This decaf is the most complex we’ve offered to date, with notes of refreshing guava, a bouquet of red fruit, and a robust cacao nib finish.

Our journey to offer better decaf coffee has been enlightening to our crew here at the Topeca roastery. Each specialty decaf selection that we’ve made this year has been a chance for us to hone our craft in discovering what makes a good cup of decaffeinated coffee, and to focus our energy on creating the best roast profiles for each new decaf we source.

Our newest decaf offering is a blend of red and yellow bourbon cultivars grown and processed by the Bayter family of the El Vergel Estate in the Tolima region of Colombia. Having first been processed as an anaerobic natural, this coffee was then decaffeinated by the folks at Swiss Water in Vancouver, BC. When this offering landed on our cupping table for sampling, our team was impressed with the flavor profile, as it maintains complex fruit notes imparted by the anaerobic natural process. This coffee is not only a perfect representation of how important traceability and intention is in crafting a distinct and balanced cup profile, but also a great opportunity to highlight the incredible innovations in Colombian coffee processing.

Over the last few years, many Colombian producers have found new ways to challenge the status quo, and the results have been nothing short of remarkable. With experiments ranging from anaerobic processing, to various methods of co-fermentation and new honey processes, it seems as though the options have proliferated beyond what many would have considered possible even a couple of years ago.

Though the future of specialty coffee is not without its challenges, it is also full of promise and exciting new developments. While these wacky new methods may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or coffee), some of the flavor profiles we’ve experienced on our sampling table in recent months have been dynamic to say the least, and in some cases, unprecedented. This decaf coffee will surely challenge even the most stalwart defenders of the “death before decaf” moniker, as the future for folks who are sensitive to caffeine or simply prefer coffee at any time of the day begins to include their preferences.

Regardless, we hope our community enjoys this new offering just as much as we have and that we all can embrace the dynamic and exciting developments in this ever changing industry. While this is the first coffee we’ll be offering directly from Swiss Water, we can assure you that it won’t be the last. We’ve got some exciting developments on the horizon as we continue to work with them. Stay tuned!