In a recent post I mentioned kopi luwak

In a recent post I mentioned kopi luwak, the coffee that is "processed" in the digestive tract of a civet cat (usually Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). These animals (found in southeast Asia and related to mongooses, although they look and behave a bit like raccoons) eat ripe coffee berries. Stomach enzymes have a subtle but apparently genuine chemical impact on the coffee beans, which are gathered as soon as possible after being passed by the civet, e.g., in the scat.

I mentioned Animal Coffee in my post, a company which specializes in kopi luwak. I soon received a 4-oz sample of luwak beans, as well as a hunk of civet crap in lucite (left), and a brochure, all enclosed in a very attractive gift box, a really nice presentation.

Is this sustainable coffee?
I'll get to a review of the coffee itself, but first let's try to determine if this is sustainable coffee.

Civets eat mostly ripe fruit and seeds, but also small vertebrates and insects. Since the civets do not eat coffee berries exclusively, luwak-processed beans are not common. They also must be harvested from fresh scat, before rain breaks up the clustered beans/poop. This is because 1) the elements might further change the taste of the beans, 2) the beans would be very hard to find on the forest floor individually, and 3) Animal Coffee, at least, requires the beans to come to them in scat form to be assured they are genuinely luwak-passed. So, the availability of luwak beans is limited; I've read that annual production is between 200 to 500 pounds (100 to 250 kilos).

Asian palm civets have a wide range throughout southeast Asia (see map). Because civets do not produce enough volume from any single location, the beans are from a variety of places -- even (and probably) different countries. Some beans will be robusta, some arabica, some lots mixed. Distributors like Animal Coffee and Indonesian Grocery must be able to narrow down bean type at least some of the time, because both are types are available for order. There is no way, however, to determine if the beans came from a rustic small plot, or a large sun coffee plantation dosed with chemicals.

Indo Civet Coffee

We are a family run business with a passion for premium - SPECIALTY ARABICA - Coffee Luwak (or also known in Java as Kopi Luwak) and are very fortunate to have direct access to the farmers who collect this very rare and exotic coffee beans from the wild. Our goal is to provide the finest quality of Coffee Luwak that you can find anywhere. We are also UNIQUE to many others as we are serving you mostly with SPECIALTY GRADE ARABICA COFFEE LUWAK while many others are serving mostly with the commonly available Robusta Coffee Luwak.

Our activity In Indonesia
We are regularly staying with, educating not to hurt the luwak, and supporting our long time families - Sumatra and Java farmers in the remotely villages - while collecting this very limited Coffee Luwak from them.

Long term Friendship and Integrity is our philosophy
We avoid to carry and deliver any non luwak bean. It is common to know that some kopi luwak bean out there are fake, so be careful about this.

Our activity in the U.S.
From both Newark and Milwaukee, we deliver this most expensive coffee bean in the U.S market to indulge your precious moment…
We decide not to set up our physical permanent coffee house but to offer this Coffee Luwak online so that you can conveniently reach us without geographical limitation at any time you wish to do so.

Our activity in Europe
Similar to the U.S., we are willing to hear from you and can deliver this Coffee Luwak beans to your premium satisfaction. Contact Us!
Indo Civet Coffee pays a fair price to the farmers for its coffee beans while also supporting the protection of wild civets and their forest habitat.
Five percent of Indo Civet's profits are donated to the society and churches in Indonesia.

Corporate Gifts

We offer a bespoke Corporate Gift Service for companies looking to offer their valuable clients a memorable moment.

Customer Quotes: