Since it is very expensive, many farmers have resorted to unethical production methods. It’s nearly impossible for you to know how it was produced, so there’s a pretty good chance the coffee you can get your hands on came from a farm where the civets are not treated anywhere near as well as you would hope.

I haven’t tried myself, but suspect its more likely to be generally unethical tpwards the civets. From what i heard at least. Think battery hen farming.

But i have done no research beyond general unregulated market assumptions.

I’ve tried it, it’s completely overhyped. It’s definitely smoother and less bitter than normal coffee but not worth the higher price and given that it’s impossible to guarantee that you get it ethically sourced, I would recommend against it.

Yup. Super disappointing. You don’t see this stuff winning awards at coffee competitions for a reason. It’s just a hype / marketing thing.

I probably had some kopi luwak, twenty years ago, in a restaurant. James Hoffmann explains why I say I probably drank some. Even twenty years ago, (“someone told James that”) four times as much KL was sold than was produced. Hoffmann also suggests that it would be better for you to eat and process your own green coffee in the same way that civets do. That way you aren’t contributing to animal cruelty, and you can be certain that you’re really drinking coffee that has actually been pooped.

My memory of the kopi luwak is, that it was unusually smooth and gentle. It was a fine cup of coffee, supremely inoffensive, perhaps a little boring. Compressing the flavour experience that is coffee into a one-dimensional line for easy comparison, the probably kopi luwak I tried was, I don’t know, mid-range. Very drinkable. Beats diner coffee. Doesn’t hold a candle to most well-made specialty coffee.