Kopi Luwak - Some Very Expensive Coffee

In the 1990s a strange type of coffee entered North America. This special coffee has sold for as much as $600 per pound and a single cup of brewed Kopi Luwak coffee can sell for as much as $30. On the Indonesian island of Sumatra lives a civet-like creature called a Paradoxurus. The locals simply refer to this animal as a luwak. These small animals live in the trees and truly enjoy eating the red, ripe coffee cherries. Luwaks only eat the choicest, most perfectly matured coffee beans. As the coffee beans pass through the luwak's digestive system, they undergo a special chemical treatment that actually removes most of the bitterness from the coffee beans. The excreted coffee beans are harvested from the forest floor, cleaned with spring water, then roasted and ground just like any other coffee. The Indonesian word for coffee is "kopi", hence the name Kopi Luwak. The aroma of brewed Kopi Luwak coffee is rich and strong. The coffee is full bodied with hints of caramel or chocolate. The consistency is very smooth and almost like syrup. Even though many people say that Kopi Luwak is just not worth the price, others consider it paying for the experience of such an unusual phenomenon.

Kona Coffee from the Island of Hawaii

Travel to the tropical Kona Coast on the big island of Hawaii and you will find a 20 mile stretch of small family coffee plantations that grow some of the finest coffee on earth. Kona coffee bushes thrive on the cool slopes of the Mauna Loa Mountains, which are rich in volcanic soil and enjoy morning sun and afternoon cloud cover. This growing environment gives Kona coffee an advantage over any other coffee grown in other parts of the world. Coffee trees normally bloom in late autumn, with harvesting continuing until late winter.

The finest Kona coffee is called “Peaberry”. This top of the line coffee bean is formed when the coffee flowers fuse together, forming only one bean in the coffee cherry. This natural process gives the Peaberry Kona Coffee the most concentrated flavor and makes up only approximately 5% to 10% of the total coffee harvest. The different grades of Kona coffee in descending order are extra fancy, fancy, No. 1 and prime. All Kona coffee beans are hand picked, pulped, sun dried, hulled and then roasted according to the results desired and the different amounts of moisture in the coffee beans. Kona coffee is quite expensive, selling for up to $20 per pound. There are coffee companies who try to take advantage of the Kona name by labeling their coffee as “Kona Blend”, “Kona Style” or “Kona Roast” and these practices seem to be driving the price upward. Kona coffee has a unique flavor and is recognized as one of the world’s classic single origin coffees. Brewed Kona coffee is well balanced, with great body and good acidity, without being over powering. It is a robust coffee with earthy characteristics and flower-like notes. Savvy coffee drinkers say the closest coffee to Kona is the Jamaican Blue Mountain variety. Hawaiian grown coffee is the only American coffee in the world that is grown by American farmers. If you intend to purchase Kona coffee, pay careful attention to the label. Some coffees may be labeled “Kona Coffee”, but are actually a “Kona blend”. These coffee beans may contain as little as 10% real Kona beans, mixed with lower grade coffees from Central America, Brazil or other coffee growing areas. Make sure you are buying 100% Kona Coffee, grown on the big island of Hawaii.

Coffee of Guatemala - Antigua

Antigua, Guatemala sits in a highland valley, surrounded by three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. Every once in a while, Fuego, one of Guatemala’s three active volcanoes, adds a fresh dusting of mineral-rich ash to Antigua’s soil. Volcanic pumice in the soil retains moisture, which helps offset Antigua’s low rainfall. In Antigua, shade is especially dense to protect the coffee plants from the region’s occasional frost. Antigua has long been recognized for growing the highest quality coffees in the world.

Antigua coffee is internationally renowned for its unique characteristics: fragrance and lingering aroma, slight sweetness, clean and pleasant. It's climate, high altitude, fertile volcanic soils and traditional farming practices contribute to the making of the world’s finest coffee.  This is a coffee that perfectly combines body, flavor and aroma. Most Guatemalan coffee farmers produce Arabica beans on small plots of land and continue to use the traditional growing techniques of their ancestors.

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Coffee of Guatemala - Huehuetenango

Guatemala is a country with some of the most majestic and high mountain ranges, a diversity of rich soils, and ideal rainfall patterns. The combination of such varied microclimates produce genuine differences in a cup of coffee. Guatemalan coffee is arguably the crown jewel of Central America coffees.

There are basically eight coffee-producing regions in Guatelama, based on geographic location, climate and coffee characteristics. Of the three non-volcanic regions, Huehuetenango (way-way-ten-nang-o) is the highest and driest under cultivation. Huehuetenango coffee is grown in the highland regions of northern Guatemala (approaching 6,000 feet above sea level or more), producing perhaps the most distinguished Guatemalan coffee. It is often considered the best in the country overall. Huehuetenango is a region of abundant rainfall, a predictable dry season, and well drained volcanic soil. The hot winds that blow into the mountains from Mexico's Tehuantepec plain, protect this region from frost. The extreme remoteness of Huehuetenango virtually requires all producers to process their own coffee. Fortunately, the region has an almost infinite number of rivers and streams, so a mill can be placed almost anywhere. Huehuetenango coffee is processed carefully by hand. Properly roasted coffee beans from the mountains of Huehuetenango produce a cup profile that is fine, with intense acidity and a full body with pleasant wine notes. Mag's Coffee Shop, after months of tasting coffee from around the globe, selected the organic, Fair Trade coffee from the mountains of Huehuetenango as our "Splendora" house coffee.  The coffee forests of Guatemala improve the environment, protecting the soil, biodiversity, and water resources. They change people's lives by creating opportunities, providing learning experiences, and building better communities.

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