The World's Most Expensive Coffee

Coffee is the second largest commodity next to oil in the world that is traded on a daily basis. Robusta and Arabica coffee beans are widely known, used and traded, but there are those that are lesser known and only produced in small quantities and during certain times of the year. (Source: www.coffeeterms.com)

Serious coffee drinkers crave something more than the standard coffee house cup of house blend. They are the ones that drink coffee by regions as the specific regions (such as Brazilian and Sumatra) are prized for the coffee beans unique properties including flavor and aroma. The coffee they drink is often tasted much like wine, each drinker notes the different flavors each coffee holds when brewed. These coffee drinkers would not dare add milk, cream or any form of additives that would hinder or hide the flavor of the coffee bean itself. Some coffee beans can be quite expensive and according to Forbes Magazine, the following three are the world's most expensive coffee beans that would make any coffee junkie or serious drinker shiver in their boots. These coffee beans are done in small amounts and can be found online. These beans are ranked from lowest to highest.

1. St. Helena Coffee. $79 per pound. Grown off the coast of Africa on St. Helena Island. This coffee became known when Napoleon was exiled in 1815. This coffee bean when roasted it has a complex flavor that has hints of fruit, chocolate and spices.

2. Hacienda la Esmeralda Geisha. $100 per pound. Grown in Panama, this coffee bean grows in the shade of guava tress which gives the bean its floral and fruity aroma while further lending a hint of citrus.

3. Kopi Luwak. $160 per pound. An Indonesian coffee. This coffee is truly unique in that it is harvested only after the Palm Civet (a small dark brown cat like monkey) has eaten, digested and excreted (yes, excreted) the bean. The civet eats the flesh that surrounds the coffee bean and the little mammal's digestive system lowers the acidity in the bean. The coffee will have an earthy almost musty flavor but will finish smooth with almost a chocolate finish. This is one of the few coffees that cannot be found easily in your local coffee shop, but it can be purchased online in small quantities from such websites as www.animalcoffee.com.

If the world's most expensive coffee is too rich for your blood, you can still find some great coffee at your local coffee house or online at such places as www.coffeebeandirect.com.