Kopi Luwak comes from the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi which are part of the Indonesian Archipelagos island chain. On these Indonesian islands, there's a small marsupial called the Paradoxurus. This marsupial is a tree-dwelling animal belonging to the Sibet family. Once regarded by the Indonesians as pests because they climb into the coffee trees and eat only the ripest, reddest coffee cherries. What these animals eat they must also digest and eventually excrete. Some brazen local gathered the beans, which come through the digestion process fairly intact, still wrapped in layers of the cherries' mucilage.The enzymes in the animals' stomachs, though, appear to add something unique to the coffee's flavor through fermentation. Yes the most expensive the rarest coffee in the world is partially pre-digested and excreted by the Paradoxurus.
What began as, presumably, a way for the natives to get coffee without climbing the trees has evolved into the world's priciest specialty coffee. How does it taste? It's really good, heavy with a caramel taste, heavy body. It smells musty and jungle-like green, but it roasts up real nice. It's a most complex coffee with unusual flavor due to the natural fermentation the coffee beans undergo in the paradoxurus' digestive system. The stomach acids and enzymes are very different from fermenting beans in water.
The flavor is earthy with a musty tone thats heavy bodied. It's almost syrupy with a unique aroma. It's an unbelievable taste in your mouth: richness, body, earthiness, smooth.
Is Kopi Luwak worth its price? Those who have been fortunate enough to try it at a cupping are delighted with its intriguing chocolaty, syrupy taste and would enjoy it whenever it is available. By the cup, it costs no more than a fancy latte at around $5.00 per cup, when you can find it.
They sell the "crap" HERE
"Those who have been fortunate enough to try it at a cupping are delighted with its intriguing chocolaty, syrupy taste and would enjoy it whenever it is available."
After my brother had his "fortunate" cup he was less then delighted, said nothing of of having been intriged and made no reference to chocolate!