Things are a little a fluster here at TampTamp HQ thanks to today’s NY Daily News story about civet coffee. We’re always grateful for the press, and today’s story is no exception. I did want to take a bit of time to discuss what civet coffee is and why this story comes up so often.

Civet coffee, otherwise known as Kopi Luwak, is frequently cited as the most expensive coffee in the world. And why is it so expensive? There are two main reasons:

The first is that it is extremely expensive to produce. Cat-like animals called civets are raised and fed ripe coffee cherries, with then pass through their digestive systems and are then cleaned, dried, and distributed as green coffee. This is a much more expensive process than even what coffee experts argue is the next most expensive method, natural or sun-dried coffee processing.

The second is that, from its start of being a slightly more expensive coffee, the mystique of having “the most expensive” coffee in the world has pushed Kopi Luwak’s demand through the roof. There are many coffees who fight civet coffee for this title, such as Hawaiian Kona coffee and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, but none quite capture the attention of the press in the same way.

When the Civet story comes around again, as it invariably does, there is always a slight internal groan on behalf of specialty coffee. We see this story, which is really a fascination between gimmicks and economics, as a challenge to what the specialty coffee business is trying to do – sell really delicious tasting coffees. Kopi Luwak, almost everyone agrees, tastes decidedly boring. While one can buy it just for the sheer thrill of throwing money at an average tasting cup, those of us who have developed our palettes always shake our heads and scoff at those that say “tastes ok to me”.

What I will conclude with, then, are three coffees people can try that will match price with taste experience. These coffees will taste good. I will also contend that it’s ok if you can’t taste every nuanced flavor note in a coffee, much the same way I drink wine from Trader Joe’s (admittedly, my last safe place for unpretentiousness). As a consumer, it’s important to buy what tastes good to you, not the experts. But most of the experts agree, you can do much better than civet coffee, for a fraction of the price.

For a similar flavor as the Kopi Luwak – ie, chocolately, and earthy, I recommend Madcap Coffee’s recent coffee from Sulawesi ($16/lb). This coffee, at a tiny fraction of the price, achieves a much better overall flavor than civet coffee.

If you’re ready to try your coffee without milk, I’d recommend one of the best Kenyan‘s I’ve tasted this year, from 49th Parallel in Vancouver, B.C ($19/12oz). This coffee has a distinct, highly acidic but shining flavor. It is definitely not for everyone, but us coffee snobs go nuts about this type of profile.

And finally, if you want to buy an expensive coffee whose flavor matches its price point, we continue to recommend the Hacienda la Esmerlda from Panama. A consistently award-winning coffee and top auction taker year after year, the story of Esmerlda is one that even the snobbiest of us snobs think is a great example of due reward for excellence in the cup. So give it a try – but definitely taste it black before adding milk!

Related links:

http://www.jimseven.com/2007/07/13/kopi-luwak-in-the-la-times/
http://danielhumphries.livejournal.com/34273.html (worth the read just for the photo captions!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

What are your thoughts about Kopi Luwak?