# Kopi luwak coffee made from beans excreted by civet cats - Anyone tried this stuff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [April 9, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136 "2004-04-09T06:14:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/1 "2004-04-09T06:14:33Z")
If so, how was it? [Indonesian Java Not a Brew for the Faint-Hearted](http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=ourWorldNews&storyID=4776042§ion=news) > [@](#): > > On the lush, volcanic slopes of the Indonesian archipelago, villagers “harvest” kopi luwak. The beans used for the world’s rarest and most expensive coffee have already been munched by cat-like palm civets before they are plucked from the dung to be dried and roasted. > > Retailing in North America and Europe for up to $600 per kg, kopi luwak, literally “civet coffee” in Indonesian, is not a brew for the faint hearted. > > Less than 500 pounds of it are estimated to be produced a year on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi, and war and disease are making it even harder to find. > > “I first read about it in 1980, but didn’t manage to get my hands on any until 1993,” said Michael Beech of Raven’s Brew Coffee Inc. Until last year, when supplies began to dry up, it was the main supplier of kopi luwak in the United States. > > His clients have ranged from ordinary java junkies to comedy actor John Cleese of Monty Python fame, he said. The firm has a backlog of 300 kopi luwak orders to fill at $75 a quarter pound. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/2 "2004-04-09T06:44:11Z")
Never tried it, or even seen it, but its reputation precedes it. Seems pretty harmless on the gross-o-meter to me. Most people I’ve spoken to wouldn’t drink it because of its origins…as if it’s still a-covered in skunk shit. Me, I’d try it. It’s supposed to be exceptionally smooth. Now [casu marzu](http://www.portlandmercury.com/2000-09-14/scientific.html), I doubt I could stomach. Maggoty cheese? With the little bastards jumping out at you? Er, no, thanks. I’ll have the cheddar. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/3 "2004-04-09T07:29:29Z")
Plenty of crops are fertilizd with cow dung; I don’t see a huge difference. I’d try it if it weren’t so expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/4 "2004-04-09T13:47:30Z")
[The Master Speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010525.html) ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/5 "2004-04-09T13:49:14Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Plenty of crops are fertilizd with cow dung; I don’t see a huge difference. I’d try it if it weren’t so expensive. Fertilized with, not plucked from. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/6 "2004-04-09T16:15:25Z")
I haven’t tried _kopi luwak_, but I have tried a similar product from Vietnam called “weasel coffee”. The flavor was quite distinctive; stronger and somehow smoother than your regular non-digested coffee. I’d drink it again if I could get another package. ---
**Author:** ![Jerseyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jerseyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerseyman)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/7 "2009-09-11T00:38:59Z")
It’s only recent western queasiness and awareness of disease that worries. Urine (mostly antiseptic) was collected for use in chemical works in England until the major changes following the second German war and dogshit (full of parasites and bacteria unknown then) was commonly in use in the 19th century for tanning leather. To this day _Une Vespasienne_ is understood in France as a public urinal because the Roman Emperor Vespasianus (Waspish) taxed the street-corner jars that launderies collected to make ammonia bleach. What comes out the front (or in women the middle) is mostly protective; what comes out the back is mostly getting rid of toxins. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/8 "2009-09-11T01:11:24Z")
> [@Jerseyman](#): > > What comes out the front (or in women the middle) is mostly protective; what comes out the back is mostly getting rid of toxins. Care to clarify that? How is urine “protective”? Urine is the vehicle the body uses to get rid of potentially toxic nitrogenous wastes. And certainly feces are not toxins the body is getting rid of, but undigested food and bacteria which normally colonize the colon. (Hmmm, did the verb ‘colonize’ arise from the word ‘colon’? Probably not.) And I haven’t tried Kopi luwak, but I would if I had the chance. Then I’d want to roast it extra dark and make espresso out of it, too! ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/9 "2009-09-11T02:21:18Z")
[Dave Barry wasn’t imprressed.](http://www.indwes.edu/Faculty/bcupp/things/nov9.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/10 "2009-09-11T02:38:27Z")
