Decaf Colombia Pink Bourbon

There are a few ‘natural’ ways to decaffeinate coffee - meaning no synthetic chemicals or chemically derived solvents are used. After much research and sampling, we’ve decided to source coffees that have been E.A. processed, also called Sugarcane process. Here’s how it works: Ethyl acetate occurs as a natural component in sugar cane, coffee, and other fruits, including musk strawberries and bananas (in other words, inputs commonly found in coffee growing regions). The green coffee beans are first treated with steam and the silver skin is removed. This increases the water content of the coffee and opens the cellular structure, making the beans accessible to the Ethyl Acetate which binds to caffeine, allowing it to be extracted from the coffee. Finally, the remaining ethyl acetate is removed from the beans by another steam bath and they are dried back to their original moisture content. We’ve found E.A. process to be the gentlest decaffeination method, leaving the flavors of the coffee and it’s origin in tact. Of all the decaf coffees we’ve tasted, the sugarcane options have the sweetest, most balanced, and pleasing cup! 

This is a fresh lot that is 100% “Pink Bourbon” variety from Huila in Colombia. This is a well known high quality varietal, but due to recent research was discovered to not be a Bourbon relative as previously thought, but is instead an Ethiopian Landrace varietal! This is interesting info, but we don’t yet have a new name for this specific bean, so pink bourbon it is. The fruit qualities in the cup are truly lovely and definitely on par with the Decaf lots from Ethiopia that we’ve had for the past year or so. The other plus to a Colombian Decaf is that one of only a few EA processing facilities in the world is in Colombia, so fewer travel miles are put on the coffee before it gets to us and more of the profits from production stay in the origin country.