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Is Indonesian Kopi Luwak Good? How to Distinguish Wild Kopi Luwak from Farmed Kopi Luwak

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style) Kopi Luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, with prices reaching hundreds of dollars per pound. It is extracted from the feces of civets and processed. Civets eat ripe coffee fruits, and after passing through their digestive system and being excreted, due to the process through their stomach

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Civet Cat Coffee

Kopi Luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, with prices reaching hundreds of dollars per pound. It is extracted from the feces of the civet cat and then processed. The civet cat eats ripe coffee fruits, and after passing through their digestive system, the coffee produced has a unique flavor due to fermentation in the stomach, making it a sought-after item in the international market.

The civet cat's digestive fluids can break down proteins in coffee beans into very small particles, which enhances the coffee's aroma during the grinding process. Additionally, the civet cat's intestines can filter out specific proteins, thereby reducing the coffee's bitterness.

The place we visited houses captive civet cats, which are kept in such enclosures, fed coffee fruits daily, while coffee farmers collect their feces to extract Kopi Luwak.

Indonesian coffee has an earthy and herbal flavor, with the highest viscosity among coffees from various continents. However, Kopi Luwak has an even stronger earthy flavor, with a viscosity close to syrup and a very special aroma. After drinking, there remains a faint minty cool feeling in the mouth - this is a "unique flavor" not found in regular coffees. After finishing a cup, take a deep breath or sip some cool water, and you can clearly feel a coolness from mouth to throat, much like having just eaten a mint throat lozenge.

Experts say that Indonesian "civet cats" have a gland near their reproductive organs that secretes a milky white oil. This oil has always been a precious raw material in the perfume industry. Even in Shakespeare's play "King Lear," there is such dialogue: "Please give me some civet cat oil to stimulate my inspiration." Others have said: "This coffee is unique and is a specialty of Indonesia. Finding it is like discovering diamonds in stones." Because wild "civet cats" are obviously better at selecting good coffee fruits, giving this coffee its extraordinary characteristics.

The Production Process

Ripe coffee fruits are the food for civet cats.

The civet cat's feces.

Coffee beans after deodorization and sun-drying.

Breaking open and removing the silver-gray film from the coffee bean surface.

Sorting the coffee beans.

This is the famous Kopi Luwak - captive civet cat coffee beans are relatively large and uniform.

Wild Kopi Luwak

Finally, we visited a local coffee farmer's home to purchase some wild Kopi Luwak samples for research. Because civet cats are picky eaters, they only eat the freshest coffee fruits, so they have already helped us filter out defective beans. However, wild civet cats are elusive, and farmers can only search for their feces across mountains and fields. The production is scarce and hard to obtain, making it even more precious.

This is processed wild Kopi Luwak with parchment.

Civet cats only select fresh coffee fruits but cannot choose the fruit size, so compared to captive civet cat coffee, wild Kopi Luwak beans are less uniform in size.

Indonesian Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Indonesian coffee beans - [West Java Honey Process Coffee] - offer full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they are extremely cost-effective. A half-pound (227g) package costs only about 118 yuan. Calculating at 15g per cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 7 yuan. Compared to cafés selling cups for dozens of yuan, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online shop services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com