ESPRESSO DECAF

COLOMBIA

Tastes Like: Camping s'more + vanilla bean

Medium Roast: 12oz / 340g BAG

Region: Huila
Farm: Various Smallholder Farms
Varietal: Castillo, Colombia, Caturra
Altitude: 1200 - 2100 m.a.s.l
Processing: Ethyl Acetate

Just because it's decaf, that doesn't mean it stays quiet! We source and roast decaf with the same attention to consistency and detail as everything else we do. 

Our Colombian decaf is unique in more ways than one. First, the green beans are grown by multiple smallholder producers are cupped specifically by our importer for their quality and identified for decaffeination.

Second, the beans are custom decaffeinated at the source. They use a particular natural process of Ethyl Acetate, derived from fermented sugar and other natural compounds. Our importer personally visits the decaffeination plant several times and is always impressed by the bean's process and quality.

The process works by soaking green coffee in a solution of E.A., which bonds to the coffee's salts and allows the removal of caffeine. The beans are removed from the solvent and steamed at low pressure to remove the remaining compounds. The finished product retains its flavour integrity but contains almost no caffeine at all. The beans we roast will have a maximum of 0.01–0.03% caffeine. Perfect for an after-dinner coffee or someone who is caffeine sensitive.

All these factors allow us to roast one of the highest-quality, non-chemical-processed decaf coffees available. The results are a lower acid decaf coffee with a rich and creamy flavour and exceptional attention to freshness. Because decaf doesn't have to suck! We think it tastes like camping s'more and vanilla bean.

ABOUT COLOMBIAN COFFEE

Everyone knows Colombian coffee or thinks they do. To simply say Colombian coffee is like recommending a book by saying the name of the publisher. To really get to know Colombian coffee is to travel thousands of miles to see the country. Then, taste hundreds of cups, and wear out dozens of pairs of hiking boots touring coffee farms as our importer does.

Coffee came to Colombia in the late 1700s. The first plantings were in the north of the country. Coffee plants spread throughout the 19th century, with a smaller than average farm size more commonly found in other Latin American countries. Colombia still produces Arabica coffee exclusively. Our offerings come from the southwestern departments of Cauca and Huila, which have higher altitude farms. This shines through in the more complex flavour and heightened chocolatey profiles.

Commercial production and export of coffee started in the first decade of the 1800s but remained somewhat limited until the 20th century. The establishment of the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia was a tremendous boost to the national coffee industry. Colombia quickly established itself as a significant coffee-growing region, vying with Brazil for the top global producer. The Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia is a prominent NGO that provides various services and support to the country's coffee producers. Regardless of the size of their landholdings or the volume of their production, the FNC helps out.

The FNC also guarantees a purchase price for any coffee grown within Colombia, providing financial security to farmers. This is designed to eliminate some of the market pressures and provide reliable income to the coffee sector. The scientific arm of the organization, Cenicafé, is devoted to research, development, dissemination, and support throughout the country. They provide A wide-ranging extension service employing more than 1,500 field workers. They are deployed to consult farmers on soil management, processing techniques, variety selection, disease prevention and treatment, and other agricultural aspects of coffee farming. A tax is imposed on all coffee exports to fund this work and the other provisions and protections that the FNC offers.

Since our earliest days, our importer has had boots on the ground and spoons in the cup there. We fall in love repeatedly with the regional variations, the varieties, the landscape, the producers themselves. Our work sourcing strong, versatile workhorse coffees will keep you coming back for more.