House Decaf: Sul Minas Natural-Process AAA (Brazil)

The decaf coffee that you're likely used to is made with lower quality coffee beans, to compensate for the cost of the de-caffeination process. What we do is instead is to have our own coffees de-caffeinated ourselves, after we select them as regular coffees, in order to offer decafs just as good as our regular coffees. We use the non-chemical, water-based Mountain Water Process to de-caffeinate. Our decafs are among our best-known coffees.

Origin	Brazil
Region	Sul Minas region, Minas Gerais state
Altitude	3,000 ft.
Farm / Coop	Fazenda Grupo BSC
Varietals	Yellow Bourbon (80%), Mundo Novo (20%)
Processing	Natural (sun dried)
Certifications	n/a
Decaf Process	Mountain Water Process
Cup Notes	Flavors of vanilla, marzipan, strawberry, almond butter, maracuya (passion fruit), cinnamon, and sweet chocolate. Transparent delicate acidity with notes of grapefruit and sauvignon blanc wine. Well balanced and velvety with a long finish.

These coffee beans, processed using the "natural" method, come from Fazenda Grupo BSC in the well-known Sul Minas region of Minas Gerais state, in Brazil. As with all of our coffees, we sourced these coffee beans directly from the farm. Nelson and Eleni visited the farm in July of 2011, cupped many samples, discussed coffee production with farm mangement and met with workers and their families while walking the coffee plantation.

The "natural" process is the most common in Brazil, and makes these coffee beans popular for espresso blends because of its ability to provide floral hints and rich crema. In the natural process, coffee cherries are harvested and dried directly under the full sun in large concrete patios or mechanical dryers. Neither the skin nor the coffee cherry pulp (mucilage) are removed by means of water or fermentation. The coffee cherries dry and ferment like raisins and provide their characteristic flavor and aroma. The drying is done over a 7-10 day period, until 11% moisture content is reached. After drying, the coffee is kept in wooden silos at the farm's warehouse for resting (reposo). We find that the Brazilian-natural profile is well-suited for espresso roasts, and recommend this roast for decaf espresso.

The coffee was de-caffeinated using the chemical-free Mountain Water Process.

Explore the region around of Sul Minas in Brazil yourself, below:

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