El café más caro del mundo

Kopi Luwak is a type of coffee valued among the best in the world, and its price often makes it the most expensive coffee in the world. It has very distinctive tasting notes, resulting from its unique production process. Understanding its origin helps to appreciate its uniqueness.

Origin of Kopi Luwak Coffee

This coffee comes from the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi, which are part of Indonesia’s 13,677 islands. Here, the civet, a small marsupial known scientifically as paradoxurus and locally as luwak, lives. This animal, which looks like a cross between a cat and a fox, is responsible for the unique properties of this coffee.

In Indonesia kopi means coffee. Therefore, kopi luwak is the “civet coffee.”

Why is it the Most Expensive Coffee in the World?

Its high price is due to its production process. Civets primarily feed on coffee cherries, known for being very selective; they pick the highest quality cherries at their peak ripeness. Their droppings contain a high concentration of coffee beans, which are not digested and are expelled whole. However, although not fully digested, these beans undergo chemical changes due to the digestive processes in the civet's stomach, which alters the proteins that contribute to the coffee’s bitterness, resulting in a sweeter coffee. This, combined with the fermentation process involved, imparts a unique flavor.

At the end of the process, the coffee has much more prized qualities than the original beans.

Harvesting and Processing the Coffee

To collect the beans, locals gather the civet droppings, which contain the coffee beans. These droppings are cleaned, peeled, and then roasted.

The degree of roasting is a crucial and delicate stage in the process, as it affects the aroma, flavor, and color of the coffee. Over-roasting or under-roasting can result in a poor coffee despite high-quality beans. At CAFÉS GRANELL, we are aware of this and, thanks to our experience and expertise, we extract all the qualities of the coffee bean by applying the appropriate roasting level for each type.

For kopi luwak, with meticulous control and the most sophisticated machinery, we apply a light and sharp roast; ingenious, ultimately, to achieve a satisfactory roasting level that allows us to enjoy this unique coffee while preserving all its original characteristics, which is fundamental.

One of the World’s Most Expensive Coffees

Kopi Luwak is considered one of the most expensive coffees in the world, if not the most expensive. This status is attributed to its scarcity in the market and high demand, as its complex production process, involving animal processing and manual collection of the coffee beans, results in very limited quantities. Other coffees that might be on this list include the Geisha Coffee (Panama).

Tasting Notes

Experts describe this coffee as a delight for the palate, being exquisite and delicious. It lacks bitterness and boasts a high intensity in aroma and flavor that lingers on the nose and palate. It has cocoa hints and sweet notes with nuances of vanilla and caramel.

Preparation Tips

Here are some tips for preparing this delightful coffee.

Regarding the type of coffee maker to use, you have various options. We recommend three interesting choices: drip coffee maker, Italian coffee maker (also known as moka pot), and espresso machine.

The drip coffee maker is suitable for high-quality coffees like this one. It will produce a smooth, light coffee with personality, as it naturally respects all the rich properties of our coffee.

The Italian coffee maker allows you to prepare coffee in the traditional style and provides very good quality coffee, pure, with body and high intensity, preserving the coffee’s characteristics. This is because hot water under pressure comes into contact with the ground coffee for a short time.

An espresso machine will produce a very intense and creamy coffee, highlighting all the organoleptic qualities of our coffee.

In all cases, it is essential to adjust the grind of the product properly. The extraction process is key as it is the stage where flavor and aroma are extracted from the coffee beans using hot water. The contact area between the water and coffee depends on the grind size. A grind that is too coarse will lead to under-extraction, resulting in unpleasant flavors like harsh and salty. A grind that is too fine will cause over-extraction, which means extending the extraction time and resulting in bitter, astringent (like burnt) flavors.

You should use a medium grind for drip coffee makers and Italian coffee makers, and a finer grind for espresso machines. We recommend grinding only the amount of coffee you will use and using bottled or filtered mineral water to avoid imparting unwanted odors and flavors to the coffee.

Try It! It’s Within Your Reach

If you are a coffee lover, don’t miss the chance to try kopi luwak. Don’t let others tell you about it! It’s available in our coffee shop. Try it and enjoy a magnificent moment of pleasure! With the guarantee of our brand. Signed, Gemma Sales - CAFÉS GRANELL.