How adventurous are you when it comes to experiencing the weird and wonderful things the world has to offer? For some, that involves drinking coffee that has literally come from poop. More precisely, elephant poop.
It might surprise you that there is actually more than one type of coffee that comes from poop. The original trend was the Kopi Luwak (cat poop coffee) and we are now looking at Black Ivory coffee.
Like most people, your initial reaction is probably pure disgust, but that’s normal. Who in their right mind would drink coffee from poop? Well, you might be surprised that it is the most expensive coffee in the world, and a lot of people who have dared to drink it actually enjoyed every single sip.
Like most delicacies around the world, the strangest and most “disgusting” are usually the most expensive. So let’s take a look at what is Black Ivory coffee and why it is the most expensive and rarest coffee in the world.
What is Black Ivory Coffee? | The Coffee from Poop
Black Ivory Coffee is one of the rarest and most expensive coffees in the world. The coffee comes from elephant waste after the elephants eat arabica beans and pass it through their system. The coffee combines with the enzymes in the elephant’s stomach to create a unique tasting coffee.
Black Ivory Coffee is actually a company that is located in Thailand. It is labeled as the most expensive and rarest coffee in the world, coming in at around $2,000 per kg. The company mainly provides coffee to 5-stay hotels and restaurants offering premium services. However, customers can still buy individual bags.
If you want to purchase a cup of Black Ivory Coffee, you could be looking at around $50 for each cup. It’s a premium coffee that comes at a premium price.
The number of coffee beans produced varies, as they are dependent on the animals and how many “in-tact” beans come out in the excrement. Supplies of the coffee are usually very low, which is what drives the price and makes it so rare.
What Makes Black Ivory Coffee the Most Expensive Coffee?
Black Ivory Coffee is expensive due to the process of harvesting, the animal care involved, and the low supplies and production of these coffee beans.
Only about one kilogram of the finished product is produced from roughly 30 kilograms of raw coffee cherries being eaten, this is because most of it is lost during digestion and excretion.
Due to the availability, the coffee is labeled as rare and companies are willing to pay extremely high prices for the product. If production is low, the price of the coffee is likely to rise, just the same as any other coffee bean in the world.
The company also labels themselves as a premium brand and has a reputation amongst their clients, which also helps to retain the high prices for the coffee.
How Is Black Ivory Coffee Produced
Black Ivory Coffee is harvested from elephant poop. The elephants consume raw coffee cherries, and they pass through the digestive system of the animal. The digestive breakdown in the elephant’s stomach breaks down the proteins of the coffee cherry and can alter the bean’s flavor profile
The farmers then wait for the elephants to defecate the arabica coffee beans, so they can harvest them. Don’t worry, though, they wash them thoroughly and then roast the beans to coffee perfection.
The process is very simple, it is just dependent on how many “usable” coffee cherries are excreted out.
The process might not come as a surprise to you, since there’s already one coffee bean that undergoes the same process. Kopi Luwak is also coffee from poop harvested from Asian Palm Civets. Did you know that Kopi Luwak is the inspiration of Black Ivory Coffee? Yes, the creator of Black Ivory Coffee got its idea from the coffee pooping wild civet.
The Story Behind Black Ivory Coffee
Black Ivory Coffee was created by Blake Dinkin by accident. His first intention was to market Kopi Luwak seeing that it had a lot of business opportunities, but due to several issues, he had to leave that idea behind and find another venture.
The story of Black Ivory Coffee started in 2002 when founder Blake Dinkin dreamt about commercializing Kopi Luwak. His fascination started when he heard about a cup of coffee worth $35 to $50. He stayed in Ethiopia for around one year and worked with civet farmers and about 1,000 wild civets. Instead of harvesting high-quality coffee beans, Dinkin ended up reaping a lot of criticism due to imitation issues and ethical problems.
His problem worsened when the SARS epidemic hit and civets were believed by authorities to be one of the carriers of the disease. As a result of the constant issues Blake encountered, he decided to ditch the Kopi Luwak and look for alternatives.
Luckily, he stumbled upon the magnificent gentle giants and their love for coffee beans. He discovered that coffee beans are included in an elephant’s diet, so he decided to further explore his coffee passion together with them.
What Makes Black Ivory Coffee Unique?
Black Ivory Coffee is unique due to the process of elephants eating and excreting the coffee. This produces a unique flavor of coffee that is unmatchable anywhere else in the world.
You might wonder why elephants? And an even bigger question, why coffee with poop? Elephants are herbivores, and one interesting characteristic of herbivores is how they digest food.
As stated by Buzzworthy in their article, Meet The Guy Who Wants To Convince You To Drink Coffee Made Of Elephant Sh*T, In order for herbivores to break down their food, they use fermentation. Fermentation is critical for beverages like wine, coffee, and beer with the intention of drawing out the sugar content in the bean which eliminates the bitterness of the beans.
This is the reason why Blake Dinkin made coffee from poop possible and now has become the most expensive coffee in the world.
Is Black Ivory Coffee Good?
Black Ivory Coffee produces a very fruity and chocolatey aroma with chocolate malt and cherry flavor profiles. It makes a full-bodied cup of coffee. People who tried the coffee swear that it has no bitter taste, and it gives a nutty taste.
One reviewer from Denmark noted that you could get addicted to the coffee. He stated in his review ”I tried my new coffee today and what an experience. It was a very Nice one and after the first cup I felt the craving for another. I Think you could get addicted to this coffee……A fantastisc experience you should give yourself” and gave Black Ivory Coffee a five-star rating.
Dinkin pointed out that although Black Ivory Coffee mostly accommodates coffee enthusiasts, tea lovers will also welcome the drink because of its delicate and smooth flavor.
Black Ivory Coffee Controversy
There have been talks about how Black Ivory Coffee Company Ltd. treats elephants and some people believe that just like some coffee brands selling Kopi Luwak, where civets are force-fed and live in poor conditions, elephants undergo the same animal cruelty and captivity. But Dinkin assured that none of the elephants suffer such cruelty, in fact, Black Ivory Coffee works with rescued elephants that came from abusive owners.
Black Ivory Coffee is committed to protecting and conserving animals and because of this, they have partnered with the Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation in order to address the issue between elephants and humans, and educate the younger generation to protect and give value to an elephant’s well-being.
The Final Sip
Elephant poop coffee isn’t for everyone, but once you move past the harvesting process, the taste is actually good. Despite the fact that it may sound disgusting, the truth is, Black Ivory Coffee is far from being it.
Blake Dinkin made sure that every cup of coffee made from the bean is perfectly clean and incredibly delectable. If you want to know more about what they have to offer and try out the most expensive coffee, explore the official website Black Ivory Coffee.
