Method
V60 or Kalita Wave
- Dose
- 18 g
- Water
- 288 g
- Time
- 2:45–3:15
Water at 96°C. Bloom 40g for 30 seconds, then pulse-pour every 30 seconds. Target clarity and a silky, chocolate-forward body.
Huila, Colombia · Sugarcane EA decaffeination
Colombia Decaf — Sugarcane EA
- Sugarcane EA decaffeination preserves sweetness and body
- Milk chocolate, almond, soft caramel finish
- Medium roast works for espresso or filter
- 97–99% caffeine removed, flavor stays intact
- Evening coffee without the ceiling-staring regret
- Chocolat au lait·
- Amande·
- Caramel
Décaféiné à l'acétate d'éthyle dérivé de la canne à sucre — préserve la douceur en tasse et un corps rond. Aucun compromis après le dîner.
- Roast
- Medium
- Body
- Round, balanced
Price19 €
1
In stock · Ships in 48h after roast
02 — The Story
Huila sits at the intersection of the Central and Eastern Andean ranges, where volcanic soil and altitude conspire to produce some of Colombia's cleanest, most structured coffees. This lot undergoes sugarcane EA decaffeination in Colombia before export — a process that uses ethyl acetate derived from fermented sugarcane molasses, not laboratory synthesis. The EA molecules bond selectively with caffeine, pulling 97–99% of it while leaving flavor compounds largely intact. The result tastes like coffee that never lost anything.
Most decafs collapse in the roaster or emerge papery in the cup. This one doesn't. We profile it to a medium roast that stops just after first crack, preserving the inherent sweetness Huila coffees are known for while developing enough body to carry milk drinks. The cup is round without being dull — think milk chocolate that fades into almond, backed by a soft caramel sweetness that lingers without cloying. It's the kind of structure you'd expect from a fully caffeinated Colombian, minus the 3 a.m. staring contest with your ceiling.
Brew it at 1:16 with water just off boil, around 96°C. V60 or Kalita Wave will give you clarity and a silky mouthfeel; a French press extends contact time and amps up the body, which works well here given the chocolate-forward profile. For milk drinks, pull a 1:2 espresso in 27–30 seconds at 93°C — the roast level and body density cut through whole milk without requiring the aggression of a lighter, more acidic coffee. Dose 18 grams if you want balance, 19 if you want more caramel emphasis in the finish.
This is for the taster who refuses to accept thin, woody decaf as the price of admission to evening coffee. It's for the host who wants one grinder, one brewing method, and zero apologies when someone asks for decaf after 8 p.m. It's for the returner — the person who tried decaf five years ago, hated it, and deserves to know the category has improved. Sugarcane EA is not a magic trick, but it's the closest we've come to making decaffeination feel optional rather than extractive.
03 — Brewing
How we brew it.
Method
Espresso
- Dose
- 18 g
- Water
- 36 g
- Time
- 27–30 seconds
Brew at 93°C, 9 bars. Medium roast cuts through milk cleanly — works especially well in cappuccino or flat white.
Method
French Press
- Dose
- 30 g
- Water
- 480 g
- Time
- 4:00
Coarse grind, water at 95°C. Steep 4 minutes, plunge gently. Emphasizes body and caramel sweetness — pair with milk if desired.
04 — FAQ
Questions, answered.
What does 'sugarcane EA' mean, and why does it matter?+
Ethyl acetate is the solvent that strips caffeine. When derived from fermented sugarcane instead of synthesized in a lab, it's often labeled 'natural'. More importantly, the EA method is gentler than water-only processes and tends to preserve more sweetness and body. You're left with a coffee that tastes less like it survived decaffeination and more like it simply never had caffeine.
How much caffeine remains after EA decaffeination?+
Typically 1–3% of the original caffeine content — around 2–7 mg per cup, depending on dose and brew strength. For context, a standard cup of caffeinated coffee contains 80–120 mg. This won't keep you awake, but sensitive individuals should know it's not completely zero.
Can I use this for espresso, or is it filter-only?+
It pulls clean espresso. Dose 18–19 grams, aim for a 1:2 ratio in 27–30 seconds at 93°C. The medium roast and round body carry well in milk drinks — cappuccino and flat white especially. You won't get the fruit-forward brightness of a washed Ethiopian, but you will get chocolate and caramel that actually show up.
Does decaf go stale faster than regular coffee?+
No. Decaffeinated coffee follows the same degradation curve as caffeinated — it peaks 7–14 days post-roast and stays good for 4–6 weeks if stored properly. The difference is that decaf often starts with less volatile aromatic complexity, so staleness becomes more obvious sooner. Use it within a month of roasting.
Who should drink this instead of regular Colombian coffee?+
Anyone who wants coffee after 6 p.m. without gambling on sleep. Anyone cutting caffeine for health or tolerance reasons. Anyone hosting guests with different caffeine needs. And anyone tired of decaf that tastes like an apology — this one doesn't.