Coffee – it’s what fuels us through the day, often until it’s time for wine. From instant to filter to pods to ground, coffee comes to us in many different forms, and from many different countries around the world. And, depending on where it’s from and how it’s produced, it can vary wildly in price as well. If you’re someone who needs your cup of coffee first thing in the morning in order to function, then this one’s for you – a list of the world’s most expensive coffees, and what goes into making them some of the industry’s most sought-after brews. Get your wallet ready – you’ll need it!

1. Black Ivory Coffee – $1,000+/pound

What do elephants and coffee have in common? Get ready to find out, because as you’ll soon see, they form an integral part of the coffee-making process when it comes to this variety.

Known as Black Ivory Coffee (yes, because of the elephants) and selling from $1,000 per pound, this is the world’s most expensive coffee brand, and it’s due in no small part to the way that it’s produced. Based in Northern Thailand, Black Ivory Coffee is made by feeding Arabica cherries to elephants, and then waiting until the cherries are digested and excreted. The cherries are then harvested from the elephant droppings, and used to make the very unique, very expensive Black Ivory Coffee.

We know what you’re thinking. WHY??? Well it turns out that as herbivores, elephants have a certain enzyme present in their bodies that can impart new flavours to the coffee beans, while a certain protein helps break them down and remove any bitter flavours. Couple this with a slow digestive process that results in a wonderfully smooth mellow flavour, and you have the qualities that Black Ivory Coffee is known and prized for.

The coffee-making process is one reason behind Black Ivory Coffee’s exorbitant price – another is its rarity. Due to the fact that many of the Arabica cherries are over-chewed, lost or damaged during the digestive process, only small batches of coffee can ever be made at one time. What does help while you’re handing over your money though, is knowing that part of it is going towards the elephants’ care and upkeep, thanks to the efforts of the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, through which the coffee is sold.

Is it one-of-a-kind? Absolutely! Does it put us off wanting to taste it? Not at all – in fact, we’re keener than ever! Fill ‘er up!

2. Kopi Luwak – $600/pound

We hope you’re not eating breakfast right now because we’re not done talking about poop yet. This time however, we’re onto Kopi Luwak coffee – a name you might recognize due its having popularized the coffee/digestive process method. That, and it’s super expensive as well.

This time instead of being produced by elephants, the task of making Kopi Luwak falls to Asian Palm Civets in Indonesia – small animals who eat the coffee cherries and then impart certain enzymes to them during the digestive process. It’s this that results in the smooth, rich, distinctive flavour of the coffee, and it’s what has made it infamous the world over.

Selling for around $600 per pound, Kopi Luwak coffee is highly sought-after by coffee aficionados round the globe, loved for its distinct notes of plum, tea and rose. So if you’re interested in finding out what makes this coffee so unique, and so well-known around the world, you can either travel to Indonesia to watch the coffee-making process in action, or purchase a pound of coffee for yourself – or even both. We’ll drink to that!

3. Finca El Injerto – $500+/pound

Finally! An expensive coffee that’s made without having to pass through a digestive tract first! (Not that we’re not completely intrigued by this, just so you know.) But to get back to this brand – one that sells for more than $500 a pound, and is cultivated in the hills of Guatemala, rather than the internal organs of an elephant or a civet.

This is El Injerto coffee, and it’s known for its sweet, fruity delicate taste. It’s also known for being incredibly pricy, due to the rarity of its small beans, which are washed and then broken down twice in order to achieve the coffee’s distinctive flavour. Try a cup for yourself and see if it’s worth it – we’ll wait for your verdict.

4. Hacienda La Esmeralda – $350/pound

From the hills of Guatemala to the mountains of Panama, and a coffee that’s grown on the side of Mount Baru, underneath a canopy of guava trees. Produced in such a whimsical-sounding place, it’s no surprise that this coffee has an equally romantic name – Hacienda La Esmerelda, so named for the farm in which it’s hand-picked and harvested.

One of the world’s most highly-awarded coffees, Hacienda La Esmeralda commands the high price it does due to its rarity. Sourced only from Geisha varietal coffee trees that grow 1,500 metres above sea level, Hacienda La Esmeralda has a distinctively light, floral citrusy flavour, and is easily worth its asking price of $350 per pound. No elephants or civets in sight.

5. Hacienda El Roble – $100/pound

Another hacienda, another mention of Geisha trees – although not in the way you might think. This time it’s Hacienda El Roble, a coffee grown in southern Colombia and born from mystery.

Why the enigmatic background? Because the farmer who originally purchased the coffee trees from which Hacienda El Roble is sourced thought that he was buying trees of the Geisha varietal – until he eventually realized he had something quite different, and every bit as unique.

Today that purchasing mistake has led to one of the world’s most flavourful and unique coffee brands, sold only through a particular roaster in Australia, and known for its creamy peach and mango notes. Produced in batches of just 22kg a year, Hacienda El Roble is a rarity, and an expensive one at that – but it’s one we’re here for nevertheless. Give us good coffee and a good mystery any day!

Ready to reach for a cuppa? Then you’ll need to reach for your wallet first – and most likely a casino jackpot at the same time. If coffee’s on your list of what to buy with your winnings, then we fully support your choice. Just log onto your casino, choose your favourite game and see where Lady Luck takes you – perhaps all the way to Thailand, Indonesia or Guatemala, in search of the perfect cup!

Happy Sipping 🙂