What’s the priciest coffee you’ve ever had the chance to try? I’m not talking about the usual suspects like Starbucks, even though their coffee can definitely put a dent in your wallet! I’m curious about those truly extravagant cups of joe. How much did it cost, and was it worth the splurge? Was it a mind-blowing experience or just a fancy name with a hefty price tag? I’d love to hear all about the most luxurious coffee you’ve tasted and whether it lived up to its price!
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Here’s a story for you, Back in Christmas 2018, I splurged on the Gesha Box from Angels Cup, a highly sought-after annual release that always sells out. The box included four 3-ounce samples of exceptional Gesha coffees, each roasted by a different top-notch roaster, and it cost $75. At the time, it was the most I’d ever spent on coffee. My wife gifted it to me for Christmas, and I was beyond excited.
A few days before Christmas, the box arrived, and I couldn’t wait until the actual holiday, so I decided to open it early. Angels Cup does these tastings blind, with each sample labeled only by a unique number and accompanied by a card. You taste the coffee, jot down your notes on their app, and then reveal what you were drinking by flipping over the card.
The first three samples were some of the finest coffees I had ever tasted: an Esmeralda Gesha, a Ninety Plus Perci with notes of chocolate liqueur and brandy, and a beautifully floral Colombian Gesha. When I reached the final 3-ounce sample, I brewed it in a V60 using a 1:12 ratio, which is ideal for fine Geshas. The result was a cup of coffee that was pure perfection, bright citrus notes, delicate florals, and an incredibly silky body that I wanted to savor endlessly.
Then, as I turned over the card, I read a note from Angels Cup. It revealed that the coffee I was drinking was the Elida Estate Green Tip Washed, which holds the world record at $661 per pound and an unprecedented 94.66 points at auction, the highest score ever given for a washed Gesha at the time. Due to a delay with their planned Gesha, Angels Cup bought this rare coffee at a significant loss just to include it in the box. The wholesale cost of the 3 ounces should have been around $130.
I savored every sip of that extraordinary coffee and shared it with several fellow coffee enthusiasts. To this day, it remains the most expensive and best coffee I’ve ever had, despite having tried many other top-tier coffees since then.
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Last year, I spent $15 on a pour-over of Gesha at Moving Coffee in Vancouver, and it was hands down the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had. The clarity was remarkable, with distinct notes of nectarine and raspberry, and a touch of orange peel on the finish, just as they had described. It was an incredible experience that shifted my entire perspective on what a cup of coffee can be. Since then, I’ve been on a quest to find that same level of quality again.
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Absolutely, Ethiopian Gesha is fantastic there, and their new Anaerobic beans are incredible as well.
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