Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

[specialpants]

I was in Vietnam recently and took this opportunity to try their weasel coffee.

I don’t know what to think - I went to a number of reputable chains, as well as local businesses. I noticed the roasted beans had a nicer scent compared to the other beans that were on offer. The results were good, but it didnt make me say WOW!

The thing I don’t understand is that this type of coffee seems to be everywhere – which leads me to believe that it’s not actually pooped out of an animal.

Anyways, I managed to find some green beans and I was curious to see if I could do better. The problem is, I don’t know what the green bean is supposed to look like and dont actually know if Ive been duped.

Does anyone have experience in this area?



Different bean shapes and sizes :-/


Rock... or fossilised poo  ;D

[Randy_G.]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

Where to begin? I know where to finish... that is the worst green coffee I have ever seen. I use to buy sweep that was recovered from warehouse floors and tractor trailers and it look so much better than that.. to the point that what you show here is barely recognizable as coffee.

[iaindb]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

is barely recognizable as coffee

is has supposedly been pooped out of an animals backside... that would be enough to make me barely recognizable as well... anyone have pictures of green Kopi Luwak or whatever its called to compare?

It does look a bit like pistachios, peanuts, and rabbit droppings... Or a bit like this.

Does anyone have experience in this area?

sorry Im opening my mouth without being able to help again!

[cjt10]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

anyone have pictures of green Kopi Luwak or whatever its called to compare?

I took this photo a few months ago, prior to processing.......no pun intended ;D

[specialpants]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

hmmm... interesting.

At least they look like green beans lol.

A couple of things that confuse me about my one:
1) Looks like they were roasted and dropped well before 1C, although there is an occasional bean that is still green.
2) different shapes and sizes - perhaps its blended with other weird beans

[cjt10]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

specialpants, Im not entirely convinced that your beans are roasted.

Just as a comparison, compare the colour of yours to my Monsoon Malibar.
You might find that the colour is down to the processing.

[specialpants]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

Cheers for the upload. Whats strange for me is that the colour isnt really consistent.

I just did a quick roast and took some photos. Cracking noises were all over the shop. Not too much chaff. It hit rolling 2C in the very early stages of cooling.

[erinlovescoffee]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

AH! I tried this coffee a few months back! Cant recall which SE Asian country it came from but I recall it being pooped out of a cat (or maybe Civet?). Unfortunately I cant really tell you its true taste because the person who made it for me mixed it with Baileys  Sad You had to get your head around its somewhat unorthodox bean process  Grin Gosh could you imagine being the one recovering the beans?! It could be why it has such a high price tag!$50 per cup in some places?!!! Heard this kind of coffee was a growing thing in New York as well.

[trentski]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

that is the worst green coffee I have ever seen

You should see the PNG Eastern Highlands Wild
http://beanbay.coffeesnobs.com.au/ViewProduct.aspx/491-png-eastern-highland-wilds ;D

The Weasel coffee you get now is nothing like the original "wild" Kopi Luwak. Once upon a time the Weasels ran free and only ate the coffee beans when they were at their peak, or so the legend goes. Now they are kept in cages and fed all sorts of rubbish beans and as a result the coffee is average......

[saoye]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

Once upon a time the Weasels ran free and only ate the coffee beans when they were at their peak, or so the legend goes. Now they are kept in cages and fed all sorts of rubbish beans and as a result the coffee is average......

That would make so much sense to me since it is such lucrative business in such a poor country. Technically still Kopi Luwak.

[cjt10]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

Now they are kept in cages and fed all sorts of rubbish beans and as a result the coffee is average......

Sadly Trentski you are right.

I have visited several farms that keep the Civets in very small cages and feed them less than the best beans. Its very sad for the animals and defeats the idea of the animals selecting the "best fruit".

All very romantic until money is involved.

[erinlovescoffee]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

Had no idea the Civets were kept in rough conditions! Would hate to be fed caffine all day and not be able to burn it off  I thought that the coffee had such a high price tag because it the animals were free range.

[jaybee]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

I have visited several farms that keep the Civets in very small cages and feed them less than the best beans

Youve visited my offices then ;D

[cjt10]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

Youve visited my offices then

The newest thing in coffee.........Kopi JayBee

[coffeefrog]

Re: Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

Last time I was in Indonesia I was offered kopi luwak by a farmer, he finds it lying around the farm, so not ALL of it comes from animals in cages.  I suspected that AQIS might try to do something dreadful (fumigation at vast expense) if I tried to bring it into the country un-roasted so I declined the offer.   The kopi luwak that I did try there (commercially sourced, the farmers thought that drinking the stuff was a stupid idea) was uniformly dreadful.