First, let’s get the facts straight. Qopi is the Indonesian word for coffee, and luwak is a local name of the Asian Palm Civet, which looks more like a weasel than a cat. Civets consume the red coffee cherries, when available, containing the fruit and seed, and they tend to pick the ripest and sweetest fruit. The inner bean of the berry is not digested, but a unique combination of enzymes in the stomach of the civet add to the coffee’s flavor by breaking down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste. The beans are defecated, still covered in some inner layers of the berry.
The beans are washed, and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process. Light roasting is considered particularly desirable in coffees that do not exhibit bitterness, and the most pronounced characteristic of Kopi Luwak is a marked reduction in bitterness. Kopi Luwak cups with a rich, heavy flavor with hints of caramel or chocolate. Other terms used to describe it are earthy, musty and exotic. The body is almost syrupy and it’s very smooth. Incredible.
Profile: Cups with a rich, heavy flavor with hints of caramel or chocolate. Other terms used to describe it are earthy, musty and exotic.
Coffee Facts: Shade grown Robusta coffee is harvested by wild civets which inhabit the rainforest in Philippines or Indonesia, shipped and roasted in USA.