Cat Power

What kind of coffee is so rare that a measly 8oz cup will set you back $10? The answer is Kopi Luwak, a bean collected from the feces of the Indonesian, cat-like animal. Apparently, the Luwak has an appetite for the fruit from ripe coffee plants, and while the fleshy part of the fruit is digested, the bean finds its way completely through the system relatively unharmed. At which point it is collected and washed by what must be some dedicated workers. Then the finished product is baled, and sent to fancypants coffee boutiques around the world.

Where people like me (and Ben, Joe, and James)catch wind of the exotic wackiness, and can't help but give it a try. Credit to Joe and Ben here, I would have remained blissfully ignorant of this particular delicacy if they hadn't brought it to my attention.

So what does it taste like? My first reaction was that it tasted like watered-down coffee. It wasn't bad, but all things considered, it certainly didn't strike me as anything that unusual. Apparently, some people really enjoy the flavor, as it is allegedly less bitter than more typically processed coffees. I've been drinking the so-called bitter coffees for a while now, so maybe this particular flavor advantage was lost of me.

But the experience was never really about how it would taste. Of course, you knew that already didn't you?