Sipping 'world's best brew' - at $10 a shot

How much would you pay for a kilogram of the world's best coffee?

If you're Will Young of Campos Coffee, and the coffee has just won the prestigious Best of Panama 2013, the answer is $378.

The gesha-variety coffee, called Ironman, from Auromar Estate in Panama's Volcan region, scored an average of 91.7 out of 100 in the competition, with six judges scoring it over 93.

Mr Young bought all 68 kilograms in an online auction, spending about $25,000 to beat bidders from Japan and Taiwan and ensuring that coffee drinkers in Australia will get a chance to taste what he says is "something truly special".

"We know Australians are passionate about their coffee, so we wanted to deliver something that really raises the bar.

''We want to expand horizons with this one," says Mr Young.

The $378 is a new high price for Australia: earlier this year, Nolan Hirte from Proud Mary in Collingwood paid $286 a kilogram for 18 kilograms of a Colombian coffee known as HR61, and Andy Gelman of Omar and the Marvellous Coffee Bird in Gardenvale bought five kilograms of a Panama gesha for $250 a kilogram.

Panama gesha is one of the most sought-after specialty coffees in the world.

Matt Dessaix from Campos Melbourne, who carried a consignment of the beans in his hand luggage from Sydney on Wednesday, says, "We don't know if we'll get such a good coffee again.

''This is a chance for Australians to try a great Panama gesha."

Campos is selling the coffee on its website in 150-gram jars for $100, which will include a tasting session at Campos.

Mr Dessaix estimates they will have 300 jars to sell - the 68 kilograms will be about 50 by the time they have cupped and roasted it. Each jar will be enough for 10 cups - that's just $10 a cup.

But this is not a coffee for the home espresso machine or the stovetop: "A pour-over is the way to go with this," Mr Dessaix says.

And what will a $10 cup of coffee taste like? In a blind tasting this week, the Ironman stood out from four other coffees with its strong floral aroma of roses and jasmine, and clean stone fruit and chocolate flavours.

The Ironman isn't the most expensive Panama coffee this year - Saza Coffee from Tokyo paid an astonishing $816 a kilogram for an Esmeralda Special Natural CV that scored 91.32 in the competition.

But, says Mr Dessaix: "This is the best coffee I have ever had. It's better than anything I have tasted."

Is it the best coffee in the world? "We think it is. It comes from the best of Panama, which is one of the best coffee growing regions in the world."