Colombia Cumbres de Nariño EA Decaf

This decaffeinated community lot comes from 14 producers in Nariño, most of whom live around Buesaco. This new decaf is a project from our importing partner Shared Source, and was created in response to a changing landscape in Huila. Historically, Shared Source built their decaf lots using varieties like Caturra, Colombia, and Castillo from their longtime producing partners in Huila. However, in recent years, more and mroe producers are renovating their farms; removing these traditional varieties and repacing them with more 'exotic' varieties like Sidra, Pink Bourbon, and Aji. At the same time, Shared Source's relationships in Nariño strengthened, so they turned to those producers to create this new excellent decaf, Cumbres de Nariño.

PROCESSING: Each producer has a slightly unique way of processing cherries, but all are diligent in making sure that only ripe cherries are picked. Most leave the cherries in a carefully sealed bag (often re-used Grain Pro) in a cool, shaded area (often in the ceramic fermentation tanks) for 12-24 hours to begin the fermentation process in the cherries. From there, coffee is de-pulped and left to ferment without water, either in a low-oxygen environment like a sealed Grain Pro bag or barrel, or in a traditional open tank. Drying is low and slow in covered and ventilated dryers- for anywhere between 2-3 weeks.

EA DECAFFEINATION PROCESS: Once we purchase the individual parchment lots, we dry mill them in Valle de Cauca and then send them to Manizales, Colombia for in-country decaffeination as quickly as possible using the sugar process decaffeination method. First, sugarcane molasses is fermented to create ethanol, and then mixed with acetic acid to create Ethyl Acetate (EA). The coffee is steamed which opens the pores, and allows for the extraction of caffeine molecules. From there, it’s placed into an ethyl acetate solution where it bonds to the salts of chlorogenic acid inside the beans. When the coffee is fully saturated, the solution is drained and refilled until 97% or more of the caffeine is removed. Sugarcane is widely available in Colombia, and the decaffeination plant Descafecol gets their sugarcane from farms in the town of Palmira in the Valle del Cauca Department, west of Huila.