Kopi Luwak is gathered on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Java, along with other more traditional beans. However, it is not the bean itself that is any different, rather it’s the way the beans are harvested.
It seems that there is a small marsupial called a Luwak that is found on these three islands that is responsible for the unusual collection of the beans. Attracted, apparently, by the lovely red color of the coffee berries, the small animals climb the trees and eat the berries when they are at their ripest. Later, when the beans are then excreted, they are still intact and still covered, thankfully, by a protective skin, rendering them untouched, but not unaffected, by the animals inner workings. The fermentation type process that takes place as the beans journey through the luwak’s digestive system apparently adds a unique flavor that convinces coffee aficionados and assorted daredevils to shell out the high price.
After the beans are excreted, they are gathered, separated, removed from their shells, dried in the sun, and packaged for shipping. Hence, man and animal form a symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship. The animal, once considered a pest, is now encouraged to eat its fill of coffee berries, and humans have a much easier job collecting the beans.
So what does it taste like? Much depends on the roasting. Since the flavors are delicate, a dark roasting only serves to eliminate the subtlties. A light roast delivers a flavorful, heavy cup with chocolate or caramel undertones while maintaining its identity as an Indonesian brew.
Is it worth the high price? As with any exotic food or drink, that is clearly in the opinion of the individual. While there other coffees that boast high price tags, like Jamaica Blue Mountain or Tanzanian Peaberry, each of which weigh in at the comparatively paltry price of only $50.00 a pound, it’s the exotic method of acquiring the Kopi Luwak that intrigues people. It is reasonably to assume that coffee lovers aren’t shelling out those prices because the taste is that far superior, but rather it is for the experience of tasting something so strange and out of the ordinary. Perhaps, too, for bragging rights.
While it may be a long time before you are sipping Kopi Luwak with your breakfast or on your coffee break, the romantic in you may want to give it a whirl. A retailer named “Animalcoffee” will ship it, fully roasted or raw, right to your door. Enjoy.
