FOOD & DINING: ValBeMar Kopi Luwak
Val Be Mar Kopi Luwak Coffee. For those coffee lovers with discerning taste.
Remember a while back when we had an article where we jokingly said you can finally poop gold?
We have discovered there are actual animals from Indonesia that for all intents and purposes poop something almost as valuable as gold. They create the ingredients for Kopi Luwak Coffee, a very rare and very expensive delicacy for the finest coffee connoisseurs and world travelers.
How expensive? How does $500 a pound sound – it makes that $3 cup of Java Espresso Mochaccino Frap with a little room from Starbucks seem almost pedestrian (yeah I know that drink doesn’t really exist).
Since ESM is about all things extravagant we sat down with Cindy Nawilis from ValBeMar Specialty Coffee (one of the few distributors of Kopi Luwak in the United States) and asked them a few questions about Kopi Luwak and their ValBeMar Kopi Luwak Kayumas to help us understand what the hype is all about.
The Ijen Mountains, Indonesia. This is where the magic happens.
Hi Cindy, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. What is your official title for ValBeMar?
I am the marketing and media manager for ValBeMar.
What exactly is Kopi Luwak Coffee? Is it really that good?
Kopi Luwak coffee is Arabica coffee that’s been processed through the digestive system of an Asian Palm civet (in Indonesia called “luwak”, hence the name). Good coffee is relative, because some people would even claim that instant coffee is good enough.
But for me personally, Kopi Luwak is really that good.
It’s smooth, tasty, and I wish I could afford to drink more of it.
Ooh baby, go make that money. The asian palm civet (Luwak) about to have a meal.
Are there other coffee distributors that sell the same product as you? What makes ValBeMar different from your competitors in the same space?
Yes there are, and not just from Indonesia either. What makes ValBeMar different is that our consumers know exactly where their specialty coffee comes from.
We have a direct relationship with our grower, Kebun Kayumas, an internationally recognized agricultural company owned by the Indonesian government. There is a video produced by them on our website that shows their facilities where ValBeMar Kopi Luwak Kayumas is processed.
Additionally, we are the only company with the privilege of importing and distributing their line of specialty coffees in America.
Keep in mind that in Indonesia, Kebun Kayumas is the trusted source for specialty coffees for local coffee connoisseurs. It is also the largest producer of Kopi Luwak in Indonesia, churning out six tons of the total ten that are produced each year. So what we’re making available in America is authentic and on par with what Indonesian locals demand.
It is our understanding this coffee is very exclusive. How much does a typical package cost? How much should one expect to pay for a regular cup of coffee?
For real authentic Kopi Luwak, a typical package cost should be around $500 USD per pound. In Indonesia, an espresso shot of Kopi Luwak costs around $20 to $25 USD, but elsewhere it would be considerably more. ValBeMar sells our ValBeMar Kopi Luwak Kayumas in 3 different sizes:
- The individual sachet (12gr) that makes about 1 full cup of coffee or about 2 espresso cups is retailed at $25/sachet
- The 80gr box is $187.50
- The 150gr box should retail at $312.50
But beware! There are plenty of gimmick Kopi Luwak out there.
In Indonesia, I have seen a cup of “Kopi Luwak” sold for as low as 20,000 IDR, which is $2.50 USD, and that’s because farmers have tried to simulate the flavor of Kopi Luwak by experimenting with their own blends. It’s sometimes difficult to discern which is genuine, but the price will usually tell you.
Some people would even go as far to say that only Kopi Luwak from Sumatra is true, but as I said before, other countries like Vietnam and Thailand sell civet coffee because civets grow there as well. And their civet coffee is not any less genuine just because the civets are not Indonesian.
Given the current state of the market, do you think there are people that will pay those prices? What type of clientelle does ValBeMar cater to?
Yes, because surveys have shown that coffee is one of the luxuries people are unwilling to give up, even at the alarming rise in price of coffee itself and current state of the market. And there will always be coffee fanatics that will go out of their way to look for exotic coffee and pay for it, no matter what price.
Our clients deeply care about the quality and origins of the foods they consume and are always searching for the best. They also understand that sometimes in their quest they will have to pay a little extra. Our clients are the people who are driving the nation toward better culinary reputation.
If someone wanted to try your coffee, where should they go?
We are currently in talks with several high-end bakeries, restaurants and hotels around San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, and New York. We hope that by the end of this year, people could visit these locations for a sample. For the time being, we will hold sample tasting events around Los Angeles and New York, which we will post on our website’s EVENTS page for the curious.
We have also exhibited at some tradeshows and coffee festivals. The next upcoming one is the Seattle Coffee Fest on September 23-25. We hope to see you there! Seriously, ask us for discounted registration rates.
What does the near future hold for ValBeMar?
We are very excited to open up our online store where people can directly purchase our coffee. It’s almost done, and will be available very soon!
So if you’re a fan of really expensive coffee or we have somehow peaked your interest for Kopi Luwak, go check out ValBeMar’s official site at http://www.valbemar.com/. We know we’re gonna start saving our pennies for our first package.
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Great Article!Tasted the coffee and it’s amazing.
You could definitely see your expertise within the work you write. The sector hopes for more passionate writers such as you who are not afraid to say how they believe. All the time follow your heart.