Why Is the Most Expensive Coffee Beans Poop Story So Odd?

The costliest coffees mix rarity, auction demand and unusual processing. Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha natural green beans fetched $350.25 per pound at the 2013 competition auction, and the farm has won 13 international competitions since 2004. Jamaica Blue Mountain and Indonesia's kopi luwak also rank high, according to a list compiled by the financial site Finances online.

Kopi luwak draws attention because the cherries are eaten by a civet and the beans are recovered from its droppings, which is why it is often described as coffee made from poop. That processing story, plus limited supply, keeps prices far above ordinary coffee even though the cup itself is not universally preferred. The exact rankings shift between published versions, so price figures should be read as snapshots of auction and market data.

Coffee is a daily pick-me-up for many people, but did you know that some coffees in the world are priced astonishingly high? From Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha to Indonesia's kopi luwak, and Jamaica Blue Mountain, these top-tier coffees not only have unique flavors but also come with rare origin stories and rigorous processing methods. Based on the ranking by the foreign financial website Finances online, this article introduces the ten most expensive coffees one by one, ordered from highest to lowest global market price. Whether or not you have tasted them, these luxuries in the coffee world are worth knowing about. Front Street Coffee will also guide you through several classic examples among them, to see just how much authentic Blue Mountain and Geisha cost per pound.

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Sometimes, drowsiness strikes suddenly and disrupts your work rhythm. At such times, a cup of coffee can instantly drive away the sleepiness—it really is wonderful. Currently, more than 70 countries around the world are engaged in coffee cultivation and production. As planting techniques and processing methods continue to advance, coffees of all kinds and prices keep emerging. Today, follow Front Street as we take a look at the 10 most expensive coffees in the world—you may never have tasted them, but you shouldn't be unaware of them.

Note: There are multiple versions of the world's 10 most expensive coffees. The ranking in this article references the foreign financial website Finances online and is fairly typical and useful for reference. It follows the original ranking, introducing them from highest to lowest global market price.

1. Front Street Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Coffee (Panama)

Price: $350.25/pound

This Front Street Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha coffee (Geisha Hacienda La Esmeralda) from Panama has won a total of 13 international coffee competition championships since 2004. It is both Panama's national treasure and a legend in the world coffee industry. At the 2013 Best of Panama auction, Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha natural green beans fetched a high price of $350.25/pound. This coffee is grown on the slopes of Baru in Panama, shaded by guava trees, with extremely limited production, and it must be purchased through bidding every year.

With an undefeated halo, Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha has become a dream luxury for coffee lovers. Coffee fans who have tasted it describe it this way: "Its floral fragrance is like fireworks, continuously blooming in the mouth throughout the tasting. It has lemon, citrus, and strawberry-like juices, more like fruit juice than coffee." Berry, candy, and spice sweetness intertwine, floral notes surge forth, and the aftertaste is also full of floral fragrance. The fruit sweetness and texture are quite long-lasting.

2. Front Street Kopi Luwak Coffee (Indonesia)

Price: $160/pound

Kopi Luwak coffee (Luwak Coffee), commonly known as cat poop coffee, originated in Indonesia. Why is it so expensive? This is related to how the coffee beans are made. The civet eats ripe coffee cherries, excretes them through its digestive system, and then the excrement is collected and processed. The fermentation process and digestive enzymes in the civet's body create the coffee beans' particularly thick, rich, and mellow flavor, making this coffee very popular internationally.

As for Kopi Luwak coffee, some people say after drinking it that it "has a bit of earthy gaminess, a slightly pungent taste and an offal-like flavor, with a very long finish." Others say, "It's hard to swallow, purely a gimmick, not worth spending money on stinky coffee." Reviews are fairly polarized, but overall it has the typical earthy and Chinese herbal notes of Indonesian coffee, and its body is quite high. Even if it costs hundreds of dollars, some people are still willing to pay to taste this luxury of the coffee world.

3. St. Helena Coffee (St. Helena)

Price: $79/pound

St. Helena Coffee is produced on St. Helena, located in the Atlantic Ocean 1,200 miles from the west coast of Africa. This place is remote and inconvenient to access, and shipping costs alone drive up the price of the coffee. The history of this coffee can be traced back to the Napoleonic era. Napoleon was once exiled to St. Helena, where he was especially obsessed with this coffee and even grew coffee beans himself. From that time on, St. Helena coffee became famous.

