Top Three Most Expensive Coffee Beans

Kopi Luwak, Indonesia ($160 per pound).

Hacienda La Esmeralda, Boquete, Panama ($104 per pound) It is famous for it's flavor and aroma and voted as the best coffee in SCAA “Best of Panama” competition.

Island of St. Helena Coffee Company, St. Helena ($79 per pound). It was made famous by Napoleon Bonaparte, who praised the coffee while he was exiled there.

Source : Forbes.com

What is Kopi ?

Kopi = coffee.

What is Luwak ?

And Luwak is common palm civet that belong to Viverridae family.

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus is the scientific name for Luwak. It looks like cat and weigh around 4 to 11 pounds.

If you want to find a Luwak / Common Palm Civet, then please visit the following countries and most probably you will find one at tropical forests, plantations or fruit orchards.

1. Sri Lanka
2. Bangladesh
3. Brunei Darussalam
4. Singapore
5. Myanmar
6. Malaysia
7. India and Pakistan
8. Burma and Southern China
9. South to Sumatra Java & Kalimantan, Indonesia
10. East to the Philippines

So, what is Kopi Luwak ?

Kopi Luwak is made of red coffee beans that are collected from the Luwak poops.

Using special senses Luwak picks the best and sweetest coffee cherries. Once, the coffee cherries goes through Luwak digestive track, a special enzyme will start breaking down the protein that gives the coffee it's bitter taste.

And this reduce it's bitterness.

The coffee beans are defecated and it is collected and washed throughly. Then it is roasted lightly in order to retain it's complex flavors.

Since the bitterness of the coffee has been removed after going through Luwak's digestive track, light roasting is particularly good enough.

Kopi Luwak gets the unique flavour from wet process the beans undergo in the animal’s digestive tracks.

Is Kopi Luwak safe to drink ?

Yes, it is save to drink. Kopi Luwak is throughly washed to remove the civets poop . And if there is any bacteria left light roasting of the coffee beans will cover up for it.

If you are still skeptical about it, don't drink it.

But, if you ask me whether I will drink it if someone offered me 500 USD, I wouldn't drink it.  If they offered more , then I might consider.

Where I can buy one ?

You can buy online from http://www.animalcoffee.com . They have gift box range, coffee pouches and also raw kopi luwak.

Starting price for the ½ pound raw kopi luwak is $ 60 USD and for 1 pound is $ 80 USD. Please click here, for AnimalCoffee.com contact details.

You could also get your Kopi Luwak from http://www.indocivetcoffee.com. Kopi Luwak prices are as follows:

• 1 Pound - $ 195 USD
• ½ Pound - $ 110 USD
• ¼ Pound - $ 65 USD

And if you around Santa Monica, California area, you could a buy cup of Kopi Luwak for $73.50 per cup from Funnel Mill.

Funnel Mill of Santa Monica | Location

Funnel Mill of Santa Monica
930 Broadway, Ste A
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 597 - 4395 thru Sept. 31st
Starting Oct. 1st the new number will be:
(310) 393-1617

Funnel Mill of Santa Monica | Operation Hours

Mondays to Friday - 9am to 9pm
Saturday - 10am to 7pm
Sunday - Closed

Anyone interested to try !