The most expensive coffee ever sold is a washed Gesha from Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, which fetched $30,204 per kilogram ($13,705 per pound) at the Best of Panama online auction on 6 and 7 August 2025. A 20-kilogram lot sold for just under $605,000 to Julith Coffee of Dubai. Kopi luwak, the civet coffee our earlier article crowned, is far cheaper: retail prices of about $45 to $450 per pound are reported.
We rank coffees by the price actually paid at auction, and then show the retail novelties (Black Ivory and kopi luwak) on a separate table, since they are price lists and not sales.
| Rank | Lot | Price per kg | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hacienda La Esmeralda washed Gesha | $30,204 ($13,705/lb) | Aug 2025 |
| 2 | Elida Geisha Torre | $18,004 | 24 Sept 2026 |
| 3 | Lérida Waterfall Geisha Natural | $13,505 | 24 Sept 2026 |
| 4 | Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Natural | $10,024 | 24 Sept 2026 |
| 5 | Carmen Estate washed Geisha | $10,005 | Aug 2023 |
The ranked lots
1. Hacienda La Esmeralda washed Gesha: $30,204 per kilogram
The winning lot of the 2025 “Canvas of Terroir” auction scored 98 points and drew 549 bids. At 20 kilograms it brought in just under $605,000, to Julith Coffee in Dubai. Gesha (also spelled Geisha) is a variety first made famous at Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, Chiriquí, and a Geisha lot from the 2004 auction reportedly sold for $21 per pound.
Our basis: the winning bid at an open online auction, quoted per kilogram by the organisers.
2. Elida Geisha Torre: $18,004 per kilogram
At the 2026 Best of Panama auction, which closed on 24 September 2026, the top lot was the Elida Geisha Torre from the Lamastus family’s estate. A 15-kilogram lot went for $270,060 after 736 bids. The auction sold 50 lots of 15 kilograms each for $3,041,940, with a weighted average of $4,055.92 per kilogram. That is lower than the 2025 record, so 2026 did not take the title.
3 and 4. Lérida Waterfall and Hacienda La Esmeralda natural: $13,505 and $10,024
The Lérida Waterfall Geisha Natural fetched $13,505 per kilogram ($202,575 for the lot) after 1,849 bids, and the La Esmeralda natural went for $10,024 per kilogram to SAZA Coffee. Elida’s Geisha Vuelta was close behind at $10,008.
5. Carmen Estate washed Geisha: $10,005 per kilogram
The August 2023 record at the time: a 25-kilogram washed Geisha from Carmen Estate sold for $10,005 per kilogram (about $4,588 per pound) to Coffee Tech Company of New Zealand.
Kopi luwak and Black Ivory: novelty coffee
Kopi luwak is coffee made from beans eaten and excreted by the Asian palm civet, called luwak in Indonesia. Reported retail prices reach about $100 per kilogram ($45 per pound) for farmed beans and $1,000 per kilogram ($450 per pound) for wild-collected beans, with cups of brewed kopi luwak at $35 to $80. Much of the coffee industry regards it as a gimmick. Our earlier article quoted $50 to $90 a cup, in the same range.
Black Ivory, made in Thailand from beans passed through elephants, was launched in 2012 by Canadian Blake Dinkin. It is reported at about $50 per cup, with roughly 33 kilograms of cherries needed per kilogram of finished coffee. Third-party listings are much higher per kilogram, and we found no confirmed official price.
Where to buy kopi luwak
Our earlier article pointed readers to Amazon and to the specialty seller luwakcafe.com. Check the listing and authenticity before buying; prices vary a great deal.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
- 6 to 7 August 2025: Hacienda La Esmeralda washed Gesha, $30,204 per kilogram, the record.
- 24 September 2026: Elida Geisha Torre, $18,004 per kilogram, the top lot of the 2026 auction.
What drives coffee prices
- Auction coffee is priced on score and scarcity, not on a story: each lot is 15 to 20 kilograms of one micro-lot.
- Bidders are cafes and roasters buying a headline, so the price pays for marketing as well as flavour.
- Novelty coffees sell a process. Panama sells a place.
- Per-cup prices are tiny against per-kilogram prices, because one kilogram makes dozens of cups.
Keep reading
- The most expensive pancake in the world: more luxury food oddities
The habits that let people afford this
Short audio lessons on money, mindset and discipline, in the Alux app.
Get the Alux app →FAQ
What is the most expensive coffee in the world?
The record is $30,204 per kilogram ($13,705 per pound) for a washed Gesha from Hacienda La Esmeralda at the Best of Panama auction in August 2025.
Is kopi luwak the most expensive coffee?
No. It is a famous novelty, reported at about $45 to $450 per pound at retail, far below Panama auction lots.
How much does Black Ivory coffee cost?
It is reported at about $50 per cup. We found no confirmed official per-kilogram price.
What was the top coffee at the 2026 Best of Panama auction?
The Elida Geisha Torre, which sold for $18,004 per kilogram on 24 September 2026. It did not beat the 2025 record.
Why is Panama Gesha coffee so expensive?
It is a rare variety grown in small micro-lots, judged by score, and sold to bidders competing for global attention.
Last updated: October 2026.
