Which Bali Coffee Brand is Best: Bali Golden Rabbit Coffee and Kintamani Luwak Coffee

Bali is known for beaches and rice terraces, but the island also has a long coffee tradition. Two names come up again and again when people ask which Balinese coffee is best: Golden Rabbit Coffee and Kintamani Luwak Coffee. Here is what makes each of them distinctive.

Bali Coffee - Golden Rabbit Coffee

GOLDEN RABBITS COFFEE

Peaberry

Golden Coffee Male Bean: Bali coffee enjoys a reputation as "Golden Coffee." It combines two major varieties, with Arabica coffee trees at the root and Robusta branches and leaves grafted on top. The male bean is elliptical in shape, with a smaller central crevice after roasting, so it holds its original whole-bean form, like a gentleman in a suit. Its aroma is more intense and its flavor profile unique. Every bean must be hand-selected, which makes the male bean even rarer and more valuable.

Bean

Golden Coffee Female Bean: The female bean looks flatter, with an obvious central crevice after roasting. About 95 percent of the coffee cherries on a golden coffee tree are female beans.

Coffee Luwak (Civet Coffee)

The world's most expensive coffee.

Civet coffee is produced from the feces of the Indonesian coconut civet, a type of civet cat, which is how it got the name "civet coffee." This animal mainly feeds on coffee beans. After fermentation in the civet's stomach, proteins are broken down into short peptides and more free amino acids, which reduces the bitterness of the coffee. The excreted feces become the main raw material. Because the coffee beans cannot be digested, they pass through and, after cleaning and roasting, become civet coffee. Coffee critic Chris Rubin says, "The wine aroma is so rich and intense, and the coffee is unbelievably rich, almost like syrup. Its thickness and chocolate flavor linger on the tongue for a long time, with a pure aftertaste."

Bali Kintamani Luwak Coffee

Bali Kintamani Luwak Coffee comes from the Kintamani Highlands, a mountainous region in northern Bali, Indonesia, set on a large volcanic plateau. Local farmers use only organic fertilizers. Because the coffee grows only at roughly 1,300-1,700 meters (4,200-5,500 feet) above sea level, this exotic island produces only a small amount of coffee beans each year. Bali Kintamani Luwak coffee has a light to medium body and light acidity. Its flavor is smooth, with distinct notes of raspberry, brandy, mint, chocolate, and cedar.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the wet, earthy depth of Indonesian coffee in this article is what appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee roasts several beans that capture that same character. The FrontStreet Wet-Hulled Mandheling, sourced around Lake Toba in the Lintong region of Sumatra, is processed with the local wet-hulled method and roasted medium-dark for a low-acid, full-bodied cup with caramel, dark chocolate, and toasted bread, plus a long sweet finish. For an even cleaner expression of the same terroir, the FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling is triple hand-sorted and cups with sandalwood, herbs, spice, roasted hazelnut, caramel, and dark chocolate. And if you enjoy Indonesian coffee in a milk drink, the FrontStreet Classic Blend brings a touch of Robusta and a deep roast to push black chocolate, nuts, and caramel to the front.