Indonesian Civet Coffee: Flavor Profile, Taste Characteristics, and Story Introduction - Is Civet Coffee Sour or Bitter?

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Kopi Luwak coffee beans' fame can be compared to Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. FrontStreet Coffee believes that whether people have encountered specialty coffee or not, they have likely heard of Kopi Luwak. At first listen, it might not seem to have an appealing flavor, so why is it so famous and so expensive? Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share the story of Indonesian Kopi Luwak.

The Origin of Kopi Luwak Coffee Beans

Kopi Luwak is produced in Indonesia. In the early 18th century, Dutch colonists introduced coffee trees to Sumatra and Java islands in Indonesia for cultivation and developing coffee economic trade, and did not allow local coffee farmers to pick and consume coffee fruits. Against this backdrop, local coffee farmers discovered that wild civets would often come to steal coffee fruits. However, civets cannot digest coffee fruits - they can only digest the ripe coffee pulp, while the hard coffee beans, being semi-digested, are eventually excreted.

The local coffee farmers also wanted to taste the coffee beans they grew, so they collected these beans, then washed, roasted, ground, and extracted them so they could also enjoy coffee. This is how Kopi Luwak came to be.

How Does Kopi Luwak Taste?

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, civets mainly inhabit hills below 2100 meters altitude in Indonesia, which are low-altitude regions. The coffee bean varieties in these areas are predominantly Robusta, so Kopi Luwak contains not only Indonesian Typica variety coffee beans but also Robusta beans. Therefore, Kopi Luwak also has the characteristic earthy and herbal aromas of Robusta coffee beans. Additionally, Indonesia's unique coffee bean processing methods make the coffee even richer.

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, Indonesian coffee beans are mainly grown on Sumatra and Java islands, so Kopi Luwak's flavor profile is actually very close to Indonesian Mandheling coffee, also from Sumatra. The only difference is that Mandheling is harvested manually, so the coffee fruits vary in quality.

Kopi Luwak, however, is selected by civets using their keen sense of smell to pick the most mature and sweetest coffee fruits. This is similar to Ethiopia's Red Cherry Project - one involves manually harvesting 100% fully ripe coffee fruits, while the other uses animals to select ripe coffee fruits. These naturally ripe coffee fruits lay the foundation for Kopi Luwak's superior flavor.

Civet Fermentation Processing Method

FrontStreet Coffee often mentions in previous articles that the flavor quality of coffee beans is mainly determined by coffee region, variety, and processing method. So does the civet fermentation processing method really have such a significant impact on coffee bean flavor?

Some merchants believe that although coffee beans are not digested in the civet's digestive tract, the strongly corrosive digestive fluids have corroded their surface. These digestive fluids contain a special protease that can break down the original protein chains of coffee beans, decomposing long-chain proteins into small particles, forming short-chain peptides and amino acids, making the coffee beans taste better.

But in fact, according to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, civets excrete coffee beans probably within one or two hours after eating them. Coffee beans remain in the civet's stomach for only one or two hours. FrontStreet Coffee believes this short time is insufficient to produce the series of changes mentioned above. The beans are essentially the same as when they were eaten, and even if there are flavor changes, they are only subtle.

So in fact, the fermentation processing method is merely a gimmick for Kopi Luwak. After collection, coffee farmers still process the beans using Indonesia's unique wet-hulling method. The civet's only contribution is selecting ripe cherry fruits.

Why is Kopi Luwak So Expensive?

Even as FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, Kopi Luwak remains very expensive in price. After all, things are valued because they are rare, and Kopi Luwak certainly has its merits. Because it uses fully ripe coffee fruits, authentic Kopi Luwak appears very thick compared to regular coffee, like syrup. It has a strong sweet aroma when smelled. In terms of taste, it has less of the typical coffee's bitterness and acidity but more astringency and earthy flavors, with a strange sweet aftertaste. Due to its thickness, the mouthfeel is quite smooth.

Therefore, many curious consumers are willing to pay for Kopi Luwak, and it is also the lowest-yield coffee bean variety, creating a supply-demand imbalance that naturally drives up prices.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, among the many Kopi Luwak varieties available today, the most expensive is Indonesian wild original beans, followed by Philippine ones, with Vietnamese being relatively cheaper. There are also so-called "Grade A" Kopi Luwak on the market, where coffee beans are excreted by artificially fed civets, or possibly by other animals. Wild civets live in nature and freely select beans. As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, because civets are picky and won't eat unripe fruits - only choosing freshly ripe ones - the selected coffee beans are guaranteed to be of the highest quality without defects. Artificially fed ones don't have this guarantee, and the excreted beans vary in quality. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee suggests that coffee enthusiasts curious about Kopi Luwak should avoid buying fake products, as the loss would outweigh the gain.

On FrontStreet Coffee's bean list, there is another Indonesian coffee bean that undergoes multiple hand-sortings to minimize defect rates, allowing the coffee to present a rich and clean flavor profile - FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling coffee beans. It uses dark roast with flavors of dark chocolate, caramel, and spices, suitable for various brewing methods including moka pot, pour-over, French press, and coffee machine. Everyone can purchase at FrontStreet Coffee stores and FrontStreet Coffee's Tmall flagship store.

FrontStreet Coffee's Kopi Luwak Coffee Bean Brief Introduction

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share a brief introduction to this Kopi Luwak coffee bean available at FrontStreet Coffee stores.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Indonesian Kopi Luwak Coffee Beans

Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra
Altitude: 1600-2100m
Variety: Arabica
Processing Method: Civet fermentation method
Flavor: Herbal, nutty, dark chocolate, fermented notes

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Brewing Recommendations

To better express the herbal flavors and rich mouthfeel of Kopi Luwak, FrontStreet Coffee uses medium-dark roast for Kopi Luwak coffee beans. Medium-dark roasted beans generally have higher moisture loss rates, making them lighter in weight. During brewing, the grounds don't completely sink to the bottom. Water is immediately absorbed when first poured, and due to active degassing, bubbles form around the grounds creating channels. These channels last longer with fresher beans, causing water level to drop rapidly. FrontStreet Coffee typically uses a coarse water flow and slow circular pouring.

When brewing Kopi Luwak, FrontStreet Coffee chooses the KONO dripper because this dripper's only degassing area is the quarter-rib design. When the water level passes the rib area, the water level in the dripper continuously rises, increasing pressure through the water's weight. Since the outlet is relatively small, it can extend the contact time between coffee particles and water. As water flow carries soluble substances, it can more effectively extract them, generally achieving the high richness that customers expect.

Brewing Parameters: Water temperature: 86-87°C | Grind size: BG#6w | Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15 (15g coffee to 225ml water)

Brewing Method: Three-pour pouring method.

1. First pour: 30g of water, bloom for 25 seconds.
2. After blooming, pour the second water to reach 125g on the scale. Wait for the water level to drop to half.
3. When the coffee bed is about to be exposed, pour the third water to reach 225g on the scale. Total extraction time is approximately 1'50"-2'00" seconds.

Kopi Luwak Flavor Description: Herbal, nutty, smooth mouthfeel, rich body.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473