HUILA DECAF — SUGARCANE PROCESS

Decaf gets treated like an apology. We cupped this one next to caffeinated lots and it didn't need one. Chocolate, nuts, and a mouthfeel that fills the room. So we bought it.

It comes from Huila, one of Colombia's most decorated coffee region — Castillo, Caturra, and Colombia varieties grown between 1,400 and 2,000 meters, picked ripe, washed clean, dried with care. A proper Colombian coffee before the caffeine ever comes out.

Then the sugarcane part. The caffeine is removed with ethyl acetate — a natural compound made from fermented Colombian sugarcane, the same one found in ripe bananas. The beans are steamed to open their pores, bathed until the caffeine bonds out, then steamed again until only coffee is left. No harsh industrial solvents. The flavor stays. The caffeine doesn't.

We roast it medium on purpose: this is the do-everything bag. It pulls a chocolatey, syrupy espresso and brews a sweet, nutty pour over with the same easy body. Mild, bright acidity keeps it from going flat.