The Origin of Civet Coffee, How to Brew Civet Coffee, How Much Does Civet Coffee Cost?

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The Legendary World's Most Expensive Coffee

Coffee lovers generally know that "Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee" is among the finest coffees in the world. However, the world's most expensive coffee is undoubtedly "Kopi Luwak" (Indonesian Civet Coffee). As the saying goes, rarity makes things precious—one pound of Kopi Luwak coffee beans retails for at least six hundred US dollars, earning it the title of the "Rolls-Royce of coffees."

The Origins of Civet Coffee

Civet coffee has long been known as "the world's most expensive coffee," and Indonesia is one of the main producing regions for civet coffee worldwide.

Civet coffee is Bali's most famous coffee and also the world's most expensive. Visitors to Bali rarely miss the civet coffee factories, as every taxi driver on the island, despite potential detours, traffic jams, or delays, will insist on taking tourists to visit a civet coffee factory to earn some extra income.

What Exactly is Civet Coffee?

Coffee cherries pass through the civet's digestive system, where only the outer fruit pulp is digested. This digestive process breaks down proteins in the coffee beans, reducing the coffee's bitterness. The coffee beans are excreted from the civet's body completely intact, thus earning the nickname "cat poop coffee." Civets are quite picky eaters—they selectively choose only the finest beans to consume. Therefore, the brewed coffee has a richer, rounder mouthfeel with a fragrant, sweet aftertaste!

The reason "Kopi Luwak" (Indonesian Civet Coffee) is so precious lies in its difficulty to obtain. "Kopi" means "coffee" in Indonesian, while "Luwak" refers to an animal called the "civet cat." Originally wild animals in Indonesia (though reportedly now being farmed due to high profits), these civets exclusively eat ripe, red coffee cherries. After the fruit pulp is digested in their stomachs, the coffee beans, protected by their hard shells, cannot be digested and are excreted.

The coffee beans excreted by civets are collected from the jungle by locals, who then wash, dry, and hull them to create the world's rarest, most precious, and uniquely flavored "civet coffee." Due to the special chemical effects of the civet's stomach acid and intestinal fermentation, Kopi Luwak's flavor is exceptionally outstanding and distinct from regular coffee.

The Unconventional Truth

Yes, that's right. Just as its name suggests, civet coffee is literally coffee made from cat droppings.

Indonesians discovered that coffee beans fermented through the civet's digestive system are particularly rich and mellow. Thus, they began collecting civet droppings, filtering out the coffee beans, and brewing them for consumption. Due to its scarce production and high prices, civet coffee has become the world's most prestigious coffee, making civet droppings the world's most expensive feces.

Expert Opinions and Flavor Profile

Experts who have tasted Luwak coffee offer polarized evaluations. Some describe it as an exceptional coffee—quite thick, with an extraordinary taste that's hard to describe, somewhat earthy, with a slightly pungent and organ-like flavor that lingers in the mouth until the last drop. Others find it difficult to swallow and not worth spending money on what they consider "stinky coffee."

Generally speaking, Indonesian coffee carries earthy and traditional Chinese medicine flavors, with a body thickness that ranks among the highest globally. However, Luwak's earthy notes and body are even more intense—the thickness almost approaches that of syrup, with a very distinctive aroma. If you don't already like Indonesian coffee, you'll certainly dislike Luwak coffee even more. However, if you prefer the earthy flavors of Indonesian aged beans or Indian monsooned coffee, you might fall in love with Luwak coffee's similar flavor profile.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests the following brewing parameters:

V60/90°C/1:15 ratio/2 minutes brewing time

Flavor notes: Rich and smooth mouthfeel, caramel, chocolate, nuts, with a hint of mint in the finish.

Important Notice :

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