h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The most expensive coffee is passed through the digestive system of the civet cat before roasting, selling, grinding, brewing and drinking. I found a coffee shop that sells it by the pound for around 150 dollars. What I want to know is how these coffee pickers know that it was passed through the civet cat as opposed to just some guy who lives in the forest and likes to eat coffee beans without chewing them. Does anyone know how it tastes? It is far too expensive for me to try myself.

I have tasted a very stale bag of pre-ground Kopi Luwak sent to New Zealand from the UK, and as a coffee-roaster of the best Cuban beans here in 'Godzone', as far as I'm concerned it was not worth the bother. If it was possible to obtain 'green' (ie unroasted) beans, roast and try them, then I'd be able to give a more informed opinion.

The moste expensiv coffee is free of caffeine. To extract the caffeine out of the beans takes nearly one billion dollars every year.
I envy the person who founds a sort of coffee whith no caffeine (or less then in the known sorts of coffea arabica)

Traveller in Time imagining stables full of bean chewing chivet cats
"Why would anyone ruin the coffee by removing the caffeine ?

Ok, the first mug you will not notice but the second and third almost taste like water. "

It is very important to be careful where you buy your Kopi Luwak from as a lot of it is not real. Also, the Kopi Luwak civet coffee that's roasted at origin is very often stale.

The best thing is to purchase coffee from a local reputable roaster, so that it is fresh and authentic.

Examples are Sea Island Coffee and Hasbean in the UK. Sea Island Coffee also has other strange animal coffees like Jacu Bird Camocim Estate - created by Jacu Birds in Brazil, which pick only the ripest cherries - another strange oddity and very rare. For lots of information on this coffee, go to:
http://www.seaislandcoffee.com/jacu-bird-camocim-estate-coffee-othermenu-34.html