Valle De Cauca Washed EA Decaf

This is our first decaf offering ever! If you are caffeine sensitive in any way we aim to bring you the same coffee experience as everyone else. Decaf gets a bad rap in the coffee community, here at Armonia we believe decaf drinkers are the most dedicated coffee drinkers out there! This coffee brings the same pockets of flavor as any of our other offerings minus the caffeine, the hints of chocolate and cane sugar sweetness bring a balanced cup that works amazingly on its own or with milk!

Process: Washed EA Decaf

Varietal: Caturra, Castillo

Altitude: 1750 MASL

Roast Level: Medium-Light

Sugarcane is readily available in Colombia, and its application to the coffee industry was a game-changer. Ethyl acetate is an organic compound found in sugarcane, and the decaffeination process begins with the fermentation of molasses derived from sugarcane to create ethanol. This alcohol is then mixed with acetic acid (the main component of vinegar) to create the compound ethyl acetate.

In a direct solvent-based process, low-pressure steam opens the pores of the coffee beans. Then the beans are soaked in a solution of water and ethyl acetate. The solvent binds to the salts of chlorogenic acids and allows the removal of caffeine. After flushing the beans with ethyl acetate repeatedly, up to 97% of the caffeine is extracted. Because ethyl acetate comes from sugarcane and is an organic compound that can effectively remove caffeine, the coffee’s flavor attributes are not extracted.