what's the best place to buy Kopi luwak coffee!

mattyfez · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:28

Hi all, what's the best place to buy Kopi luwak coffee?

I've tried my local whitards and Harvey nicks, but they don't have any in store, so it looks like it will have to be Internet purchase.

I'm guessing beans would be best for freshness, but with it being so pricey, anyone know how to guarentee authentication and the age of the beans? Don't want something that's been sat on a shelf for years, any tips?

Thanks

Sp00n · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:30

Seriously, you actually want to drink it?

Amleto · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:33

digesting poop. bleurgh

mattyfez · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:50

Absolutley, I have tried just about every other coffee, and this is like the holy grail of the coffee connoisseur

Sp00n · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:51

I think it's a joke on coffee connoisseurs personally.

"lol I wonder if he'll drink this coffee made from the beans that that animal just ate and pooped"

"omg he totally did"

The Halk · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:53

Reminds me of whatever it is maggot cheese from Italy.

Any time I see the coffee and the cheese discussed, someone brings up haggis, and then I facepalm.

hood1971 · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:53

Sp00n said:
I think it's a joke on coffee connoisseurs personally.

"lol I wonder if he'll drink this coffee made from the beans that that animal just ate and pooped"

"omg he totally did"

And paid a silly amount of money for the "pleasure"

AJK · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:55

mattyfez said:
Absolutley, I have tried just about every other coffee, and this is like the holy grail of the coffee connoisseur

It's really not. Coffee professionals don't rate it. And how can you possibly have tried anything like "every other coffee"??? Are you talking supermarket brands, Illy, Lavazza, etc.?

Sp00n · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:55

Kona* · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:59

mattyfez said:
Absolutley, I have tried just about every other coffee, and this is like the holy grail of the coffee connoisseur

It's really not - we talked about it at a local throwdown a few months back and the general consus was that it's crap*. I've only ever tried it once and it wasn't anything special, it's like Jamaican Blue Mountain - people see it's expensive therefore think it's fantastic.

*pun intended

Siliconslave · 21 Jan 2011 at 13:00

I've got some of this: http://londiniumespresso.com/products/kopi-luwak as a christmas pressy and it is damn good.

Its amazingly smooth and forgiving to brew but damn is it pricey.

mattyfez · 21 Jan 2011 at 13:11

AJK said:
It's really not. Coffee professionals don't rate it. And how can you possibly have tried anything like "every other coffee"??? Are you talking supermarket brands, Illy, Lavazza, etc.?

No no, thare are far too many brands and blends to have tried everything!, I was more meaning types of bean, country of origin and styles of roast.

Any way it will be a novelty if nothing else, and I'm quite capable of deciding weather I like it or not

Raymond Lin · 21 Jan 2011 at 13:56

hasbean.co.uk has them in from time to time.

mattyfez · 21 Jan 2011 at 15:22

Well, I have bitten the bullet and ordered 100g, I just hope its not fake, or a blend, the price (£20) looks correct so we will see

gort · 21 Jan 2011 at 15:54

From one of the sites selling this

The Common Palm Civet Cat prowls the Sumatran coffee plantations at night, choosing to eat only the finest, ripest cherries. The stones (which eventually form coffee beans) are then collected by cleaning through the droppings by the natives who collect it.

This is probably true in some parts but.....
when I saw something about this coffee on TV some time ago, I distinctly remember seeing the Civets were locked away in very small cages not much bigger than the size of their bodies (probably just enough room to turn around) and given the beans to eat. They were literally just being used as poop machines.

A bit like the chinese collecting bile from bears but not quite as horrific!

Still, as long as the coffee tastes good :rolleyes:

LordSplodge · 21 Jan 2011 at 15:59

gort said:
when I saw something about this coffee on TV some time ago, I distinctly remember seeing the Civets were locked away in very small cages not much bigger than the size of their bodies (probably just enough room to turn around) and given the beans to eat. They were literally just being used as poop machines.

Here in lies the trouble. As soon as something like this becomes popular people will do whatever they can to either fake it or mass produce it thus ruining the whole point of the rare item in the first place.

Mr Joshua · 21 Jan 2011 at 16:01

A friend bought me some of this for a Christmas present.

It wasn't bad, not something I'd have bought myself so it was a nice gift.

Bossk128 · 21 Jan 2011 at 16:07

Just looked up bile bears

mattyfez · 21 Jan 2011 at 16:21

gort said:
From one of the sites selling this

This is probably true in some parts but.....
when I saw something about this coffee on TV some time ago, I distinctly remember seeing the Civets were locked away in very small cages not much bigger than the size of their bodies (probably just enough room to turn around) and given the beans to eat. They were literally just being used as poop machines.

A bit like the chinese collecting bile from bears but not quite as horrific!

Still, as long as the coffee tastes good

I have heard of this, and from the limited reading I have done on the subject, success in 'battery farming Civets' was largley unsuccesfull as they do not keep well in captivity and promptly die, making the operation economicaly unviable.

Even so, although battery farming is not the nicest thing, I still eat chicken and egg, I dont see how this would be any different

hux · 21 Jan 2011 at 16:43

Can't see the point of it tbh, i tried blue mountain and found it very overrated, best for me is still cornish origin coffee with illy/lavazza coming a close second.

Mind sumatra is rather nice.