You get about 30 cups of coffee from a pound of coffee beans. When you buy a pound for about $10 per pound you spend a whopping thirty-three cents a cup. A mug generally equals 16 ounces. Your daily mug of coffee is under a $1. A pound would last about 2 weeks for a mug a day drinker. Amazing when you compare this 2 week costs to a gourmet drink from the local coffee shop where easily be $3 or more. What if your coffee bean of choice was the Kopi Luwak?

First you would pay nearly $300 per pound! That comes to $10 per cup or $20 if you are inclined to drink this stuff by the mug. This coffee berry is eaten by a cat-like mongoose animal properly called a Paradoxurus. These animals reside in the trees in Sumatra. The animals, also called a civit, sniff out the reddest coffee cherries. They chew the outer layer of the cherry but swallow whole the entire bean. The beans stay in the animals’ stomachs for about 36 hours. These berries are ultimately excreted on the Sumatran forest floor where they are harvested and roasted.

Just think about that process and who made the first cup of this stuff. These coffees are pretty rare and no wonder given the process of getting this delicacy of Kopi Luwak coffee bean to the market. Its rarity is why it costs so much but what about its flavor? This coffee when properly brewed is smooth since during the digestive process its natural bitterness disappears. There is substantial breakdown of proteins and this also reduces the caffeine level in this unique coffee. It has tones of chocolate and caramel.

Historically it has been described as musty or exotic. Well that is an understatement due to its harvesting routine. This rich deep flavor description can be applied to so many other coffees. Sumatra or Kona coffee is both more affordable choices offering the similar flavor experiences. Surely, a cup of this coffee is all you need so you can cross this off your bucket list. Maybe you could buy a pound and invite 20 of your friends over for a “bucket list” party.