Kopi Luwak Coffee: Production, Taste, and Price

Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee, is an expensive coffee made from beans that civets eat and excrete. Civets are small, cat-like animals. Most Kopi Luwak production involves keeping civets in cruel cages, which is unethical animal abuse. PETA reports that up to 80% of Kopi Luwak labeled "wild-sourced" is actually from caged civets. Food scientist Massimo Marcone explains that the civet's digestive process ferments the beans and breaks down proteins, which improves the coffee's aroma and flavor. Kopi Luwak coffee has a smooth, complex taste with reduced bitterness. Kopi Luwak is often called one of the world's most expensive coffees. But its price varies, depending on whether it's wild-sourced or mass-produced. Indonesian Kopi Luwak coffee is sold online by specialty brands. Colipse doesn't sell Kopi Luwak, but offers single-origin Indonesian coffee from Sumatra and Bali, roasted fresh. Besides kopi luwak, other animals involved in coffee bean processing are bats, civets, birds, elephants, and monkeys.

What is Kopi Luwak?

Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee, is a unique and expensive coffee made from beans eaten, partially digested, and excreted by Asian palm civets, small, cat-like animals. The name "Kopi Luwak" originates from Indonesian, where "kopi" means coffee and "luwak" refers to the Asian palm civet. It is often mistakenly linked to animals like squirrels, jungle cats, lemurs, or ferrets. Alternative names for Kopi Luwak include 'weasel coffee,''poop coffee,' or just 'Luwak coffee.'

Kopi Luwak is a rare, luxury coffee due to its unique production method. Civets consume ripe coffee cherries, and the beans are collected, washed, cleaned, and roasted after digestion. Its quality depends on the civet's diet, processing, and roasting. Kopi Luwak is available in whole bean, ground, and instant forms. Whole bean requires grinding before brewing, ground is ready for brewing, and instant can be dissolved quickly in hot water. Authentic Kopi Luwak coffee is very limited, with yearly production estimates ranging from a few hundred kilograms to about 1,000 tons worldwide.

What is the Origin of Kopi Luwak?

The history of Kopi Luwak coffee began under Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia in the early 1700s. The Dutch established coffee plantations on Java and Sumatra, growing Arabica beans from Yemen. Under the Cultuurstelsel enforced in 1830, local farmers were prohibited from harvesting coffee for personal use. They scavenged beans discarded by Asian palm civets, which consumed ripe coffee cherries and excreted undigested beans. Farmers collected, cleaned, and roasted these beans to brew coffee.

Kopi Luwak was relatively unknown in the West until British coffee trader Tony Wild introduced it in 1991. It became famous as “The Most Expensive Coffee in the World” when featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2003. Its popularity surged further with the 2007 film The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The movie boosted demand for Kopi Luwak coffee. Its unusual production made it a novelty. To meet high demand for Kopi Luwak, some farmers began raising civets in captivity. This practice raised animal welfare concerns due to caged confinement and forced feeding. This sparked efforts toward ethical sourcing, promoting wild-sourced Kopi Luwak where civets roam freely.

Where is Kopi Luwak From?

Kopi Luwak primarly comes from Indonesia, on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Sulawesi. In Sumatra, small farms from the Gayo Highlands like Gayo Organic Coffee Cooperative are the main producers of Kopi Luwak. In Java, the Pangalengan Highlands of West Java are considered the prime location for civet coffee production. Bali Kopi Luwak is produced in the island's central highlands and volcanic regions, including Ubud (known for coffee tourism), Kintamani, Tegallalang, and Munduk. Outside Indonesia, civet coffee is also produced in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as in East Timor and Ethiopia.

How is Kopi Luwak Made?

Kopi Luwak is made using coffee cherries eaten and partially digested by civet cats. The process includes cultivation, civet consumption, bean extraction, cleaning, drying, and roasting. Civet coffee is created when a civet digests coffee cherries, breaking down the fruit's outer layers. The beans then ferment in its digestive system due to enzymes and gastric juices, according to Massimo F. Marcone, a food scientist from University of Guelph in Ontario and author of the first scientific investigation into Kopi Luwak. Marcone explains that civet digestive enzymes permeate the endocarp, breaking down proteins into shorter peptides and altering amino acid composition. This process enhances aroma, de-acidifies and darkens beans, and improves flavor.

