Decaf: Jardín | Colombia
Key Origin Info:
Producer: Members of the Manizales Cooperative
Processed at: each farmer’s wet mill and consolidated by the coop and decaffeinated at Descafecol
Region: Manizales municipality, Caldas department
Altitude: 1700 - 2100 masl
Variety: Field blend of predominantly Castillo, with small amount of Caturra and Colombia
Process: Washed processed and E.A. “Sugarcane” decaffeinated
Exporter: Siruma | Importer: Falcon
Cup profile: Creamy body, caramel & dried fruits
More about this coffee:
This regional lot is composed of coffee produced by members of the Manizale Cooperative based in the Manizales municipality of Caldas region. Each grower processes their own coffees which are then delivered to the Manizales Cooperative located in Manizales city where lots are consolidated and prepared for export. The coffee is then decaffeinated in Colombia at the Descafecol plant in the same area with the “sugarcane’ process using ethyl acetate (by-product of sugarcane fermentation) as the decaffeination agent. This process not only maintains great integrity of coffee’s flavour, but also ensures that the added value stays in producing country.
More about the “Sugarcane” decaffeination process:
Also known as E.A. - “ethyl acetate” decaffeination is a natural process that not only maintains great integrity of green-coffee flavour, but also allows us to offer a decaffeinated coffee that best supports a vertical supply chain. This is due to the fact that the growing, processing, and even the full decaffeination process all happens at the source in Colombia, meaning all value added by these processes stays within the country of origin and its communities.
How does it work:
The washed and dried green coffee is received at the decaffeination plant and it is steamed for approx. 30 minutes. A low-pressure steaming process opens the pores of the coffee, allowing for caffeine extraction.
Coffee is placed in a solution of water and Ethyl Acetate (E.A.), a naturally occuring compound and solvent derived through the fermentation of sugarcane. While submerged in the solvent, E.A. naturally bonds to the salts of chlorogenic acids within the coffee, allowing for the extraction of caffeine.
Once the solvent is saturated, the tank is drained and fresh solution is introduced. This continues for about 8 hours.
After the last of the caffeine has been extracted, the coffee is removed from the solution and prepped for another steaming. The final low-pressure steaming removes the remaining traces of E.A.
Decaffeinated coffee is then dried, physically polished to ensure cleanliness, and packaged for export.
