kopi luwak coffee, price of kopi luwak, kopi luwak animal

Recently, a good friend of mine donated some kopi luwak coffee to my personal cause, which is, to taste the best of everything in life – possibly without working, because A. I am rich; so I can 
B. Working is tiring 
C. There a lot of people looking to work that can do the work for me cheaply
 D. I dont really have a job.

For those of you that don’t know, kopi luwak is made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian palm civet, then passed through its digestive tract (also known as its ass).

This Indo cat shit coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world at around $US 160 per pound. The cat that shits coffee, therefore, is a highly prized and much sought after cat.

poop coffee, monkey poop coffeeSo people in Indonesia search through shit, pick shitty berries digested by a non particularly attractive and apparently vile animal with anal scent glands emitting nauseating secretions, pack them and sell them at a huge profit.
 Looks like a deja vu all over again ( Enron and Facebook shares for example)

Is it good? 
No.

It’s simply fantastic.

It tastes like chocolate, but at 160 USD per pound I don’t know why people don’t just drink chocolate instead, and most importantly after tasting kopi luwak you will be haunted by the question:
Who really was the first man that went through civets crap and tried it?

This coffee bean cat shit is available from selected places online and wherever the cat that shits coffee can be found.

Production:

For some information about the production of this coffee, it is also produced by companies that do not abuse or harm the civet to obtain the beans.  You can look online and find companies that offer this coffee from animals that were not harmed in production.

The coffee is made from the excrement of the civet because the enzymes that the coffee bean is exposed to during digestion remove the bitter taste.  It also produces a smooth, almost chocolate type taste that is considered the best cup of coffee in the world.

That being said, this is not a new concept.  There are other coffees that use this same “process” to produce great coffee.  Even monkeys, elephants, and bats have been known to “assist” in production.

If you look online, you can see which companies out there produce kopi luwak beans for sale that do not harm the civet to make their coffee beans.

The ideal kopi luwak bean is best produced by the civet that lives at least 4000 feet above sea level.  The quality of their food is much better at these elevations, producing the best tasting coffee.

Kaya Kopi is a company in Indonesia that boasts it harvests its beans from free range civets that are not caged and not in captivity.

Taste

The taste is boasted to be smooth and is light with no bitter aftertaste as with other coffees. It is also very aromatic, which is a plus among coffee aficionados.

Depending on what time of year you buy your coffee, there will be a hint of honey, jasmine, chocolate and citrus.  With the coffee being so aromatic, you will also smell these hints of nature as you brew it.

With the coffee being so smooth, it has been described as “coating” your mouth with an earthy, nutty taste that is pleasing and relaxing.

This is an organic product as well, without the harshness of chemicals being added to the production process as other coffees often do.

Pricing

When it comes to buying pure Luwak beans, the price is high.  Just a quarter ounce of this coffee can cost you about $12 USD.  Just two pounds of this coffee can run you about $650 USD.  Of course, that will depend on the company you get it from.

After some research, those companies that pride themselves on not abusing animals and letting them be free are often more expensive.  That seems better to me, as these companies also donate back to their local communities.

Just to buy a cup on vacation in Indonesia though is going to run you just about $90 USD.  That is a steep price for a cup of coffee but is all the rage.  It is considered to be the best cup of coffee in the world though.

How to buy Kopi Luwak Coffee

When shopping for this coffee, you can check just about any popular site like Amazon.  Amazon sells this coffee in a quantity that is going to be affordable, starting at $12 USD.  You can also buy directly from the companies that produce the coffee as well.

You can get it all the way from Indonesia direct from the companies that produce it as well.  I found a company that will actually allow you to try a sample cup, which is a pretty good deal considering that it costs about $90 USD for a cup of this coffee.

Doing some research, Kopi Luwak Direct is one of the best places to get your coffee.  They work in conjunction with Amazon which will allow you to get your coffee quicker.

It is important to remember when buying your coffee beans that if you buy them green, they will keep for a year or more.  If you do not buy them green, you can keep them for about six months, but they will start to lose their best taste after about two to three months depending on the conditions you store them in.  They need to be stored somewhere that there is no direct light on them.

Time of year does not really matter when you buy these beans because if you store them properly, the taste and aroma will be preserved for up to six months unless you buy the beans green.

Preparation

If you prefer to do a pour over the coffee recipe, the recommended ratio is 1:6, and for espresso, the ratio is 1:2.  This will ensure that you get the best taste for your cup of coffee.

Most companies recommend that when you buy the coffee, get a medium roast as this is the most pleasing tasting.  It is also how it is sold to most restaurants, so if you want to duplicate that restaurant taste, you will be able to.

It is not normally recommended that you use the kopi luwak beans for cold brew, because the best process is to drink it hot which makes the coffee experience.

Retails

When doing some research, there are many places you can get these wonderful tasting beans.  I recommend researching the coffee company thoroughly because not all follow industry standards for animal care.

If you are ordering in the US, I would recommend using Amazon to get your beans shipped to you.  Many of the reputable companies have a deal in place with Amazon and you can get your coffee soon and know that no animals are hurt in the process.

Do beware when buying that you make sure they are organic.  Some companies will try to add chemicals to mimic the taste of the beans.  They will charge you for pure kopi luwak beans, but they are just chemically processed.

Will be an experience

Having done extensive research of this most rare coffee bean, I believe that if you are an avid coffee lover, this coffee will truly be an experience.  There is a lot of sites online that are totally against people drinking this coffee because they cite animal abuse.

Putting that into perspective, there are other companies that have been using this process for years to produce some of the world’s finest coffees and they are not all over the internet as bad people.

Kopi luwak beans have been harvested this way for years.  As with any other product on the market, there will be someone trying to “cut the proverbial corner” to make a buck.  Just do your research to make sure you are getting the “real” deal when you buy these beans because they are very expensive. This is one instance that a knock off is not a good idea.

As for the experience, it is out of this world.  Having a gourmet cup of the world’s most expensive coffee to date is actually on some people’s bucket lists.  The aroma and taste that you get from a cup of this coffee are amazing and out of this world.

Conclusion

I recommend that you take advantage of the free sample by a very reputable coffee maker before you take the $700 plunge for two pounds of this coffee.  Being realistic though, depending on how much coffee you drink in a year, splurging for this amazing cup of coffee will be worth the investment to treat yourself over time.

It is said that the fine things in life are worth the wait and the price.  I never thought I would want to pay this much for some coffee, but I have to say, it is definitely well worth it.  The taste is amazing, it smells wonderful, and for a moment you can sit back and feel like the richest person in the world.

Author

Peter's path through the culinary world has taken a number of unexpected turns. After starting out as a waiter at the age of 16, he was inspired to go to culinary school and learn the tricks of the trade. As he delved deeper, however, his career took a sudden turn when a family friend needed someone to help manage his business. Peter now scratches his culinary itch on the internet by blogging, sharing recipes, and socializing with food enthusiasts worldwide.

1 Comment

  1. Great fun reading your article. Keep it up and sell lots and lots of the Indo Cat Shit Coffee. S.

    PS: I left this comment on Linkedin where someone posted a copy of the above coffee review.

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