Decaffeinated coffees have long taken a backseat in specialty coffee, but that’s beginning to change. We’ve tasted some amazing examples, and we know that these coffees can stand on their own against some of the best coffees we’ve had. A number of countries and regions produce decaf, but Colombia is our go-to origin for solid, high-quality decaffeinated coffees.

Similar to our previous decaf offering, this project will be a rotating single-origin that will change throughout the year, but the flavor profile will remain fairly consistent. Our current offering is the Los Montanas Sugarcane Decaf from Royal Coffee.

Las Montanas decaf is decaffeinated using Ethyl Acetate (EA), otherwise known as the ‘sugarcane’ process. In this method the green beans are steamed or soaked to expand the beans for caffeine extraction. The expanded beans are then soaked in EA, a naturally occurring organic compound found in many fruits and vegetables which can be isolated for use in coffee decaffeination. In the presence of EA, caffeine bonds with the compound and is drawn out of the bean. The decaffeinated coffee is then removed from the EA solvent, rinsed thoroughly, re-dried and re-bagged for transport.

We consistently get notes of apple/malic acidity up front, a medium to light body and sweetness that brings to mind citrus fruits, and a sweet, rich finish. Each coffee will bring its own character to the table, making this a nice showcase of what decaffeinated coffees have to offer. We believe that the beautiful ritual of great coffee should be available to everyone – even without the caffeine.

Cheers!