Decaf

Our current decaf coffee is from the Tolima region in Colombia's centre-west, and it was sourced from our friends at Forest Green Coffee. The cup boasts notes of Nectarine, Raspberry and Caramel.

The story of our decaf started at “El Vergel” farm, situated on the slopes of the snow-capped Nevado del Ruiz volcano. The location benefits from a unique microclimate. 

In 1995, the parents of the Bayter family began growing avocados. Between 2009 and 2010, Martha, the Bayters’ mother, decided to diversify her crops and save costs by introducing coffee varieties such as Catimor, red Caturra, and yellow Caturra.

As interest in coffee grew, the Bayters embarked on a journey of empirical knowledge about pulping and different types of fermentation. Together with Nelson Moya, a coffee enthusiast who showed them different processing equipment, they immersed themselves in the search for specialty coffees from Colombia and certified their farm as “Rainforest” by the prestigious Federación Nacional de Cafeteros between 2014 and 2015.

As time progressed, the farm was modernised, and in 2018, natural coffee processes were implemented, such as aerobic and anaerobic, and silos were acquired for coffee storage. Little by little, they became pioneers of innovation and quality.

Currently, the Bayter family carries out exhaustive research on bacteria and yeasts to control fermentation, together with experimentation in processes.

This particular lot of El Condor was decaffeinated using the EA (Ethyl Acetate) Sugar Cane Process, unique to Colombia. 

The green beans are transported to the Descafecol Processing Plant in Manizales, where they are placed in silos for production batches. It begins with special fermentation to extract unique flavours. The caffeine extraction involves circular containers filled with a blend of high-mountain spring water and natural ethyl acetate (= a compound derived from sugarcane), lowering caffeine levels to 0.1%. The outcome is a smooth, flavourful, and highly enjoyable coffee.

El Condor decaf showcases notes of milk chocolate and caramel. You can experience rich nectarine flavours with hints of red fruits such as red apple, raspberry, and red grapes. On the dry smell, there is also an interesting spicy aroma of cloves and roasted almonds.

Fun Fact: The condor plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the South American Andean regions, hence the vulture is the national bird of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador.

The Andean condor was associated with the sun deity and was believed to be a ruler of the upper world - a symbol of power and health. It was also believed that the bones and organs of the Andean condor possessed medicinal powers. The condor is a popular figure on stamps, as well as on the coins and banknotes of Colombia.