Civet Coffee Body, Flavors and Aromatic Qualities

Complex Tastes and Rich Aroma Characteristic of Civet Coffee

The unique tastes and aromas of Civet coffee are likely the reason the coffee has gained such a wide popularity despite the initial off-putting knowledge that the coffee has previously been expelled from the anus of a small mammal called the Civet and then the excrement gathered up and prepared for your cup. That’s right: pooh to brew!

The Asian Palm Civet produces a unique coffee by eating the ripest beans (in the case of wild Civet coffee) and then marinating those beans in its digestive tract before expelling them onto the forest floor. A quick wash, sun-drying, and light roasting and the beans are ready to go!

How Does Civet Coffee Taste?

A good Civet coffee is full-bodied, quite heavy and full in the cup, and perhaps even a bit syrupy. Civet coffee has a pleasant sweetness that may reveal hints of chocolate and a subtle caramel taste.

The flavor of Civet coffee is complex with low levels of bitterness and acidity while revealing rich and strong aromatics. The high aroma gives and complex flavors give way to a lingering finish, an aftertaste that is long and clean.

Civet coffee from different regions and made from differing coffee plant varietals will reveal distinctly different qualities, although the common factor is usually the coffee’s naturally low bitterness which is why it only requires a light roast.

For example, the shade-grown Bantai Civet Coffee farmed as part of the Civet Conservation Project using Robusta coffee beans grown at a high altitude in the Philippines and known to reveal fruit flavors as well as almond and spicy notes.

Another example is the slightly earthy flavors revealed by Arengga Civet coffee farmed in the Philippines and sold as Liberica Gold. This Civet coffee utilizes almond-shaped Liberica coffee beans and is also known for its floral and fruity tones as well as its distinct aroma.

The Sumatran Civet coffee known as Kopi Luwak that is produced in the Lampung province by the Trung Nguyen company is known to be quite bright and with a light body as well as a persistent finish.

Civet coffees from different regions have their own distinct tastes and aromas. There are also variations depending upon whether it is wild Civet coffee (in which the Civets are allowed to choose which coffee cherry they eat), or Civet coffee produced in some other way.

For example, the Trung Nguyen Civet coffee is produced by allowing the Civets to forage in open courtyards during the day to eat coffee cherry that have already been picked and placed out for feeding the Civets. Then at night the Civets are kept caged.

Some Civet coffee farmers mix the coffee beans with banana mash before feeding the mix to the Civets with the goal of increasing the fermented end product.

Among the finer wild Civet coffees the common quality is the lack of bitterness, and thus these coffees are almost always given only a light roast. Roasting reduces bitterness in coffee beans, so beans that naturally lack significant bitterness require only a light roast.

A fine Civet coffee lightly roasted is allowed to exhibit its origin flavors and premium gourmet qualities which shine through since they are not masked by roasting tastes as with darker roasts.

The result is a smooth, aromatic, and very pleasant tasting cup of brewed coffee that often reveals hints of chocolate and other nuanced flavors. The mellow brew is also said to reveal distinct nutty and oaky flavors not present in other coffees.

Civet Coffees from Around the World

Civet Coffee is produced by many countries including:

Vietnam Civet Coffee;

Indonesian Civet Coffee;

and Philippine Civet Coffee (including Bantai Civet Coffee and Arengga Civet Coffee).

More Informative Civet Coffee Information:

Civet Coffee From Tree to Cup;

Civet Coffee – Buying the World’s Most Expensive Coffee;

Civet Coffee FAQ;

The Asian Palm Civet;

Civet Coffee – What Happens to the Bean in the Civet’s Stomach;

and Jacu Bird Coffee.