At US$140 (RM608) a pop, one cafe in Melbourne, Australia is serving up no unusual cup of joe.

Melbourne has lengthy been famed for its coffee tradition, with Italian and Greek migrants infusing town with all issues bean and cup because the Nineteen Forties.

And for these wanting for a next-level expertise, one cafe is promoting a cup at 50 instances the worth of a common flat white or espresso.

The coffee – hailed as one of the world’s best – is grown in Panama’s Chiriqui area.

Dubbed “Black Jaguar”, the beans got here first at the celebrated 2022 Best of Panama public sale within the Natural Geisha class, scoring 96.5 out of 100.

They offered for over US$2,000 (RM8,697) per pound (450 grams). Only 100 kilos had been up for grabs and Australian cafe group Proud Mary snapped up a pound.

“I had an out-of-body, enlightened type of tingle. It was actually clearly a particular cup of coffee, taste-wise, character-wise,” mentioned Proud Mary proprietor Nolan Hirte, who was on the judging panel.

“It was proper in your face, so expressive and so clear.

“There’s one thing about it that is simply ‘wow’.”

The Black Jaguar is the costliest coffee Proud Mary has ever purchased.

They made 22 cups obtainable in Melbourne, and a restricted quantity was stocked at their cafes in Austin and Portland within the United States.

One connoisseur flew two hours from Sydney to purchase the deluxe drop, which is served as a pour-over.

Melbourne is one of the richest cities in a single of the richest international locations on the planet. Even so, US$140 is nicely above what most individuals would pay for a cup of coffee.

But cinematographer Jake Reeder, a self-described “large coffee nerd” who received a style of the Black Jaguar in a competitors, mentioned he would haven’t any qualms paying for it.

The 27-year-old described it as a “shifting expertise”.

“Anytime you’re on the receiving finish of a product that is obtained a lot love and care and a spotlight,” he mentioned, “it makes you really feel one thing.”

Hirte believes coffee is a snip in contrast with dearer drinks corresponding to wine and tea.

“Coffee is much extra advanced than wine will ever be, however it typically will get roasted darkish, has sugar added to it and milk poured on it – it may be a lot extra,” he mentioned.

“And does anybody discuss how costly tea could be, as a result of it outplays coffee massively.”

“Why are we making an attempt to carry it again, to suppose coffee can simply have a ceiling?” – AFP Relaxnews