Country of Origin: Colombia
Producer: Various Smallholder Producers
Process: Washed & Sugarcane EA Decaffeination
Varieties: Caturra, Castillo
Elevation: 1750 MASL
Region: Valle del Cauca
Harvest: September - December
Tasting notes: Cocoa, Citrus, Nutty with a mellow sweetness
 
Suggested Artists: George Benson, Urban Knights, Grover Washington Jr., Kenny G, Anita Baker

Just like smooth jazz, decaf coffee often gets a bad rap. Some call it bland, some say it lacks energy, we say it’s just misunderstood. This genre is made for the folks who looooove the taste of coffee but don’t do so well with caffeine. If you’re looking to avoid those shaky, sweaty hands at midday or want an evening cup ‘o joe without being up all night, then look no further!
 
The Valle del Cauca is a critical swatch of land where natural resources, water management, and friendly environmental practices are keenly preserved by those who live and farm there. As one of Colombia’s two main biological conservation corridors, Cauca Valley is home to World Heritage-listed national parks, wildlife, and water sources that give life to the surrounding land.
 
Sugarcane is readily available in Colombia, and its application to the coffee industry was a game-changer. Ethyl acetate is an organic compound found in sugarcane, and the decaffeination process begins with the fermentation of molasses derived from sugarcane to create ethanol. This alcohol is then mixed with acetic acid (the main component of vinegar) to create the compound ethyl acetate.
 
In a direct solvent-based process, low-pressure steam opens the pores of the coffee beans. Then the beans are soaked in a solution of water and ethyl acetate. The solvent binds to the salts of chlorogenic acids and allows the removal of caffeine. After flushing the beans with ethyl acetate repeatedly, up to 97% of the caffeine is extracted. Because ethyl acetate comes from sugarcane and is an organic compound that can effectively remove caffeine, the coffee’s flavor attributes are not extracted.