Decaf El Vergel Tolima

This special, caffeine-free coffee steers clear of the typical things that give decaf coffee a bad reputation. With a caramel base and a strong apple and citrus notes, this decaf coffee from the El Vergel estate in Tolima, Colombia is full of flavor, so much so that you may not even realize it’s decaffeinated! If you have ever wondered “what’s the point?” when it comes to decaf coffees, the spectacular flavor from this naturally decaffeinated Colombian coffee may turn you into a decaf believer. Performing well on all brew methods, this coffee excels on regular filter methods, like a drip coffee pot or a manual pour over. In something like a Chemex or V60, you will notice more berry and citrus tastes, while using this coffee in a French Press or as espresso will showcase classic Colombian chocolate notes while retaining that big berry flavor. If you’ve ever wondered what the point of drinking decaf is, grab a bag of Decaf El Vergil Tolima and find out for yourself!

Technical Details

Tasting Notes	Caramel, Orange, Lime, Papaya, Nougat, Vanilla, Apple, Tangy
Origin	Colombia
Region	Tolima
Town	Fresno
Farmer/Producer	Shady & Elia Bayter
Process	Washed, Sugarcane Ethyl Acetate
Elevation	1350 masl
Variety	Red and Yellow Caturra
Fermentation Info	Facilitated by Forest Coffee
Washing Station	El Vergel Estate
Water Density/Moisture Content	11.6%
Farm size in hectares	300 Hectares
Importing Partner	Forest Coffee
Partnership length with Firelight	1st year with Partner and offering
Sustainability Efforts	Per Forest Coffee: The energy at the farm is 100% solar, and we work with the farmers of the region buying equipment to ferment their coffee better.
FOB Cost	$3.44/lb (as of 2024)
Origin Cupping Score	85.5
Firelight Cupping Score	84.5
Brewing method recommendation	Drip, French Press, Pourover, Aeropress

A note on the decaffeination process: This coffee is naturally decaffeinated using a Sugarcane Ethyl-Acetate Decaffeination process. You may be thinking that that doesn’t sound very natural, but the process is as natural as they come. Colombia has a lot of sugarcane fields. The molasses from sugarcane can be combined with alcohol to create Ethyl Acetate, this can then be mixed with water and the coffee (after being steamed for a short period of time) can be soaked in the mixture to remove 97% of the caffeine. The coffee is then washed well, and dried slowly. The result is a naturally processed caffeine free coffee! The biggest benefit of this process is that it can be done locally in Colombia (and other countries with access to raw sugarcane products). All the inputs are naturally derived and the whole process has minimal effect on the taste of the coffee. So, if you have excellent coffee being processed the taste profile will remain excellent.