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In a small, quiet corner of Yao, Osaka, lies The Münch. A small yet lavish and hidden coffee house with only two Yelp reviews. Don’t let that fool you! This café is making waves for one particular reason. It offers a coffee priced at 100,000 yen (over $900 USD).
The Story Behind the Coffee
Kanji Tanaka, the café’s owner and only staff member, stumbled upon this coffee by accident. Years ago, he left an iced cup and had forgotten it in the fridge for six months. Right before throwing the supposedly stale coffee away, out of mere curiosity, he tasted it and found something special. This experience sparked his mission to create the perfect aged coffee.
He experimented with aging beans, discovering that after 10 years, the flavors became rich and syrupy. While using barrels that once aged other liquors, he refined his unique brewing process.
Making Process Of The Coffee
Tanaka’s coffee starts with 22-year-old, raw green beans that are roasted in-house. The beans are finely ground and brewed using a “Nel Drip” method, which is similar to a pour-over. However, the process is much slower with Nel drip. It takes 30 minutes just for the first drop to appear.
According to Tanaka, brewing slowly with steam enhances the coffee’s flavor. Particularly, reducing bitterness. Once brewed, the drink is filtered through aged barrels and served from a tap into a rare Meissen porcelain cup.
The Result
This luxurious drink is jet black with hints of wine, a syrupy sweetness, and notes of chocolate. The Münch has become a quiet sensation, earning mentions on social media and travel sites.
The slow brewing process, combined with aged beans and artistic presentation, makes this $900 drink a one-of-a-kind experience for those seeking a taste of perfection.
This coffee has become a valuable attraction as coffee lovers from all around the world are coming to have a taste, despite its exorbitant price.