Is it the best coffee?
The prices would indicate that it needs to be. At the plantation 200g of coffee is $100USD. In town, 50g of beans is $150USD.
It is a great experience on the farm, starting with a full tasting of their coffees, tea and cocoa. There is a pineapple coffee, and a host of others topped off with amazing cocoa.
They then ask if you would like to buy a cup of Civet coffee for $5USD a glass. It struck me as humorous that people pay $5 multi-times a day for a simple Starbucks. We ordered 3. They bring out a “made in Japan” coffee brewing system, that looks intriguing to me.
The water slowly moves up into the container above and then filters back down.
The pour.
I normally drink my coffee with a little cream and honey.
In this case, it seemed heresy to try it with something in it, so I drank the Civet coffee straight up. It was smooth, bold and surprisingly, without any bitter aftertaste.
Is it the best coffee in the world? It might just be.
I am curious what others think .. have you had it? Do you consider it the world’s best coffee bean? If not .. what is?
Thanks for dropping in.
Michael Weening: a few pictures 
The company I worked in also sells civet coffee and I found it tastes really good.
Some say Blue Mountain might taste better, though.
I think it is really a personal matter after all haha
I, too, spent time in Bali and was introduced to Luwak coffee. I tried it at a coffeehouse in Munduk, the Northern part of Bali. They had a similar samovar-type set up to brew this special kind of coffee. The first time I tried it I had an almost psychedelic experience, my mind was very sharp, my vision clearer than usual. but this didn’t happen to the same extent the second time around. Also, the Luwak coffee I bought to take home, didn’t taste the same (wondering whether it was cut with regular coffee or whether it really takes a special brewing technique to bring out its special qualities). I am writing a travel memoir about Bali and this is the chapter on my first visit to a coffee plantation (the Luwak experience will come later): http://beautyalongtheroad.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/three-weeks-in-bali-2/
I think that it doesnt taste the same at home because you are not doing it through a cheese cloth and all of the other elements.