Of course, the coffee itself is also of very high quality. The geology of the volcanic island provides fertile soil, and together with organic cultivation and the philosophy of preserving the original small-bean variety, St. Helena coffee has a unique character: after medium roasting, it has a delicate mouthfeel and soft acidity, an elegant and noble aroma, a slight citrus fruit fragrance, and a faint sweet scent in the mouth. It is very charming, and all of this makes people feel it is well worth the price.

4. Molokai Coffee (Hawaii)

Price: $51/pound

Hawaii can be said to be the only region in the United States suitable for growing coffee beans. Among the many world-renowned coffees it produces, Molokai coffee (Molokai) from Coffees of Hawaii is the most well-known. This is an organic coffee whose raw materials come from a 500-acre plantation on Maui. This coffee has many floral, berry, and caramel flavors as well as some herbal notes. Its mouthfeel is very full, its acidity is soft, and its finish has chocolate notes. These flavor characteristics make Molokai coffee one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Of course, it can be ordered and purchased through the official website of Coffees of Hawaii, priced as high as $51/pound.

5. Fazenda Santa Ines Coffee (Brazil)

Price: $50/pound

This coffee is mainly produced in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil. Fazenda Santa Ines located here has always grown coffee beans in a traditional way and does not use mechanized production. For example, the coffee beans are grown in fertile soil, irrigated with pure natural mineral water, and processed by the natural sun-drying method. All of this keeps the quality of the produced coffee enduring. Its sweet berry notes, soft caramel mouthfeel, and long finish make people fall deeply into it and unable to pull themselves away.

6. Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee (Jamaica)

Price: $49/pound

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee enjoys a very high reputation in the world. Even at as high as $49/pound, its popularity is unaffected. Japanese people especially love Blue Mountain, and nearly 80% of Blue Mountain coffee is exported to Japan. Front Street Blue Mountain coffee beans are grown on the Blue Mountains at an altitude of 1,500 meters and are entirely hand-picked. There is abundant rainfall here, and growers use the washed method to process the coffee cherries. Authentic Front Street Blue Mountain coffee has the aroma of nuts, chocolate, cream, and caramel. Its acidity, sweetness, body, and bitterness are very balanced, and its flavor is aromatic. It drinks very smoothly and has an endless finish.

7. Los Planes Coffee (El Salvador)

Price: $40/pound

Los Planes coffee is a famous coffee from the Central American country of El Salvador. The coffee beans are grown in the Chalatenango mountain production area, and the grower is the Sergio Ticas Yeyes family, who have run a coffee plantation for generations. Their coffee won second place and sixth place in the Cup of Excellence competition in 2006 and 2011 respectively. There is no doubt about its quality, and together with its unique and balanced flavors of orange, caramel, and brown sugar, it has also become a favorite of many coffee lovers.

8. Mi Esperanza Coffee (Honduras)

Price: $35/pound

Today, Honduras has gradually become one of the important coffee countries of origin in Central America. Among them, Mi Esperanza Coffee stands out especially. At an online green bean auction, an international buyer bought 1,320 pounds of Mi Esperanza coffee beans at a record unit price ($35.10/pound). This coffee bean grows in a superior natural environment and presents layered flavors of fruit, nuts, chocolate, and spices. Its aroma is rich, and its finish has no bitterness, making it deeply loved by coffee fans.

9. Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon Coffee (Rwanda)

Price: $24/pound

Arabica coffee cultivation in Rwanda, a country in east-central Africa, has developed for more than a century. The Bourbon grown here is one of the original varieties of Arabica coffee. It was originally produced locally in Rwanda. In 2004, Starbucks decided to introduce this Bourbon coffee and put its own label on it. Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon coffee is now available worldwide. It has high acidity, aromas of cherry, butter, and various nuts, and a long finish.

10. Yauco Selecto Coffee (Puerto Rico)

Price: $24/pound

Coffee trees have long been an important cash crop in Puerto Rico. Among the many coffee-producing regions, Yauco stands out most in natural conditions and cultivation techniques, which is why the coffee here has especially rich and varied flavors. The Yauco region is rainy, especially in the high-altitude mountainous areas, and the soil is rich in nutrient-laden clay. Under these superior conditions, the Yauco Selecto coffee (Coffee Yauco Selecto AA) produced is limited in quantity, has a full mouthfeel, buttery flavor, and a finish accompanied by chocolate notes.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.