Decaf, Colombia

Decaf coffees have a tendency to be hit or miss with many of them losing their inherent flavours due to the decaffeination process. However, every now and then you come across one that bucks the trend that is brimming with flavour and award winning.

Our latest decaf offering comes from Colombia, from the regions of Cauca, Tolima, Antioquia and Eje Cafetero, which uses a sugarcane decaf process to produce a balanced, chocolatey and sweet decaf.

SUGARCANE PROCESSED

We mix it up this time with a Sugarcane processed coffee, which is the special process used to decaffeinate this particular coffee.

First the coffee beans undergo steaming at low pressure to detach the outer shells of the cherries, before being soaked in hot water to swell and soften the beans. This prepares the coffee for hydrolysis of caffeine, which is attached to the salts of the chlorogenic acid within the coffee.

Fermented sugarcane is used to create a natural ethyl acetate solvent, which has special properties that remove caffeine within the coffee. This natural solvent is applied and washed away repeatedly to reduce the caffeine down to minimal levels. Once completed, the sugar cane concoction is washed away using low pressurised steam.

From here the coffee is vacuum dried to reduce moisture content and cooled to ambient temperature. The coffees beans are then coated in carnauba wax that stabilises the beans. This provides an extra level of environmental protection ready for transport and your consuming pleasure.

For more on our thoughts of Decaf check out our blog post here.

Can you taste it?

Although washed and decaffeinated in process the coffee retains a balanced blend of flavour. Expect tasting notes of peach and orange with a milk chocolatey finish.

Our recommendation

This decaf boasts has fairly classical tasting notes, which means it can be pretty versatile in the cup. It can be drunk as either pour over filter or as long black for espresso based drinks. That being said it works just as well with or without milk. All with the added benefit of minimal caffeine.

We recommend consuming this coffee between weeks 2 to 4 after its roast date, but of course, try it before or after too.