Kopi Luwak not crap at all
We’ve all heard of Kopi Luwak coffee. It is as (in)famous as Jamaican Blue Mountain but still regarded by some as a novelty.
I had tried the high street version in the past and was less than impressed, but now understand the reasons why this was the case. Like anything in life, you get out what you put in to it, and in this case it was likely to have been roasted without too much care and attention, as it was being packaged and distributed commercially in fairly sizeable quantities, with the end consumer being more amused than judging of the coffee itself.
Fast forward a few years and an opportunity arises to taste this coffee again, but this time I understand more about coffee, the roasting process and this particular roaster’s products, as well as having tasted many other coffees from the region of the world the beans originate from.
Sumatran coffees that I have had in the past have been fairly acidic, heavy and moody in nature, kind of like a grumpy old man, with a bit of a kick to them. But these beans were different, a wee bit subdued, but more complex, with good sharpness, intriguing lively mid-tones and a long finish.
As an espresso this was quite drinkable enjoyable but also worked well in small quantities of milk (I have enjoyed this as a base for a Piccolo and Flat White so far). I’m not sure that drowning this in milk for a latte or cappuccino would do anything for the taste and at a shade over £53 per 250g bag wouldn’t represent value for money.
For each of the shots so far I have found that a fairly fine grind is required. On each occasion I used roughly 18g for a double shot (in the mypressi TWISTTM , a Gaggia Classic, and an Alex Duetto) and a firm but not hard tamp
I’m glad I have tasted well roasted ‘cat poo coffee’ *1 as it has now given me another reference point when tasting. I will even miss the taste when the bag runs out, but will be sharing this with a few coffee lovers over the next few days so that they can taste something they may not otherwise get the chance to experience.
Tasting Notes: Earthy, forest floor (decay), nutty, intrigue, spice (sandalwood), toasted cereal
Roaster: Londinium Espresso
*1 the ripest coffee cherries have gone right through an Asian Palm Civet Cat who has enjoyed the fleshy mucilage and left a deposit which has been washed, processed, shipped and roasted, before ending up in my cup
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Our company, Sea Island Coffee, specialises in rare and exotic coffees including Kopi Luwak (indeed, we offer four types of Kopi Luwak). For more information, please visit:
http://www.seaislandcoffee.com/civet-cat-kopi-luwak-coffees-collection.html
We would welcome your evaluation. Do get in touch and we will send you some samples to try.