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World's Most Expensive Coffee Ranking 2018 Latest Edition - Most Valuable Geisha Coffee Beans Priced Over Thousand Dollars

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). Latest World's Most Expensive Coffee Ranking NO.1 Name: 90+ Company's #227 Batch Origin: 90+ Panama Estate Price: In this year's sensational market online auction for green coffee beans, 90+ Company's #227 batch finally set a record high price of US$5,000 per kilogram

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

Latest World's Most Expensive Coffee Rankings

No. 1 - 90+ Company's #227 Batch

Origin: 90+ Panama Estate

Price: In this year's sensational online auction for green coffee beans, 90+ Company's #227 batch set a historical record at US$5,000 per kilogram.

This coffee was crafted through collaboration between Jose Alfredo, who processes green beans at 90+ Panama Estate (transferred from El Salvador), and Chad Wang, who won the 2017 World Coffee Brewers Championship.

The description for #227 is:

"Hand-picked fully ripe red fruits, screened for size and float selection, then undergoes low-oxygen fermentation in an enclosed space, with fermentation temperature controlled at low room temperature - essentially making coffee while running air conditioning."

During this 72-hour fermentation process, whether the yeast present in the environment was naturally captured or specifically selected remains uncertain. In fact, among the 2017 90+ global auction batches, there were five or six varieties processed by Jose Alfredo. Friends who have tasted them reported that some varieties possess obvious fermented tofu or soy sauce-like flavor characteristics, believed to be introduced through different fermentation methods during processing.

No. 2 - 90+ Perci Ruby Geisha Coffee Bean

Origin: Panama Geisha Estate

Price: Approximately $1000+ per pound

Hailed as the world's best coffee! 90+ Perci Ruby

This sky-high priced coffee comes from 90+ beans at Panama's Geisha Estate, with even patented processing methods. The method used to process the original beans is called "Ruby Processing," which is also the patented method of the famous specialty coffee trader 90+ Company. It's said that coffee beans processed using this method showcase rich and ultimate aromas.

Because it was the champion bean for two consecutive World Barista Championships (WBC) in 2014 and 2015, its dual-champion halo firmly secures its place on the expensive coffee rankings.

At a certain coffee shop in Shanghai, a small 180ml cup sells for 1010 yuan. "Perci Ruby," which won the 2014 and 2015 World Brewers Cup Championships (WBrC, World Barista Championship), is a specialty coffee priced at approximately 24,000 yuan per kilogram, with a single cup selling for 1010 yuan.

Probably only crazy people or wealthy second-generation heirs who treat money like dirt would drink such sky-high priced coffee - otherwise, who would be willing to spend so much money on just 180ml of coffee? That's 1010 yuan!

No. 3 - Hacienda La Esmeralda Natural Process Red Label Geisha Coffee Bean

Origin: Boquete, Panama, Hacienda La Esmeralda

Price: In May 2017, at The Best of Panama (BOP) green coffee competition, Hacienda La Esmeralda's natural process Geisha reached a record-breaking auction price of US$601 per pound, nearly double the previous auction price. This means one kilogram of green beans costs as much as 8,900 yuan.

Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha green beans were already sold at $50 per pound on May 30, 2006. The flavor and aroma of Geisha coffee are praised by many, even achieving a high score of 94.6 in COE competitions.

Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha has three brands, divided by altitude:

Auction Geisha (ESMERALDA SPECIAL) (Red Label), selected from altitudes above 1,600 meters.

Boquete Geisha (Green Label), selected from 1,600 meters.

(ESMERALDA 1,500) (Blue Label), selected from Geisha varieties around 1,500 meters altitude.

No. 3 - Sophia "Super Geisha"

Origin: Volcan, Panama, Sophia Estate

Price: At the 2017 Best of Panama (BOP) auction, major global buyers competed fiercely for nearly six hours. Sophia, a washed Geisha champion entering the BOP auction for the first time, was purchased by Japanese company SAZA Coffee at an astonishing price of $254.8 per pound (approximately 3,964 yuan per kilogram).

Sophia Estate Background

In 2008, Willem Boot purchased a very high-altitude estate from Ricardo Koyner, owner of CATUO Estate, naming it Sophia Estate (Finca Sophia). Sophia is located in the town of Volcan, Panama.

Sophia Estate's altitude ranges from 1,900-2,150 meters, making it one of the highest-altitude coffee estates in Central America. From the day Sophia Estate was established, Willem and his partners have been exploring the boundaries of growing world-class coffee at the highest altitudes.

The estate is named after "Sophia," the goddess of wisdom in ancient Greek mythology. Its logo design comes from a highland pigeon that inhabits the estate (called "Torcaza" in Spanish). The estate is co-owned by Willem and American partner Equator Coffee Roasters, with daily management handled by local Panamanian coffee farm operators.

