They say there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. I’d like to add a third item to that list: poop. Because, as that canonical tome of infinite wisdom once informed us, everybody poos. Something that not everyone does, however, is sift through the fecal matter of the Asian palm civet in search of kopi luwak. Have you ever heard of “cat poo coffee” or “weasel coffee” before? Well, now I’ve tried it and lived to tell the tale.


 
I make no claims about being any sort of coffee expert. I’m like that guy who might prefer a certain variety of wine, but can’t exactly tell you why. And I certainly have my coffee preferences, even when it comes to cheap fast food coffee. In fact, one of the first things I’ll often seek out when I’m traveling is the local coffee.

Whether it’s Mr. Brown in Taipei, a Gloria Jean’s flat white in Sydney, a special peaberry in Maui, or a perfect cup of espresso at a stand-up bar in Rome, coffee is my jam. And that’s why I was pretty stoked when my friends brought back some kopi luwak from Bali, Indonesia for me to try. This so-called “civet coffee” or “cat poop coffee” has developed quite the reputation for itself.

Some people are disgusted by the very notion of it, because you really are fishing out partially digested coffee beans from the fecal matter of the Asian palm civet. That’s true. But these are oftentimes the same people who express no concern over eating hot dogs or drinking Mountain Dew.

In all my travels and with all the varieties of coffee I’ve sampled over the years, kopi luwak ranks as one of the most unique. And this doesn’t even factor in the unique form of processing the coffee undergoes. I’m just talking about how it tastes. The aroma is remarkably distinct, as I describe in the video above. It’s also earthy without being dark, and light in color (at least when dry) but thick like molasses when mixed with hot water.

You’d never really convince me to spend upwards of $700 per kilogram for this stuff, but I wouldn’t mind another cup of the cheaper stuff. The Wikipedia entry has some good information if you want learn more about kopi luwak.