Colombian decaf coffee beans

There was a time when coffee was questioned due to its relatively high caffeine content. With the rise of health awareness and the specialty coffee movement, decaf coffee has garnered increasing attention. Some even claim that decaf coffee might be healthier than regular coffee.

For domestic enthusiasts, this change has occurred subtly. Some may wonder why they still feel sleepy after drinking coffee. Aside from sensitivity to low caffeine levels, it’s also related to the rise of specialty coffee—Arabica beans contain roughly half the caffeine of the Robusta beans typically used in commercial instant coffee. However, even though Arabica has lower caffeine content, people have developed a method to reduce it even further. Today, we’re talking about Swiss Water Process decaf coffee from Colombia.

Decaf is short for decaffeinated coffee, which is coffee with little to no caffeine. Its origins can be traced back to the early 20th century, reportedly linked to the famous poet Goethe. (It’s puzzling how artists who rely on caffeine for energy would see it as a villain—quite the mystery.) At least 97% of the caffeine is removed from coffee beans. There are many methods for decaffeinating coffee beans, most of which involve water, organic solvents, or carbon dioxide. The beans are washed in a solvent until the caffeine is extracted into it, and then the solvent is removed. As you can see, the process aims to remove as much caffeine as possible before roasting and grinding. This results in coffee with significantly lower caffeine content compared to regular, non-decaffeinated coffee.

This Colombian decaf coffee uses the Swiss Water Process. The specific steps are: first, soaking green coffee beans of the Typica, Caturra, and Castillo varieties in warm water, allowing the caffeine and other compounds to dissolve. Then, activated carbon is used to filter out the caffeine from the flavored water. Next, the decaffeinated flavored water is returned to the beans so they can reabsorb the lost flavor compounds. This method emphasizes the absence of any chemical solvents for caffeine extraction. Although no chemical solvents are used, some flavor compounds are inevitably filtered out by the activated carbon, resulting in a slight loss of flavor.

Colombian coffee beans offer a balanced flavor profile with a rich taste and unique characteristics, along with a relatively full body. Therefore, the Front Street roasters opt for a medium roast, bringing out hints of vanilla and dark chocolate sweetness. The brewed flavor of this decaf coffee includes black chocolate, caramel, nuts, and a rich mouthfeel.