Colombia Sugar Cane Decaf

We await further info on the provenance of this decaf.  Meanwhile, we can say that this is an amazing cup for those who prefer to avoid caffeine.

The Sugar Cane Decaf Process

Sugar cane or ethyl acetate (E.A.) decaffeination, starts by fermenting molasses derived from sugar cane to create ethanol. This alcohol is then mixed with acetic acid, to create the compound ethyl acetate. In Colombia, where sugar cane is readily available, it makes good sense to use this plentiful resource as a feeder into the coffee industry.

Ethyl acetate is also found in wine, beer, fruit, vegetables, and other foods & beverages.

When the coffee is received at the decaffeination plant, it is first placed in a bath of water and steam. This elevates the moisture content and swells the bean in order to facilitate the extraction of caffeine. The coffee is then subjected to an EA wash, which dissolves the caffeine. The beans are then purified with water and steam, which cleans clean the innermost portions of the bean. Finally, the beans are dried until reaching the moisture similar to which they had prior to the process.

This method avoids excessive heat or pressure, which can radically disrupt a green bean’s cellular structure. One downside of this process, is that since the pores of the seed are opened up through steaming, the coffee does tend to age more quickly (both as roasted and green) than non-decaf.

This process removes roughly 97% of the caffeine content. This is slightly less than some of the other “natural” decaffeination processes we have featured in the past – such as CO2.

It is claimed that due to the fermented molasses from the sugar cane, this process creates beans with a pleasant, clean, and sweet flavour. Unless we could taste the same lot of coffee decaffeinated via EA and another process, we cannot say for sure. That said, this is an amazing cup for those who prefer to avoid caffeine.