No.06 Colombia (DECAF)

Colombia · EA Sugarcane Process · Single Origin · Washed

Tasting notes  Caramel · Stone fruit · Vanilla

Decaf for people who don't want to admit they drink decaf.

Ana Mustafa grows Castillo at 1,550–1,650m in Pereira, the heart of Colombia's Coffee Axis. Her family has been farming here for generations, mostly commercial-volume stuff. Ana decided that wasn't enough and started pushing for specialty production on the same land. It's working.

The process (the bit that actually matters for decaf)

This uses EA Sugarcane decaffeination, which is worth knowing about. Ethyl acetate is derived from fermented sugarcane, making it a natural solvent. It strips the caffeine without stripping the flavour. The result tastes like coffee, not like a compromise.

The cooperative

Ana co-runs LaREB, a producer collective focused on getting more value back to the farmers who actually grow the stuff. She contributes 40% of the collective's revenue. She's not a small player.

In the cup

Clean, sweet, and properly rounded. The Castillo variety and washed processing keep everything bright and balanced. You won't catch yourself thinking 'this is pretty good for a decaf.' You'll just think it's pretty good.

Have it after dinner. Have it at midnight. That's the whole point.