The 12+ Deadliest (Strongest) Coffee Brands
In recent years, highly-caffeinated coffee has become like a nuclear arms race.
It started in 2013 when a brand called Death Wish Coffee began sourcing better-tasting robusta coffee beans.
Previously, it was mostly arabica beans used in most coffee blends.
But robusta has a whole lot more caffeine in it, and the race for the strongest coffee is well underway.
NOTE: Strongest means different things to different people. For the purposes of this article, strongest means the most caffeine. In reality, the strongest coffee means the most dissolved solids.
12+ Extremely Caffeinated Coffee Brands
Black Label – Devil Mountain Coffee Company
Caffeine: 1555 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: Not Listed
Black Label just may be the world’s most dangerous cup and has blown the competition out of the water with its blend of highly caffeinated beans.
You need to be extremely cautious when drinking this one. You must be highly tolerant to caffeine and have a low sensitivity to the caffeine molecule.
This organic coffee is available from Amazon.com
Very Strong Coffee – Great British Trading
Caffeine: 1350 mg per 12 fl oz (340 ml) brewed
Bean type: 100% Robusta
Very Strong Coffee is the most dangerous cup in the UK and offers a big dose of caffeine for those who just don’t get a lift from regular coffee anymore.
This strong coffee is available from Amazon.com.
Red On! (UK)
Caffeine: 1293 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: Robusta (single origin)
From UK’s Contact Coffee, Red On! is a powerful single-origin coffee.
The term ‘Red On’ is a military jump warning given before ‘Green, Go,’ signaling it’s almost time to jump from the aircraft.
No surprise in the name (the company was founded by two Royal Marines). [Caffeine lab report sighted by CaffeineInformer.com]
High Voltage Coffee (AU)
Caffeine: 1150 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: Not Listed
This Australian brand is the strongest coffee in Australia, according to a recent lab report from Australia’s National Measurement Institute. It also claims to use a bean blend that doesn’t taste bitter like some highly caffeinated coffees.
High Voltage Coffee is available to Australians only on their website…
Black Insomnia
Caffeine: 1105 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: 80% Robusta 20% Arabica
Black Insomnia originated in South Africa but is available worldwide. A stronger blend was created in 2018, leading to the massive caffeine hit they currently serve.
Maximum Charge- Cannonball Coffee (UK)
Caffeine: 1101 mg per 12 fluid ounces brewed
Bean type: Robusta
Maximum Charge takes the prize for the most caffeinated UK coffee and is also close to the world’s most dangerous cup.
This coffee is available from Amazon UK.
Biohazard
Caffeine: 928 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: Robusta
Biohazard was so proud of its coffee that it tested it for caffeine levels and sent us the lab report. With almost 1 gram of caffeine in a cup, this is great if you want to stay awake the whole night.
Biohazard coffee is available on Amazon.
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Death Wish
Caffeine: 728 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: Robusta
Death Wish sparked the “world’s strongest coffee” trend with its Super Bowl ad a few years ago but has since conjured up a lot of competition. Things got so heated that competitors even contested the caffeine lab analysis. Everyone needs to sit down and have a cup of tea…
Death Wish also has a medium roast for those who like higher caffeine but less intense flavor from the roasting. It’s sourced from Robusta and Arabica beans.
Death Wish is available from Amazon.com
Sons of Amazon (UK)
Caffeine: 660 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: Not listed
Sons of Amazon is available in the UK. It’s made using a blend of ethically sourced coffee beans from the Amazon region.
Killer Coffee (AU)
Caffeine: 645 mg per 12 fl oz brewed (350 ml)
Bean type: Arabica
Killer Coffee is Australia’s deadliest brew. It’s interesting that they get such high amounts of caffeine from only Arabica coffee beans.
Folks in Australia can get it from their site.
Gunpowder Coffee
Caffeine: 644 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: Unknown
Gunpowder Coffee claims to have the “best tasting” world’s strongest coffee.
Fire Department Coffee
Caffeine: 500 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Fire Department Coffee was started by a group of veterans and firefighters. They offer several different roasts and blends, but their strong coffee is called Stipe Miocic.
It has 2x the caffeine of regular coffee. 10% of all proceeds support first responders.
Banned Coffee
Caffeine: 474 mg per 12 fluid ounces brewed
Bean type: Arabica and Robusta
Banned Coffee uses a blend of beans in hopes of improving the flavor profile of their “world’s strongest coffee.”
By the way, Banned Coffee was never banned, and neither is it the world’s strongest coffee.
GymBrew Renegade
Caffeine: 333 mg per 12 fl oz brewed
Bean type: Blend of Robusta and Arabica
GymBrew is made by Runner Bean Coffee Roasters out of the UK. It’s geared towards consumers using it as a pre-workout drink.
Shock Coffee
Caffeine: No specific amount, but it claims to be 50% stronger than regular brewed coffee.
Bean type: Arabica and Robusta
Shock Coffee is a classic. We even reviewed it wayyyyyy back in 2010. It was the original “strong” coffee, but has disappeared into the wilderness.
You can still get it from Amazon.com, and it may actually be a good place to start if you want to enter the coffee arms race.
Bones Coffee High Voltage
Caffeine: No specific amount but claims to 2x the caffeine of regular brewed coffee
Bean type: Not listed
Bones Coffee is available through their website.
Atomic Coffee
Caffeine: No specific amount is listed, but it claims to be 50% stronger than regular brewed coffee.
Bean type: Arabica
Atomic Coffee is available on their website and on Amazon.
Perk Up Coffee
Caffeine: They list 408 mg per 12 fl oz for brewed and 262 mg per 12 fl oz for drip (filter) coffee.
Bean type: Not listed
Perk Up is available from Gold Star Coffee.
Double Tap Coffee
Caffeine: They say double the caffeine but then also say 4x the caffeine of a standard cup?
Bean type: Not listed
This brand is for sale by the Patriot Depot.
Red Goat Coffee
Caffeine: 3x the caffeine of standard coffee, but a more precise amount isn’t listed.
Bean type: Not listed
Red Goat Coffee also claims to be “the world’s strongest,” but we weren’t able to find a definitive caffeine amount.
Preparation Method
With all of these coffees, the highest caffeine is found by using the brewed coffee method. This is a method in which water stays in contact with the ground coffee for an extended period of time.
The serving suggestion is typically 5 Tbsp of ground coffee per 12 fl oz cup (350 mls). This dosage and serving size tends to exaggerate the caffeine amounts.
A lot of people drink a 8 fl oz cup (with a whole lot less ground coffee)…
Drip/filter, Keurig, and even espresso methods won’t produce the highest caffeine amounts. Only one brand above, Perk Up, made this clear in their advertising.
Is this type of coffee really deadly?
Just about all of these brands will deliver more caffeine in one serving than is recommended by leading health organizations as a daily safe dose.
For the average adult, 400 mg is the maximum recommended amount of caffeine.
This type of coffee usually appeals to those who have built up a high tolerance to caffeine (serious caffeine addicts) or those who have a naturally low sensitivity to the caffeine molecule.
Anyone else who consumes these ultra-caffeinated coffees could experience overdose symptoms and even severe reactions if they exceed more than one serving.
Caffeine is a drug, and there are serious consequences that result from consuming too much. People have died from caffeine overdose, and thousands more have sought help from emergency rooms after overdosing.
We recommend that these products be avoided unless you are 100% certain that your body can tolerate the extreme amount of caffeine that they are delivering.
Caffeine strength versus coffee strength
Different brewing methods extract more caffeine. Thanks to Bean Poet.
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