During the preliminary round of washed Geisha, there was a small incident where an experienced American judge questioned whether this coffee, which received 93+ points from 12 judges, should be a honey-processed coffee, due to its complex flavor and high acid-sweet balance that made people怀疑 these flavors came from processing methods rather than the coffee itself. However, when results were revealed, this was a completely washed-processed Geisha, with all stunning flavors coming from the plant itself. Judges described flavors including intense orange blossom, peach, ripe grape, black currant, bright citrus acidity, berries, effervescent acidity, syrupy texture, and long aftertaste.

No. 4 - "Poop" Coffee

Civet "Kopi Luwak" Coffee

Price: Approximately $180 per pound

Civets are omnivorous animals that like to eat coffee cherries. They select mature, full, and sweet coffee in the jungle. Kopi Luwak coffee is made when civets eat coffee cherries and go through the digestive process, after which farmers manually pick the coffee fruits to create the famous Kopi Luwak coffee beans.

Elephant Dung Coffee

Price: Approximately $230 per pound

Elephants produce only 1,000 grams of coffee from every 33 kilograms of coffee fruit consumed, far less than people previously imagined. Therefore, "elephant dung coffee" is extremely precious.

Thailand's Minor Hotel Group's Anantara Hotels introduced this premium coffee at several luxury hotels in northern Thailand, Maldives, and Abu Dhabi, selling for $25-50 per cup.

No. 5 - St. Helena Coffee

Origin: British St. Helena Island in the Atlantic Ocean

Price: Approximately $150 per pound

St. Helena Green Tipped Bourbon coffee undergoes strict standards of washed processing, with a glossy surface. After medium roasting, it has distinct and mild acidity, rich aroma, with citrus fruit notes and caramel flavors from Yemeni varieties.

This coffee bean was introduced to the overseas St. Helena Island for cultivation in 1730. It wasn't until Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena Island and praised St. Helena coffee that this coffee's fame began. Later, it gradually declined due to its remote location. It wasn't until the early 1990s that it gained international fame again. St. Helena coffee costs about 2,000+ yuan per jin (500g), 3-4 times more expensive than Jamaica Blue Mountain, with only about 10 tons produced annually. Its mellow sweetness, mild acidity, and citrus fruit flavors receive endless praise.

No. 6 - Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

Origin: Jamaica, Blue Mountains

Price: Approximately $90 per pound

The Blue Mountains are located in the eastern part of Jamaica Island. Because the mountains are surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, on clear days when sunlight directly hits the azure sea surface, the peaks reflect the brilliant blue light of the seawater, hence the name. The highest peak of Blue Mountain reaches 2,256 meters, making it the highest peak in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination.

This area is located in the coffee belt, with fertile volcanic soil, fresh air, no pollution, humid climate, and year-round fog and rain (average rainfall of 1,980 mm, temperature around 27°C). The "secret" of why Blue Mountain coffee tastes so pure: all their coffee trees grow on rugged mountain slopes, making harvesting extremely difficult. Only local skilled female workers can handle this work. It's exported in barrels, with one barrel of Blue Mountain costing over 10,000+ yuan.

No. 7 - Finca El Injerto Pacamara

Origin: Guatemala, Huehuetenango

Price: Approximately $80 per pound

Finca El Injerto received recognition in the 2006 Guatemala COE competition, even winning the championship that year and receiving this honor.

In this auction, Finca El Injerto specially launched the "BEST El Injerto" series, selecting small batches of excellent quality and coffee varieties from the estate. Experienced farmers carefully select ripe coffee fruits, then cuppers eliminate batches that don't meet quality standards. Under such strict screening criteria, the Pacamara variety at Finca El Injerto accounts for only about 8% of total production. The 2017 COE first-place Guatemala scored 90.36 points, and this coffee bean sells for over $80 per pound.

No. 8 - Hawaii Kona

Origin: USA, Hawaii

Price: Approximately $50 per pound

Hawaii's commercial Kona coffee is grown on the slopes of Mauna Loa and Hualalai, especially in the Kona districts of northern and southern Hawaii Island. Only coffee from this region can be called "Kona." Hawaii's Kona coffee has the most perfect appearance, with exceptionally full fruits and bright, glossy surfaces. The coffee has rich, aromatic flavor with cinnamon spice notes, and balanced, moderate acidity, at approximately $50 per pound.

Of course, there may be various expensive beans from COE, BOP, etc., which are very difficult to compile statistics for.

Geisha Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Red Label Geisha coffee beans offer full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer extremely high value - a 100-gram bag costs only 350 yuan. Calculating at 15 grams per cup, one bag can make 6 cups, with each cup costing only about 60 yuan. Compared to coffee shops selling for hundreds of yuan per cup, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

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