Colombia - Decaf de Caña - EA Huila

What to Expect

This is decaf done properly. Colombia Decaf de Caña from Dear Green uses the ethyl acetate (EA) process derived from sugar cane, which preserves more origin character than most decaf methods. You get a chocolate-forward cup with a distinctive malt sweetness and dried fruit depth, grown by smallholder farmers in Huila between 1400 and 2000 metres.

The Cup

The body is medium and round, with a soft, malty sweetness that carries the chocolate orange and prune notes without heaviness. Acidity is gentle and low, as you'd expect from both the decaf process and the darker fruit character. This is a clean cup with no funk or ferment, just straightforward sweetness and a comforting, slightly nutty finish. The EA process has done its job well here, keeping the Colombian character intact while removing the caffeine.

Who This Is For

If you want a decaf that doesn't taste like a compromise, or you're after an evening coffee that won't keep you up, this delivers. It's approachable, sweet, and satisfying without demanding precision brewing.

If you're chasing bright, fruity acidity or floral complexity, this isn't the coffee for you.

Best for: Decaf drinkers who want chocolate sweetness and body without the buzz.

How to Brew This Coffee

This works beautifully as espresso, where the chocolate orange and malt sweetness come forward with a creamy, forgiving extraction. It's equally good in a French press, which emphasises the round body and prune depth. For a cleaner, more defined cup that highlights the orange note, try it in an Aeropress.

Colombia

Colombia - Decaf de Caña - EA Huila

Description from Roaster

This coffee is grown in the Huila region which is located in southwestern Colombia, nestled in-between the Central and Eastern ranges of the Andes. The variation in elevation results in Huila being one of the country's most unique and complex regions of coffee production. Its ...

Read more

✕

Description from Roaster

This coffee is grown in the Huila region which is located in southwestern Colombia, nestled in-between the Central and Eastern ranges of the Andes. The variation in elevation results in Huila being one of the country's most unique and complex regions of coffee production. Its terroir, climate, and harvest cycles all contribute to the quality of coffee produced here. This coffee is washed and then subsequently decaffeinated.

At present, there is no such thing as a genetically decaffeinated coffee, which means that decaf coffee needs to be created by physically removing the caffeine from green coffee beans. Most of today’s decaf processing methods are sophisticated and thorough and can remove 99 percent of the caffeine naturally present in coffee.

Coffees of any process (washed, natural, honey, etc) can also be processed for decaffeination. The decaffeination itself takes place after the coffee has been harvested, processed, and had its parchment layer removed. Most of the time, coffees need to be sent to specific facilities to be decaffeinated, rather than having the caffeine removed at the mill level.

There are a variety of decaffeination methods, this coffee is processed using Ethyl Acetate. This naturally occurring ester (present in bananas as well as a by-product of fermented sugars) can be isolated and used as a solvent to bond with and remove caffeine from green coffee. First, the coffee is sorted and steamed for 30 minutes under low pressure in order to open the coffee seeds’ pores and prepare them for decaffeination. The coffee is placed in a solution of both water and ethyl acetate, where the EA will begin to bond with the salts of chlorogenic acids inside the seeds. The tank will be drained and re-filled over the course of eight hours until the caffeine is no longer detected. The seeds are steamed once more to remove the ethyl acetate traces. The coffee is then dried and polished for export.

Details
Free Tracked 48 shipping in the UK when you spend over £30! Please see our FAQs for more information. Place your order before 10.30am, Monday to Friday and it will be sent the same day. No coffee leaves our roastery if it is more than 7 days from the roast date. Coffee ordered for Monday dispatch may be subject to delays depending on weekend ordering patterns and roasted stock levels.

We source speciality grade coffee which is fully traceable and ethically sourced. Read more about our ethics.

Tips
All our coffee beans are roasted fresh and are best consumed within 6 weeks of roast date. Always reseal in our airtight bag and store at ambient temperature. 

Giving back

At Dear Green, we believe in giving back. That is why we contribute to various charities that share our values and ethics. Allowing you and us to make a positive social and environmental impact, with every transaction, all year round.

Proud to be B-Corp certified

This description comes from Dear Green, who roasts this coffee. For the fullest product detail, you can also see their own listing at Dear Green