Civet coffee beans are naturally processed as they pass through the civet's digestive system, taking about 24 to 36 hours. Farmers collect feces and process beans. Ethical practices involve collecting beans from forest floors where wild civets roam freely. In unethical practices, civets are caged and force-fed coffee cherries. The excreted coffee beans are carefully sorted and cleaned. They are then thoroughly washed to remove any remaining germs. After washing, the beans are sun-dried. The outer layer of each bean is removed. The beans are then roasted to the desired level, usually medium or medium-dark roast.

What Animal is Used to Make Kopi Luwak Coffee?

The Asian palm civet, scientifically known as Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, is the primary animal used to produce Kopi Luwak coffee. This small, cat-like mammal has a slender body, pointed snout, and bushy tail. Its grayish-brown fur has black markings, and its reflective eyes are adapted for night vision. The Asian palm civet is native to tropical forests and coffee-growing regions of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Bali), the Philippines, and Vietnam. In Indonesia, it is called luwak, musang in Malaysia, and alamid in the Philippines.

Asian palm civets are omnivorous, feeding on fruits (including coffee cherries), insects, and small animals. A civet eats up to 5.5 pounds (1.2 kg) of cherries in 2-3 weeks, yielding 2.6 pounds (1.2 kg) of Kopi Luwak. Wild civets cultivate Kopi Luwak by eating a varied diet, climbing trees, and selecting ripe coffee cherries in forests. Caged Kopi Luwak confines civets to small, unhygienic cages. They are force-fed from bins full of only coffee cherries, far more than they would ever eat naturally, leading to stress and poor nutrition. Civets can live up to 20 years in the wild. However, civets in captivity often have significantly shorter lifespans.

Is Kopi Luwak Ethical?

No, most Kopi Luwak production relies on caging civets in cruel conditions, which is unethical animal abuse. Up to 80% of Kopi Luwak labeled as "wild-sourced" is fraudulent, as reported by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the largest animal rights organization in the world. PETA Asia's exposé titled Civets Suffering for Cruel Coffee revealed civets in Indonesia and the Philippines are captured from the wild and confined in tiny cages, deprived of freedom, exercise, and nutrition. These conditions cause zoochosis, with behaviors like pacing and spinning. Many suffer malnutrition, fur loss, and infections from force-feeding coffee cherries.

What Does Kopi Luwak Coffee Taste Like?

Kopi Luwak has a smooth, complex flavor profile with reduced bitterness, even though the beans are passed through an animal. It tastes like chocolate and caramel with a sweet aftertaste. It is earthy, syrupy, rich, and smooth with cocoa and jungle undertones. Kopi Luwak scored highly in a cupping test conducted by Murna Muzaifa, a food science and coffee processing researcher from Universitas Syiah Kuala, using the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) method. The coffee received scores of 7.93 for fragrance, 7.85 for flavor, 7.78 for aftertaste, 7.55 for acidity, 7.97 for body, and 7.82 for balance, achieving a total average of 84.50. These scores classify Kopi Luwak as very high quality and a specialty coffee.

Is Kopi Luwak Good?

Yes, Kopi Luwak is often considered a high-quality coffee due to its smooth, earthy flavor with hints of chocolate and caramel. This unique flavor profile and lower caffeine content is a result of partial fermentation in the civet's digestive tract, which reduces bitterness and enhances certain acids, as found in Marcone's 2004 research. Kopi Luwak's appeal comes from its rarity, novelty, and clever marketing. However, modern methods like anaerobic processing replicate its smoothness and low acidity without raising ethical concerns.

What is the Price for Kopi Luwak Coffee?

