Sugar Cane DECAF Decaffeinated Coffee – Colombia

The latest addition to our decaffeinated coffee range, with a different process but still maintains great taste and single origin too!

Sugar Cane Decaf Coffee Details:

Origin: Colombia

Roast: Medium

Varietal: Caturra

Altitude: 1700m / 5575ft

Tasting Notes: Orange, Praline

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this decaf filter coffee taste good?

Yes. Absolutely! This coffee has been taste tested by Ian and Jack on location in Colombia. It’s a great alternative to our popular Swiss water decaf.

We totally understand this question. Unfortunately a lot of decaf coffees taste terrible, especially the instant variety. However, some people can barely tell the difference between our single origin coffee beans and our decaf blend.

How Does the  process work?

This decaf coffee is decaffeinated using the sugar cane (ethyl acetate) process. The technique was originally developed in Colombia.

Coffee in its green state is placed into a solution of water and ethyl acetate (EA). Over time the EA bonds with the chlorogenic acids and salts inside the seeds. The solution is then drained and replaced until caffeine cannot be detected any more.

Sugar cane is readily available in Colombia and due to Ethyl Acetate being a by-product of fermented sugars, it makes sense for Colombian coffee farmers to use this process to decaffeinate their coffee and keep the process within their own country. EA is naturally found in wine, beer, vegetables and other fruits like bananas.

The whole process leaves the coffee beans with enhanced sweetness which means the coffee tastes and roasts more like its caffeinated original.

Is EA (Ethyl Acetate) processed coffee safe to drink?

Yes it is. In the final part of the process, the coffee seeds are steamed to remove EA traces and then dried, ready for export.

About the farmers

This coffee is produced by roughly 65 growers who contribute to the program in the Popayan region of Colombia. Their green coffee beans are collected in dry parchment and later milled at Popayan. The coffee is then transported over 300 miles to Descafecol in Caldus, the only decaffeination plant in Colombia.

The biggest advantage of using the Descafecol plant is that it keeps the decaffeination process in the country without the need for exporting beans to other decaffeination plants in parts of the world like Mexico, Canada or Germany. This allows for a much simpler supply chain and a tighter control of the costs so that Colombian producers can receive a larger share of the profits. They are continually working on long term relationships with these farmers and the program encourages the growers to focus on quality and based on quality assessment provides up to 20% premiums above the market place.