We here at Topeca Coffee are thrilled to be announcing the launch of our first of four seasonal selections of decaffeinated coffees. Over the course of late 2023, we challenged our roasting team to sample and cup decaffeinated coffees from origins around the globe. We started to find that there were many samples that exceeded our expectations and forced us to rethink how we approach sourcing and roasting decaf offerings. In hopes to share this experience with you, as the year continues we will be offering a new specialty decaffeinated coffee every season so we can highlight how the diversity of origins, processing methods and roast profiles can produce a truly memorable sensory experience. To kick things off, we’re introducing a fruit dried coffee grown on the mountains of the Guji Zone in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. This coffee was decaffeinated using a process called Select Water. During this procedure, green coffee seeds are first dried in the cherry before they are hulled and then soaked in fresh water. This causes the pores of the coffee seeds to expand so that the flavor compounds and caffeine can be more easily transferred out of the bean. Once finished, the rehydrated coffee is introduced to coffee solubles that bind to the caffeine while leaving the majority of the flavor compounds intact to be reabsorbed into the coffee seeds. Once the caffeine is extracted, the coffee is then dried once more before being packaged and exported around the world.

In the cup, this Decaffeinated Ethiopian Select Water exhibits a bouquet of florality including notes of Lavender and Jasmine that are rounded out with rich black tea undertones. This delicate flavor profile is accentuated by a remarkably creamy mouthfeel.

Region: Guji Zone, Oromia

Cultivar: Indigenous Heirloom Varieties

Process: Sun Dried Natural, Select Water Decaf

Altitude: 1850-2000masl

Roast Degree: Light-Medium

Flavor Notes: Lavender, Jasmine, Black Tea