Kopi Luwak prices vary by processing, sourcing, and origin. Wholesale raw green beans cost $50–$100 USD per kg. Farmed Kopi Luwak retail prices range from $20–$50 USD per 100g, or $50–$150 USD per 250g. Wild-sourced civet coffee beans are more expensive, ranging from $200 to $500 USD for 250g. At Harrods in London, 250g of wild Kopi Luwak costs £500 GBP. A cup of Kopi Luwak costs $5–$10 USD in Indonesian cafes, $30–$50 USD for farmed beans, and $50–$100+ for wild beans in U.S. and EU specialty shops. Luxury European cafes charge up to $100 USD for rare wild-sourced beans. Prices vary by brewing methods like pour-over or espresso and ethical branding focused on cruelty-free, wild sourcing. Kopi Luwak prices in Japan and South Korea are twice as expensive as in Indonesia, the Philippines, or Thailand.

The following table compares the prices of Kopi Luwak across different coffee brands.

Why is Kopi Luwak Coffee So Expensive?

Kopi Luwak is expensive due to labor-intensive production, limited supply from selective civet eating habits, costs of humane farming, a unique flavor from civet digestion, and luxury branding.

Is Kopi Luwak the Most Expensive Coffee?

Kopi Luwak is often considered one of the most expensive coffees in the world. However, its price can vary significantly depending on whether it's wild-sourced or mass-produced. While wild-sourced Kopi Luwak is very expensive, it's not always the priciest. Black Ivory coffee from Thailand, which is also animal-processed, is generally considered the priciest animal poop coffee currently available.

Where to Buy Indonesian Kopi Luwak Coffee?

You can buy Indonesian Kopi Luwak coffee from online specialty retailers like BuyLuwakCoffee.com, which offer ethically sourced, wild-collected beans with certifications and transparency about origin, ensuring authenticity and animal welfare. Reputable Balinese plantations, like Luwak Coffee Plantation in Tabanan, allow in-person purchases and tours. They source coffee directly from local farms, offering a cultural experience with quality assurance. While Colipse doesn't sell Kopi Luwak coffee specifically, we offer specialty-grade single origin Indonesian coffee for sale online from Sumatra and Bali, roasted fresh and shipped directly to you. For the best flavor, buy whole beans and grind them just before brewing.

How to Brew Kopi Luwak?

To brew Kopi Luwak, follow the six step recipe below.

1. Grind the Beans: Use a burr grinder for a consistent grind (medium-fine for pour-over, coarse for French press, or fine for espresso).
2. Heat Water: Heat water to 195–205°F (90–96°C). Let boiling water cool slightly before use.
3. Measure Coffee: Use 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water.
4. Choose Brewing Method: Select a method such as pour-over, French press, siphon, or espresso.
5. Brew: Follow the specific steps for your chosen method, ensuring proper extraction.
6. Serve: Pour and enjoy immediately for optimal flavor.

What are the Benefits of Drinking Kopi Luwak?

Kopi Luwak may offer health benefits due to the civet's digestive process, which changes the coffee beans' composition. The five commonly cited benefits of drinking this cat poop coffee are listed below.

• Lower acidity, which makes it suitable for sensitive stomachs.
• High antioxidant levels that protect against free radicals and oxidative stress.
• Potential to reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
• Enhanced energy due to malic and citric acids aiding metabolism.
• Improved cognitive health and protection against neurological disorders.

Is Kopi Luwak Safe to Drink?

Yes, Kopi Luwak is generally safe and healthy to drink if it has been produced hygienically. Concerns include contamination during the collection or roasting process. Properly roasted beans eliminate most bacteria or pathogens. Always source Kopi Luwak from reputable producers adhering to food safety standards to ensure it is safe for consumption.

What Other Animals Poops Coffee Beans?

Several animals produce poop coffee beans through their digestive systems. In addition to the civet, birds such as the Jacu, elephants, monkeys, and certain bats consume coffee cherries and excrete partially digested beans. These beans are collected and processed similarly to kopi luwak to create unique coffee flavors.

What is the Difference between Black Ivory Coffee and Kopi Luwak?

The main difference between Kopi Luwak and Black Ivory Coffee is the animal responsible for fermentation. Kopi Luwak uses civets to ferment coffee cherries, while Black Ivory Coffee relies on elephants. Black Ivory Coffee is rarer and more expensive due to limited production, whereas Kopi Luwak is more widely available.