I’ve tried it. Too strong. But then I am a total coffee know-nothing. I like it milky and sweet. Totally wasted on me. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/11 "2009-09-11T03:09:54Z")
As somebody who’s a coffee junkie but doesn’t claim to have a great palate, I think it’s probably mostly hype. Learning to brew coffee better and investing in a good grinder and brewer is going to improve your coffee more than passing through a civet will. It’s possible this stuff is great, but there’s already tons of great coffee that isn’t pooped first. I’d rather buy a dozen top-notch regional coffees roasted by a master roaster than this stuff. My view of this stuff is similar to my view of hyper-premium booze. The price reflects rarity more than quality, which isn’t to say it won’t BE great quality. But, again, never had it. Maybe it’s magical. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/12 "2009-09-11T03:52:51Z")
Haven’t tried it, but it provides a pretty funny plot point in [_The Bucket List_](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/).Jack Nicholson’s character (Edward Cole) is very rich, and very fond of kopi luwak, though he doesn’t know its origin. Morgan Freeman’s character (Carter Chambers) finds out later on: [Carter hands Edward an article about Kopi Luwak, Edward’s favorite coffee.] Carter Chambers: Read it. Edward Cole: [reading] Kopi Luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee. Though for some, it falls under the category of “too good to be true.” In the Sumatran village, where the beans are grown, lives a breed of wild tree cat. These cats eat the beans, digest them and then… defecate. [pauses] Edward Cole: The villagers then collect and process the stools. It is the combination of the beans and the gastric juices of the tree cat that give Kopi Luwac… [Carter starts laughing] Edward Cole: … its unique flavor… and aroma. You’re shitting me! Carter Chambers: [laughing] Cats beat me to it! [Carter and Edward both laugh hysterically.] Carter then crosses off “Laugh until you cry” on his list.I like coffee, so I think I’d probably try it if I had the opportunity, just to see what the fuss is about. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/13 "2009-09-11T04:10:01Z")
Tastes like shit. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/14 "2009-09-11T10:47:42Z")
between that and blue mountain, ill take the blue mountain. [attended a coffee tasting at a coffee shop, like a wine tasting just not as alcoholic =)] mark me down for medium to light roast also. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/15 "2009-09-11T20:48:28Z")
It’s on my agenda to try at some point in my life before I die. In fact, I may buy some for a Christmas gift for myself. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/16 "2009-09-11T23:41:54Z")
Oh, hell yes. Ivylad and I are coffee lovers, and I’d try a cup in a heartbeat. I’ve gotten him Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona for Father’s Day, but I cannot seem to track down anyone who sells the cat crap coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac4](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brainiac4/32/3534_2.png) [@Brainiac4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac4)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/17 "2009-09-12T03:36:55Z")
I’d try it. I’d want to do a blind taste test against a similar roast of non-civet-processed beans, to see what I could pick up as different. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/18 "2009-09-12T05:36:35Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Oh, hell yes. Ivylad and I are coffee lovers, and I’d try a cup in a heartbeat. I’ve gotten him Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona for Father’s Day, but I cannot seem to track down anyone who sells the cat crap coffee. It’s not hard to find on the web. Expensive as hell, but easy to find. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/19 "2009-09-12T18:21:41Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > cat crap coffee. Wasn’t that a song by Ted Nugent? I’d try it if someone else is buying. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136/20 "2009-09-12T18:32:11Z")
Is it difficult to simulate what sitting in a stomach does to a coffee bean? seems if it is such a delicacy but so ridiculously expensive, much cheaper mass produced imitations would be available. If not exactly alike, surely some basic reaction is happening in the cat’s stomach that could be easily replicated, producing coffee that is somewhat similar at least? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-made-from-beans-excreted-by-civet-cats-anyone-tried-this-stuff/239136.md?page=2)