How to Brew Kopi Luwak Coffee: Pour-Over Flavor Characteristics & Detailed Brewing Tutorial Techniques

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FrontStreet Coffee's Kopi Luwak Origin

FrontStreet Coffee's Kopi Luwak is a rare Arabica specialty coffee bean, originating from the Aceh Central Mountainous region of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is an extremely rare and unique coffee.

The Origin of Kopi Luwak

Starting from the 16th century, Arabica coffee was widely cultivated on Sumatra Island in Indonesia. The coffee from this region has gained international recognition for its superior quality and exceptional flavor. Sumatra Island is the homeland of Kopi Luwak, also known as Civet coffee. When coffee berries mature, they are eaten by an animal called the Asian palm civet. The mature red coffee cherry-like berries are the civet's favorite food, and this coffee is locally known as Luwak in Indonesia. The civet is a picky eater, only seeking out mature and very sweet coffee berries to eat.

The berries swallowed by the civet are broken down by a unique enzyme secreted in its stomach, which disrupts the original protein structure and undergoes digestive fermentation, giving the coffee a unique flavor. The coffee beans are excreted while remaining intact, and after people collect them, they are thoroughly cleaned and lightly roasted to preserve the coffee's proper and distinctive taste.

Although FrontStreet Coffee's Kopi Luwak originates from Indonesia, the highest quality Kopi Luwak beans come from the Aceh mountainous region in northern Sumatra.

Kopi Luwak Growing Region

Sumatra is the world's largest producing region of Kopi Luwak. The island's fertile volcanic ash soil and the cool climate of the mountainous areas create an ideal environment for growing Kopi Luwak. Kopi Luwak is widely acclaimed for its rich flavor and unusual acquisition method.

Product Information

Product Name: Kopi Luwak

Origin: Indonesia

Grade: [Not specified]

Description: For a coffee enthusiast, being able to drink a cup of FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is not a dream, but being able to drink a cup of "Kopi Luwak" is truly a lifetime achievement. The rare "Kopi Luwak" has a global annual production of no more than 120 pounds. In North America and Europe, the retail price per pound costs over 20,000 New Taiwan Dollars. If you just want to taste a cup, the first brew of "Kopi Luwak" is priced at NT$3,600, and the second cup still commands a high price of NT$2,500.

So what makes this rare coffee - "Kopi Luwak" - so special? In the mountains of Indonesia, there is a wild civet called Luwak that loves to eat plump, mature coffee berries. However, the hard fruit nuclei (raw beans) cannot be digested and are excreted with feces. After cleaning, they become "Kopi Luwak" raw coffee beans! Therefore, many people also call it "cat poop" coffee.

Indonesians discovered that coffee beans fermented through the civet's digestive system are particularly thick and aromatic, so they collect civet excrement, filter out the coffee beans, and brew them for drinking. Due to scarce production and unique fermentation processes, the flavor differs greatly from regular coffee. Traditionally, coffee berries are processed through washing or sun-drying methods to remove the fruit skin, pulp, and parchment layer, finally extracting the coffee beans. However, Luwak uses natural internal fermentation to extract the coffee beans, thus creating a special flavor. Regular coffee not only deteriorates in flavor by the second brew but also becomes less aromatic. However, Kopi Luwak can be brewed to the third infusion, with each cup having a different flavor, the only similarity being the retained Luwak aroma. This "cat poop" coffee, which is 10 times more expensive than FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee, never lacks enthusiasts, maintaining high prices and becoming the most sought-after and expensive coffee globally.

This batch of FrontStreet Coffee's Kopi Luwak is wild civet coffee. Wild civets forage for themselves to find the most mature coffee to eat, unlike artificially raised civets. Due to poor breeding environments and being fed only human-picked coffee berries, artificially raised civets are prone to illness and even death over time. Therefore, artificially raised civets can have their most important "digestive enzymes" killed by bad bacteria due to poor health, preventing the crucial enzymatic conversion with coffee and even producing toxins. Therefore, please try to avoid consuming artificially raised Kopi Luwak.

How to Brew FrontStreet Coffee's Kopi Luwak

There are many methods circulating, but actually, no matter how you brew it, as long as you find the taste good and acceptable, Kopi Luwak is suitable for various brewing methods. However, considering that the most precious enzymes in Kopi Luwak are not destroyed by high temperatures, Coffee Master most recommends low-temperature pour-over (not exceeding 85°C) or cold drip method. Of course, other methods can still allow you to taste the rich and varied texture of Kopi Luwak.

Pour-over Coffee Key Points:

Grind size approximately 2-2.5, brew at a ratio of 1:12-1:15, water temperature not exceeding 85°C (fresh period). Please be sure to finish brewing while fresh.

Cold Brew Coffee Key Points:

Grind size approximately 1.5-2, brew at a ratio of 1:10-1:15, brewing time approximately 3-4 hours total, with at least 30 grams of coffee powder each time.

Tasting Methods

Taste Method:

Take a small sip in your mouth, gently move your tongue, swallow slowly, and feel the changes of coffee in your mouth.

Smell Method:

1. Dry Aroma: Place the ground coffee powder in a small container, bring your nose close to the edge and take a deep breath, hold your breath for 3 seconds, then slowly exhale the air through your nose. Try several times to distinguish the different layers of changes in the coffee powder.

2. Wet Aroma: Take a small sip (similar to eating ramen, let the coffee mix with air to release more aromatic particles), hold it in your mouth, then exhale the inhaled air through your nose (please be careful when performing this action to avoid choking).

Creative Uses for Coffee Grounds

Because FrontStreet Coffee's Kopi Luwak contains many enzymes, which have tightening effects on skin maintenance, don't easily throw away the brewed coffee grounds.

Method: Mix the brewed coffee grounds with one egg yolk and a small amount of honey, stir well, and apply directly to the face for 10 minutes (do not apply for too long). You will immediately feel that your facial skin becomes delicate and firm.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473