Decaf: El Buho Colombia, Huila & Cauca

This decaf comes from smallholder farmers in the Huila and Tolima regions of Colombia, grown at high altitude in fertile valleys. The beans have been carefully processed using the sugarcane (Ethyl Acetate) method, which removes caffeine gently while keeping the natural sweetness and clarity of the coffee.

Tasting notes: Hazelnut, chocolate, & citrus

Country: Colombia

Region: Huila & Tolima

Altitude: 1500-1900m

Varietal: Castillo, Catura, Colombia

Process: Washed, Sugarcane (Ethyl Acetate) Decaffeination

Roast: Medium light

Coffee has been grown in Colombia for centuries, and Huila and Tolima are at the heart of that history. One story tells of Father Francisco Romero in the early 1800s, who asked his parishioners to plant coffee trees as penance - a small beginning that helped spread coffee cultivation across the country.

Today, farmers in these regions continue to tend their crops carefully, ensuring that even decaf retains the natural sweetness, balance, and character typical of Colombian coffee.

The process:

The sugarcane decaffeination process uses high mountain spring water and natural ethyl acetate, a compound derived from sugarcane, to remove caffeine from coffee beans. The beans are steamed to open their pores and then repeatedly rinsed and soaked in an ethyl acetate solution, which binds to the caffeine and extracts it. Afterward, the beans are rinsed, dried & sealed with natural wax. This prepares them for roasting, allowing them to retain much of their original flavour and aroma. This method is often considered a more natural approach to decaffeination.