Decaf Huila E.A., Colombia

TASTING NOTES

graham, apple, brown spice, nougat, malt

COFFEE BACKGROUND

Colombia is known for producing some of the most delicious coffee in the world, and its decaf offerings are no exception. But the simple term “Colombian coffee” refers to a huge variety of flavor profiles. Many of the country’s 20 coffee-growing departments primarily consist of small, family-run farms. Microclimates and altitude also have a role in influencing the unique regional flavors.

The Huila region is located in south-central Colombia. Huila is divided by the Magdalena River, which runs through the Cordillera Mountains. Coffee farms are located on western- and eastern- facing slopes of the mountain ranges at extremely high altitudes. As a result, coffee from the Huila region typically features a complex acidity.

Offerings such as this one are custom decaffeinated using ethyl acetate (E.A.), a solvent derived from sugarcane as it is being processed for molasses. For this reason, the coffee is known as Decaf De Caña, or “sugarcane decaf.” The green, unroasted coffee is first steamed to open the beans’ pores, allowing them to absorb the solution. They are then placed in a bath of water and E.A. This naturally draws out the caffeine without using excessive heat or high pressure, which would significantly affect taste quality. Once caffeine has been removed, the green coffee is washed thoroughly to remove any remaining E.A. When the process is complete, the beans contain just 0.01 to 0.03% caffeine.

Decaf Huila delivers the sweetness of nougat and graham, without the jolt of caffeine. The cup is balanced with pleasant notes of baked apple.

We’re proud to say that Decaf Huila E.A. earned an excellent 92-point review from expert tasters at Coffee Review. From a blind assessment, Kenneth Davids writes that this coffee was “quietly rich, layered. Cashew, minty orange, carnation, apple, nougat in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet in structure, lightly syrupy in mouthfeel. Complex, cleanly light-footed finish. …A classically complete Colombia profile with a particularly long, ringing finish alive with nuance.”