My Experience Drinking Gayo Wild Luwak Coffee

Since I was a kid, I have been hearing about Luwak Coffee (civet coffee). The most expensive coffee in the world. When I googled it recently, it was sold about $35 to $80 a cup in the USA. In Solo, my small city in Indonesia, one of my favorite cafes sells it 4 times more expensive than a regular cup of coffee.

Recently I accidentally found one of my favorite coffee roasters sold Gayo Wild Luwak Coffee. The price was 50% cheaper than Luwak coffee sold by other roasters. The prices of Wild Luwak coffee beans here are from $8.87 and $18.47 per 100 gram. But, this roaster sold it for $4.80 per 100 gram. So, I decided to buy it. I felt hesitant because there was a Japanese friend who tried Luwak coffee before and she said that it didn't taste different from regular coffee. I read on some coffee forums the same conclusions. But, when I visited several sites that sell Luwak coffee and read the testimonies from the buyers, I was curious. Some buyers said that Luwak coffee was different from other coffee. Sweeter with complex taste, some of them said. I felt that I had high expectation for this coffee.

I was excited when the coffee beans package arrived. I came home immediately and brewed them with V60. I read from several sites that the brewing recipe was the same as when we brewed regular coffee beans. But, sadly I felt disappointed at certain levels. It's not that it tasted bad, but it was just not as good as my expectation. I didn't feel that it tasted sweeter than other coffees. I felt that there was a balance between the bitterness and acidity (it was arabica after all). It was silky and winey. The coffee beans were fragrant and sweet with aroma that reminded me about Gayo Wine Arabica Coffee. The brewed coffee were floral and there was a hint of palm sugar. But, these notes, I have been tasting Arabica coffee beans that I think were better. The most impressive thing that I probably didn't find from other coffee beans was the strong and long aftertaste.

But, in my personal opinion, I couldn't find the reason why Luwak Coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world. I think maybe it was because the beans went through unique process where they were eaten by civets (in this case, wild civets). Well, but maybe I am wrong. After all, I'm just a regular guy who likes to brew and drink coffee at my home. And I just started it last year. Maybe the taste will be different if I buy other Luwak coffee beans that are more expensive or have different roasting levels. Maybe it was because the way I brewed my coffee. I admit that I haven't fully grasped all the brewing techniques I should learn. But, one thing that is clear, I am finally able to taste the most expensive coffee beans in the world. Or at least one of the most expensive coffee beans in the world.

So, you may ask whether you should buy the coffee. Well, the decision is up to you. Luwak coffee doesn't taste bad at all. It's just for me, it isn't more special than other beans. If you want to try Luwak coffee and you have the budget, then maybe you should. Who knows you will have better experiences than me. After all, coffee is the matter of personal taste. There is nothing wrong or right about personal taste.