Colombia Swiss Water Decaf

About the Coffee

This Colombia decaf is sourced through Royal Coffee, whose team selects lots based on cup profile, physical preparation, and how well the coffee holds up through the decaffeination process. The Swiss Water Process is done at a certified facility in Vancouver, B.C., using no chemical solvents. Instead, green coffee beans are first hydrated to prepare them for caffeine extraction, then immersed in Green Coffee Extract (GCE), a solution made entirely from coffee solubles. Caffeine migrates out of the beans through osmosis while the flavor compounds stay behind. The GCE is then filtered through carbon filters to remove the caffeine and recycled for use again.

Swiss Water is one of the few decaf methods that removes 99.9% of caffeine without chemicals, which is why it's the standard for specialty-grade decaf. The tradeoff historically has been flavor loss, but careful lot selection before the process begins makes a significant difference. Royal's pre-selection criteria, focused on both physical bean quality and cup potential, is designed specifically to minimize that gap.

The coffee is roasted to a medium profile by Alternate Route, based outside Edmonton, Alberta. Medium roasting suits Swiss Water decaf well, preserving what remains of the bean's natural character without pushing into roast-dominant flavors.

About Alternate Route

Alternate Route Coffee Co. was started by Ian and Kellie Wahl in Alberta as a husband-and-wife project. The roastery is located just outside Edmonton, near the international airport. Kellie Wahl now leads the operation alongside Head Roaster Corie Sackville, and the team is majority women-owned and women-run. That shift happened gradually, not by design.

They roast on a Probat P12, a 12-kilogram drum roaster common in small-batch specialty operations. Every batch goes through the same machine with the same attention to consistency. Their sourcing focuses on named growing regions and direct relationships with producers who meet their quality standards.

"Alternate Route is our first women-owned and operated roaster, and this month I'm proud to announce every Alternate Route coffee we're featuring is sourced from women coffee producers. I'm particularly excited to share their coffee from Huila, Colombia with you - this is one of my favourite balanced coffees this year."

- Dean, Director of Coffee