Kopi luwak, the world’s most talked-about coffee
You cannot talk about coffee from Indonesia without mentioning kopi luwak, and most people searching for the topic wonder the same thing: what exactly is it, and why is it so expensive?
Kopi luwak is coffee beans that have passed through the digestive system of a civet cat (a luwak) before being collected, cleaned, and roasted. The digestive process supposedly alters the bean's enzymes and results in a milder, less acidic cup.
Here we have to be completely honest, as we always strive to be: a large part of the commercial kopi luwak production today involves cage-farmed civet cats under conditions that have been criticized for animal welfare. This is something you should rightly be aware of if you are considering buying it, no matter how exotic the story sounds.
Arabica or robusta from Indonesia?
Indonesia is one of the few countries that genuinely grows both coffee species on a large scale. The distribution varies from region to region, but roughly speaking:
- Sumatra and Sulawesi produce primarily high-quality Arabica, often grown in higher-altitude areas.
- Large parts of the Robusta production come from lower-lying areas and are typically used in instant coffee and blends, where strength and price carry more weight than nuances.
If you want to read more about what the difference between the two coffee species actually means for the taste in your cup, we have a whole section on just that in our article on Arabica beans.
How to compare Indonesian coffee with other origins
If you are the type who wonders about "Indonesian coffee versus Colombian" or other classic origins, here is a quick overview. We do not currently sell coffee from Indonesia (more on that in a moment), but the comparison provides a good picture of where it sits in the flavor universe.
Indonesia (e.g., Sumatra)
Acidity: Low
Body: Heavy, full-bodied
Typical character: Earthy, spicy, dark chocolate
Colombia
Acidity: Medium
Body: Round, balanced
Typical character: Caramel, nuts, soft and balanced
Kenya
Acidity: High
Body: Silky, light
Typical character: Lively, fruity, floral
Brazil
Acidity: Low
Body: Full, round
Typical character: Chocolate, nuts, low acidity
If you usually love Kenyan coffee for its acidity and liveliness, Indonesian coffee will likely feel like the total opposite. If, on the other hand, you are looking for something heavy, full-bodied, and calm in the cup, you will likely find much to like, both in Indonesian coffee and in our Brazilian coffees, which share some of the same low-acidity, high-body characteristics.
Does Copenhagen Coffee Lab have coffee from Indonesia right now?
Honest answer: no, not at the moment. We currently have no coffee from Indonesia in our assortment.
That does not mean we aren't keeping an eye on the region. We only work with beans we believe in, grown under the right conditions and delivered from producers we know and trust. So, if one day we find an Indonesian coffee that lives up to that, you will hear it first.
Explore our entire complete assortment.
How to brew a full-bodied, earthy cup
Whether you come across a Sumatra coffee from us one day or elsewhere, here is what you need to know about brewing it correctly.
The heavy body and low acidity in wet-hulled coffee make it an obvious candidate for a French press or espresso, methods that emphasize fullness and body rather than light, acidic nuances. In a filter, on the other hand, it can quickly be perceived as heavy unless you adjust the brewing ratio slightly.
For you, this means:
- Choose a coarser grind for French press so you avoid bitterness
- Use a slightly shorter brewing time than you are used to with light-bodied coffees
- Try a slightly colder brewing temperature if the coffee is perceived as too heavy or bitter
If you are generally curious about brewing methods, we have several guides in our filter coffee category and espresso category, regardless of which origin you end up brewing.
Copenhagen Coffee Lab perspective
We love that coffee can taste so differently from island to island, from soil to soil. Indonesian coffee is one of the clearest examples of how much processing means for what you end up with in the cup, whether it is your beans or someone else's.
By the way, we roast all our coffee in our own roastery in Copenhagen and always ship it within 10 days of roasting, regardless of which origin you choose from our current assortment.
