffee a unique flavor. Cool mists slow the coffee cherry ripening, giving a richer taste.
Hacienda La Esmeralda are known for their coffee auctions which often achieve record breaking bids. Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee has won the Best of Panama award several times.
Hacienda La Esmeralda is run by the Peterson Family since 1967. They pride themselves on consistency and precision processing.
Choose from high quality Medium or Dark Roast or Green (unroasted) beans if you prefer to roast your own coffee.
1. Black Ivory Coffee – $1,000 per pound
One of the rarest coffees in the world, Black Ivory is also known as elephant dung coffee. Originating from Northern Thailand, it is digested and refined by elephants.
This coffee has a high price due to the unique coffee production method. It yields naturally fermented and sweet coffee beans. The elephants are considered to be family members and are lavished with love and daily baths by their care-givers.
Black Ivory coffee has hints of chocolate, tamarind, and spice, with an ultra smooth finish. It could well be the world’s most expensive coffee.
This coffee comes packaged in a stylish black envelope with a gold seal. Inside there is a sealed package of coffee beans. It would make a fun gift for a coffee connoisseur.
Here’s a recap of the most expensive coffees in the world:
- Black Ivory Coffee – $1,000+/Pound
- Hacienda La Esmeralda Panama – $350/Pound
- Kopi Luwak – $160/Pound
- Ospina Dynasty – $150/Pound
- El Salvador – $135/Pound
- Jamaica Blue Wallenford – $100/Pound
- Peaberry Hawaiian Kona – $88/Pound
- Saint Helena Coffee – $79/Pound
- Swiss Water Decaf Kona – $55/Pound
- Nepal Himalayan – $50/Pound
- Guatemala Geisha – $48/Pound
Coffee Making Accessories
From coffee grinders to storage canisters and filter meshes, you can never have too many barista accessories ;-). Here are some great coffee accessories and gifts for the avid coffee drinker.
Final Thoughts on The Most Expensive Coffee in the World
The most expensive coffees in the world definitely come with a hefty price tag, but for coffee enthusiasts, it may be worth it to splurge on these unique brews.
Are you adventurous enough to try one of these rare and expensive coffees? What’s your favorite gourmet coffee?
Happy brewing! Be sure to check out our other food articles for more tips.
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