Black Ivory Coffee: The World’s Most Expensive Brew

Imagine paying $25 for a single cup of coffee—just to discover it was brewed from beans that passed through an elephant’s digestive system. That’s the reality of Black Ivory Coffee, a rare brew that’s stirred curiosity, controversy, and a cult following among specialty coffee enthusiasts worldwide. But is it really worth the hype, the price, and the ethical questions?

Yes—if you value ultra-smooth, low-acidity coffee with zero bitterness. In 2013, Black Ivory Coffee officially became the most expensive coffee globally, retailing at $1,100 per kilogram or $25 per cup, thanks to its unique production process and extreme scarcity.

What Is Black Ivory Coffee?

Black Ivory Coffee, also known as “elephant dung coffee,” is crafted from Thai Arabica beans that have been eaten, digested, and excreted by elephants at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) in northern Thailand. Founded in 2012 by Canadian entrepreneur Blake Dinkin, the brand emerged after a decade of research, including collaboration with University of Guelph food scientist Massimo Marcone, who had previously studied Kopi Luwak. Dinkin’s goal was to create a coffee that rivaled—or surpassed—the controversial civet coffee, both in flavor and ethics.

How Is It Made?

The process begins with feeding Thai Arabica beans, grown at around 1,500 meters altitude, to elephants at GTAEF, a sanctuary supported by the Anantara hotel group. The elephants’ digestive enzymes—combined with a slow digestion period of 15 to 30 hours alongside their usual diet of bananas and sugarcane—break down proteins in the beans that typically cause bitterness in coffee. These proteins are reduced significantly during digestion, resulting in a smoother cup. After excretion, the beans are handpicked from the dung by caretakers and their wives, sun-dried, and then roasted. For serving, baristas grind the beans fresh on-site and often use the siphon (vacuum pot) brewing method to highlight freshness and aroma.

What Does It Taste Like?

According to Dinkin, Black Ivory Coffee offers “floral, chocolate, and earthy” aromas, with flavors of “chocolate, nuts, and a hint of spice.” The body is full and syrupy, resembling tea in texture, and the overall cup is “smooth with almost no bitterness.” This contrasts sharply with the often harsh or overly funky profiles of other alternative-process coffees like Kopi Luwak.

Why Is It So Expensive?

Several factors drive the extreme cost. First, it takes roughly 33 kilograms of coffee cherries fed to elephants to produce just 1 kilogram of Black Ivory Coffee. Elephants don’t naturally eat coffee cherries in large quantities—they only consume them occasionally, especially during dry seasons, so cultivating enough for production is a challenge. Additionally, the beans must be carefully selected post-digestion, sun-dried, and roasted. The limited supply—just 50 kg were produced in 2012, with uncertain increases in following years—restricts availability. The beans are sold exclusively to a handful of five-star hotels, including properties in the Maldives, Thailand, and the UAE, further limiting access. Each step, from feeding to final brew, requires intensive labor and logistical coordination, all of which contribute to the $1,100/kg price tag.

Where Can You Try It?

As of 2012, Black Ivory Coffee was available only in select five-star hotels such as Anantara Dhigu Resort (Maldives), Anantara Golden Triangle (Thailand), and Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort (UAE). Blake Dinkin personally visits each partnered hotel to train staff on proper brewing techniques, ensuring a consistent experience. The company has deliberately kept distribution limited to maintain exclusivity and a high level of service. New locations are added slowly, and no retail sales are permitted directly to consumers.

Is It Safe for the Elephants?

Yes. The coffee uses 100% Thai Arabica beans, which contain about half the caffeine of Robusta beans. The beans’ natural husks protect the inner caffeine from being fully absorbed by the elephant, and the caffeine is further neutralized by the digestive process, which requires heat (from the elephants’ body and later roasting). The coffee cherries are also encased in their pulp, offering additional protection. Furthermore, GTAEF employs veterinarians to monitor the elephants’ health continuously. There’s no evidence that coffee harms the animals, and the project contributes 8% of its profits to elephant conservation and caretaker welfare.

Does This Compare to Kopi Luwak?

Black Ivory Coffee’s creator argues it avoids many of the ethical and quality issues associated with Kopi Luwak (cat poop coffee). Unlike civets, which are often caged and force-fed coffee cherries, elephants roam freely and choose to eat the beans naturally, especially in dry seasons. Additionally, concerns about SARS transmission from civets and widespread counterfeiting in the Kopi Luwak market don’t apply to Black Ivory. Dinkin also noted that elephants’ multi-chambered stomachs and longer digestion time (15–30 hours) allow for a more natural fermentation process, producing unique flavor compounds not found in other methods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Black Ivory Coffee different from regular coffee?

Black Ivory Coffee is made from beans that have been digested and excreted by elephants, which reduces the coffee’s protein content—typically the main cause of bitterness—resulting in a smoother, less acidic, and almost sweet cup with chocolate, nutty, and floral notes.

How many coffee beans are needed to make one kilogram of Black Ivory Coffee?

It takes approximately 33 kilograms of coffee cherries fed to elephants to produce just 1 kilogram of Black Ivory Coffee due to losses during digestion and the selection process.

Why is Black Ivory Coffee so expensive?

The high price is due to the limited supply (only about 50 kg were produced in 2012), the labor-intensive production process, the need for manual selection of beans from elephant dung, and exclusive distribution through a few five-star hotels.

Where is Black Ivory Coffee produced?

It is produced at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation in northern Thailand, where elephants are cared for under a conservation program supported by the Anantara hotel group.

Is it safe for elephants to eat coffee beans?

Yes. Thai Arabica beans used have lower caffeine levels, the beans’ husks protect the caffeine, and the digestive process neutralizes most of it. Elephants are monitored by veterinarians, and no harm has been documented.

Can I buy Black Ivory Coffee online or in stores?

No. Black Ivory Coffee is only available through a select number of five-star hotels and is not sold directly to consumers via retail or online channels.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Coffee Adventurers

If you’re curious about unique coffee experiences like Black Ivory, try FrontStreet’s 2013 Yunnan Ironica—a medium-roast Yunnan Arabica with balanced chocolate, nut, and tea notes—or their Lintong Mandheling, a classic Indonesian-style bean with deep spices and a wild edge. Both offer complexity without extreme processing. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.