If you really loves coffee, I bet you have at least one memory of a truly exceptional coffee drinking experience, that one transcendent experience. Whether you make good coffee at home, or you travel the world for adventure and the otherworldly caffeine creations of a new expert, you know what I’m talking about.
I began my search for the best coffee about ten years ago, and I continue to seek out and try both international coffee wizards and the tools and techniques for my own kitchen.
Even though I am… particular about improving my craft to make an awesome brew at home, I know that my best efforts at brewing coffee at home don’t come close to making the list of best coffees I’ve ever enjoyed.
Cat Poop Coffee Does NOT Top My List of the Best Coffee I’ve Ever Had
I’ve had civet coffee (kopi luwak in Indonesian, also known as “Cat Poop Coffee”) about half a dozen times, ranging from very pricy in Singapore to disturbingly inexpensive in Bali to lovingly and artfully harvested and presented.
This coffee is special because a civet, a small, wild arboreal cat, eats the coffee beans. They consume the fruit, the beans ferment in their gut, and then the fermented beans come out as…. Poop. It’s collected, cleaned, roasted, and served. You can get wild fermentation kopi luwak, meaning from wild civets doing this in nature, but it’s also increasingly easy to get a lower priced cup from a commercial farming operation, where the animals are kept in cages and force-fed coffee. Capitalism. Sigh.
Point is, it’s expensive because of this natural fermentation process, and purported to be some of the best coffee in the world.
Although I definitely have no problem with gut-fermented food, I don’t have any particularly enduring memories of this coffee. Drinking it was more of an experience than an exceptional cup.
What Makes a Perfect Cup of Coffee for Me
First off, I want a lighter roast. I don’t like a lot of acidity or bitterness. I don’t have a very sophisticated palette so I lose everything else if the roasted coffee flavor hits you over the head, which is what happens when I drink most dark roasts.
Secondly, I’m a texture drinker. Thick, smooth, and velvety. My original loyalty to patiently-steeped cold brew grew out of the way it produces a much better mouth feel than hot coffee over ice. This is more about the method of preparation than anything.
Third, I want bright, bold flavors. I like nachos with jalapeňos and a ton of hot sauce, the sauces I cook with are full of umami from mushrooms, nutritional yeast, and nuts, and I want a coffee that similarly wows me. I like to experience layers of flavors, and after the familiar coffee tannins, I tend to love chocolate, honey, blueberries, floral flavors, and woody notes.
Fourth, I’m an emotional coffee drinker. I’m sure there are super scientifical coffee lovers out there who can miraculous enjoy themselves tasting something new despite their mental state, but that’s not me. So the vibe, the setting, the people, they matter too. Calm, welcoming, and relaxing environments with people I love are most conducive to me absolutely loving my cup (which is why I love drinking coffee at home).
Let’s Talk Top Three
I’ve only had a few cups in my life that came close to nailing the best of these elements. Close runners up include the chicory cold brew from Blue Bottle in NYC, one or two beauties in Mexico including the famous Mochiart Cart in Tulum, and one specific Cafe de Olla on a corner in Mexico City, and the Tico Coffee (Costa Rican style pour over) at a coffee farm hotel called Finca Rosa Blanca – but the cup that actually stands out heads and shoulders above the rest does so as as much due to the setting and company as anything else. How droll.
There’s a brunch place in Playa Negra, Costa Rica called Corazón Coffee Roasters, and they have an anaerobically fermented bean that they hand roast, after collaborating directly with the growers to ensure every step of the process is organic and sustainable. By hand, this guy picks through the beans after roasting to be sure only those at the right roast level make it through. He stops the roast as early as necessary to avoid burning any beans. This means he has to manually go through each batch, culling and throwing away a small percentage that come out unroasted, still green. Talk about love of craft.
After a morning surf, sharing brunch and a cup of pour over made with this bean while sitting with my family and best friend really sent me into orbit. The cacao and tropical fruit notes were scintillating, and the waiter didn’t even laugh when I asked for some oat milk. I have the good fortune to return there about once or twice a year, and it’s a highlight for sure.
On the bright side, they ship some of their coffee to most parts of the USA. Sadly, the fermented beans are only available locally, but they’re enough to get me to cross the river and drive the 90 minutes at least once a quarter to bring home a can.
All that to say, even though rankings are stupid, the pursuit of beauty and delight is very worthy, and having found caffeinated nirvana, I’m always excited to remember this superlative experience, even as I’m always hoping to top it.
