Colombia—Sugarcane Decaf ($6.33/lb)

Tasting notes Brown sugar, cherry, vanilla and lemon Cupping Scorecard 84 / 100 General Roasting Guidelines Good for Espresso Yes Region Details Quindío Farmers Smallholders Process Washed, Sugarcane E.A. Harvest Season / Year 2019/2020 Altitude 1,500-2,000m (Very High) Cultivars Castillo, Caturra Certifications N/A Grade EP, 15+ Description This Colombia decaf uses a very interesting processing method known as E.A. (ethyl acetate), or Sugarcane Process. To ease the decaffeination process, the green coffee beans are first blasted with water to increase the internal water/moisture content. Then they are steamed using ethyl acetate, which sounds chemical and dangerous, but is really just a natural solvent made of mostly sugarcane extract. Many coffee snobs, admittedly us included, complain of decaf coffee being flat and having little flavor. But the joy in the sugarcane process is that it is a "natural" process, which preserves more of the green beans inherent characteristics,