The name
In Indonesian, kopi means coffee and luwak refers to the common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), a nocturnal mammal roughly the size of a cat found across South-East Asia. In English the product is usually called civet coffee.
You will also see the spellings kopi luwak, kopi luak and civet coffee. In the Philippines a comparable product is called alamid, and in Vietnam cà phê chồn. Only Indonesian coffee can legitimately be called Kopi Luwak.
What happens inside the bean
The civet does not eat the bean; it eats the sweet pulp of the coffee cherry. The stone, protected by its parchment, passes through the digestive system in about twelve hours and comes out whole.
Two things happen during that transit. First a selection: the animal picks only perfectly ripe cherries, something no mechanical harvest and few hand harvests achieve. Then a transformation: proteolytic enzymes and stomach acidity partially break down the proteins in the bean — the very proteins that generate bitterness during roasting.
The resulting green bean is smoother, often darker, and its fermentation has already begun. Published analyses show slightly lower protein and caffeine content than a classic arabica from the same terroir.
Tasting profile
- Body
- Full, syrupy, long finish
- Acidity
- Low — the signature of the product
- Bitterness
- Markedly reduced
- Dominant aromas
- Cocoa, caramel, toasted hazelnut
- Secondary aromas
- Damp earth, wood, light tobacco, sometimes dark fruit
- Finish
- Sweet, without astringency
This profile corresponds to a medium roast, the only one that preserves the enzymatic work. A dark roast would erase exactly what you are paying for. See our brewing recommendations.
Why it is rare
Annual world production of authentic Kopi Luwak is counted in hundreds of kilos, against some ten million tonnes of coffee from all origins. An experienced collector recovers a few hundred grams of beans per night in season, and nothing at all outside it.
That scarcity has a direct consequence: most of what is sold worldwide under the name Kopi Luwak is not Kopi Luwak, or comes from intensive farming. It is the single most important thing to understand before buying, and the subject of our page on authenticity.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kopi Luwak hygienic?
Yes. The beans are washed in clean water as soon as they are collected, sun-dried, hulled, sorted, then roasted at between 200 and 230 °C. That temperature eliminates any micro-organism. The finished product is subject to the same requirements as any foodstuff imported into Switzerland.
What does it actually taste like?
A sweet coffee, very low in acidity, with a dense body and a cocoa finish. Anyone who loves bright, floral Ethiopian coffees will find the opposite of what they enjoy. Anyone who loves round, chocolatey coffees will find an extreme version of what they are looking for.
Does it contain less caffeine?
Slightly. Digestive transit reduces caffeine content by roughly 10 to 20 % compared with the same undigested bean. It is not a decaffeinated coffee.
Can you drink it every day?
Nothing prevents it, but scarcity and price make it more of an occasional coffee. Most of our private customers drink a few cups a month.