It is the start of your week, and despite your eternal dread of going to work for yet another 5 or 6 days until the next weekend, you have to power through. But how does one get into work mode after a long night of Netflix binge or, for the less fortunate, an all-nighter to meet deadlines? The answer is simple: coffee. It hardly matters whether you are team North End or Crimson Cup; the true connoisseur would go for the quality and effectiveness of their favourite coping mechanism on top of the day. It matters not how the black elixir has travelled from afar or been curated; it is hailed around the world by adults in exchange for a cut of their pay checks. With that being said, here are the 6 most expensive coffees in the world that you can only dream of having.
Photo: Collected
Ospina, Tk 3.49 lakh per KG
Ospina coffee is made from Arabica Typica beans that are grown in the dark tropical woods of the Andes over the course of five generations. Volcanic ash abundant on these mountain slopes fertilises the land and improves the warm, nutty flavour of this Colombian coffee. It must be ground whole and brewed in clear water between 91°-96° Celsius in order to be enjoyed.
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Black Ivory, Tk 2.76 lakh per KG
In a remote area of northern Thailand, Black Ivory Coffee is produced without much assistance from machinery and instead relies on the natural digestion of elephants. Only the best high-altitude Arabica cherries are chosen, and the majority are lost in the selection process. One kilogramme of finished cherries requires approximately 33 kilogrammes of raw cherries, which are cared for by hired high school students and elephant carers after the cherries have been consumed and digested by the elephants. Black Ivory's appetite and the availability of coffee cherries are the two key factors affecting their supply. Sipping on a cup of this unique brew, which is largely sold to five-star hotels and Michelin-rated restaurants, is a chance to promote the welfare of rural communities, while savouring the nuances of chocolate and spices without any discernible harshness. The elephants' digestive enzymes, however, ultimately define the flavour.
Photo: Collected
Kopi Luwak, Tk 1.43 lakh per KG
If you haven't tried this coffee yet, you should know that wild-sourced and cultivated Kopi Luwak come with differing price tags and ethical ramifications. Although there are differing opinions about the quality of coffee among experts, it is said that the civet's digestive system, through which the beans pass, gives this coffee its smooth flavour and complex aroma. This tropical cat also has a talent for selecting only the tastiest cherries to chew on, resulting in a higher-calibre beverage. Java, Bali, and Sumatra are the three islands in Indonesia where Kopi Luwak is primarily made.
Photo: Collected
Finca El Injerto, Tk 1.2 lakh per KG
The Aguirre family, who are committed to good agricultural practises and social responsibility, runs El Injerto, the first coffee plantation in Guatemala to be certified carbon neutral as well as Rainforest Alliance Certified. El Injerto is named after a local fruit. Due to the region's mineral-rich non-volcanic soil and high altitude, coffees from El Injerto significantly reflect the terroir; they should not be mistaken with roasters whose goods have the name "Finca El Injerto" but were not made there.
Saint Helena, Tk 54,582 per KG
Napoleon was exiled to the isolated island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, one of the finest places on earth. In order to highlight the distinctive characteristics that coffee connoisseurs like, Green Tipped Bourbon Arabica is picked, processed, and roasted here. Wet-processed with local spring water, Saint Helena coffee has notes of black cherry and chocolate that nod to its Yemeni origins. Starbucks first offered this incredibly sought-after coffee in 2016, with a retail price of Tk 8,839 for 250 grammes.
Hacienda La Esmeralda, Tk 48, 615 per KG
Hacienda La Esmeralda is a family-owned company that cultivates specialty award-winning coffee in the south-west highlands of Panama, selling for Tk 48,615 a kilogramme at numerous auctions last year. The Petersons have been holding yearly private online auctions where they offer premium coffee at exorbitant prices since 2007. The Petersons established themselves as a global leader in coffee production after winning the 2004 Best of Panama competition and numerous other awards subsequently. They were on the correct track when they did this. When customers first tasted the high-altitude Geisha coffee produced by the company, this became clear.
The prices mentioned above is based on the Current Exchange Rate: 1 Dollar at Tk 110.49. The rate might vary in the future.
