Nobody Needs to Renounce Coffee...
The rumors are true!
Not every coffee drinker enjoys the physiological effects of caffeine. The good news : modern decaffeination methods allow for a complete and pleasant coffee drinking experience without the added energy. The even better news : this month we are releasing a brand new decaffeinated coffee that just might leave you asking, "La Serrania, where have you been all my life?!"
Colombia La Serrania is going to challenge your judgments about decaf, because it tastes like... coffee! In fact, it tastes like a rich and mellow coffee with flavor nuances of toasted nuts and cocoa. It has a candy-like sweetness that is rounded out with a buttery milk chocolate mouthfeel and finishes complete and satisfying.
Colombia La Serrania comes from our friends at Virmax Café, founders of Las Mingas, a project that directly connects quality roasters with quality producers in an effort to achieve a truly fair price for beautifully unique coffees. Although not part of the project, we were able to source the Colombia La Serrania directly from the Virmax warehouse, and approve the green coffee before it was decaffeinated. This process is atypical of buying decaffeinated coffee, as roasters are usually sent samples of coffee that has already been decaffeinated. This means that the coffee was carefully screened both before and after the process, and was not just some junk coffee that was sent to slaughter because it had no redeeming qualities. No, we chose this coffee to decaffeinate based on cup quality, balance and certain flavor characteristics. Now, that's what I call a value added decaf.
Colombia La Serrania was decaffeinated by way of the solvent process. This means that the coffee was first treated with steam to cause the beans to swell and open their pores. Secondly, a solvent is introduced in order to extract the caffeine from the bean. Next, the solvent is driven out of the bean by means of steam. Finally, the coffee is dried to its initial moisture content.
The solvent process is known for keeping the integrity of the bean's
flavors, aromas and cell structure intact. Still, solvent decaffeination has come under fire for appearing less
gentle of a decaffeination process than the widely known Mountain Water
Process. Well, fire no more. While there are many different types of
solvents that can be used for decaffeination, the type that the DESCAFECOL plant
uses is naturally occurring ethyl-acetate gained from sugar cane molasses. Ethyl-acetate (EA) is also found in fruits and vegetables, as well as
roasted coffee itself, and its consumption is free from health risks. However, since the EA used in the decaffeination process for the La Serrania comes from sugar cane molasses, around the roastery we've been referring to it as sugar decaf (ok, you can, too).
Typically, solvent processed decafs are processed in Germany and then redistributed from the decaf plant to various other parts of the world. La Serrania only traveled a few hundred kilometers from the warehouse in Neiva, Colombia where it was approved to the DESCAFECOL plant in Manizales, Colombia. A Colombian coffee that is decaffeinated in Colombia? A novel idea.
There isn't much to not love about the Colombia La Serrania. Even your non-decaf drinking friends will agree that this is a solid coffee with nothing to hide. Enjoy!
Colombia La Serrania comes from our friends at Virmax Café, founders of Las Mingas, a project that directly connects quality roasters with quality producers in an effort to achieve a truly fair price for beautifully unique coffees. Although not part of the project, we were able to source the Colombia La Serrania directly from the Virmax warehouse, and approve the green coffee before it was decaffeinated. This process is atypical of buying decaffeinated coffee, as roasters are usually sent samples of coffee that has already been decaffeinated. This means that the coffee was carefully screened both before and after the process, and was not just some junk coffee that was sent to slaughter because it had no redeeming qualities. No, we chose this coffee to decaffeinate based on cup quality, balance and certain flavor characteristics. Now, that's what I call a value added decaf.
Colombia La Serrania was decaffeinated by way of the solvent process. This means that the coffee was first treated with steam to cause the beans to swell and open their pores. Secondly, a solvent is introduced in order to extract the caffeine from the bean. Next, the solvent is driven out of the bean by means of steam. Finally, the coffee is dried to its initial moisture content.
The solvent process is known for keeping the integrity of the bean's
flavors, aromas and cell structure intact. Still, solvent decaffeination has come under fire for appearing less
gentle of a decaffeination process than the widely known Mountain Water
Process. Well, fire no more. While there are many different types of
solvents that can be used for decaffeination, the type that the DESCAFECOL plant
uses is naturally occurring ethyl-acetate gained from sugar cane molasses. Ethyl-acetate (EA) is also found in fruits and vegetables, as well as
roasted coffee itself, and its consumption is free from health risks. However, since the EA used in the decaffeination process for the La Serrania comes from sugar cane molasses, around the roastery we've been referring to it as sugar decaf (ok, you can, too). Typically, solvent processed decafs are processed in Germany and then redistributed from the decaf plant to various other parts of the world. La Serrania only traveled a few hundred kilometers from the warehouse in Neiva, Colombia where it was approved to the DESCAFECOL plant in Manizales, Colombia. A Colombian coffee that is decaffeinated in Colombia? A novel idea.
There isn't much to not love about the Colombia La Serrania. Even your non-decaf drinking friends will agree that this is a solid coffee with nothing to hide. Enjoy!
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