Our Colombian Decaf comes from the Huila region of Colombia in South America.
What makes it especially great is the way the caffeine is removed. The beans are custom decaffeinated in Colombia, using a special, natural process that utilizes a solvent of ethyl acetate, which is derived from fermented sugar. This naturally occurring ester (present in bananas as well as a by-product of fermented sugars) can be isolated and used as a solvent to bond with and then remove caffeine from green coffee.
First, the coffee is sorted (1) and steamed for 30 minutes (2) under low pressure in order to open the coffee seeds’ pores (3) and prepare them for decaffeination. The coffee is then placed in a solution of both water (4) and ethyl acetate (5), where the ethyl acetate will begin to bond with the salts of chlorogenic acids inside the seeds. The tank will be drained (6) and re-filled over the course of eight hours until the caffeine is no longer detected (7). The seeds are steamed once more to remove the ethyl acetate traces (8). Though ethyl acetate is only harmful to humans in very high quantities (400 parts per million or more). The coffee is then dried and polished for export (9). The beans will still contain very small traces of caffeine, a maximum of 0.01–0.03% caffeine.
We roast our Colombian Decaf at a darker level to be flavorful and smooth so you can enjoy the great body and flavor of this bean.
FACT: Probably the best decaf you'll ever drink!
Find our Colombian Decaf at your local grocery store or on sale at our website for 10% off until the end of May.