Colombia Sugar Cane Decaf

About the Coffee

These beans come from smallholder farmers in Caldas, Colombia, grown at 1,800 meters above sea level. The region's stable mountain climate, fertile soils, and clean water sources make it well-suited for growing Caturra, Colombia, and Castillo varieties. After harvest, the coffee is sent to Descafecol, a Colombian decaffeination processor with over 30 years of experience.

Descafecol uses an Ethyl Acetate (EA) process to remove the caffeine. EA is a naturally occurring compound, and in this case it's derived from locally sourced Colombian sugarcane. The green coffee is soaked in a solution of EA and spring water, which bonds to and draws out the caffeine while leaving the rest of the coffee's structure largely intact. Because the EA comes from sugarcane rather than a synthetic source, this method is often called the "sugarcane process." It's one of the gentler decaffeination methods available, and it keeps the coffee tasting much closer to its original character than older chemical processes.

The result lands somewhere between a washed and naturally processed cup. Descafecol's approach has made them a go-to processor for Colombian decaf, and their 30-plus years in the business shows in the consistency of the finished product.

About Roasti

Roasti Coffee Co. was started in January 2017 by Andrew Hayes and his father, Gerry, out of Sherwood Park, Alberta. Gerry had been roasting coffee in the family garage for years before Andrew, a former hockey goaltender, took it over after his playing career ended. Andrew was dealing with post-concussion syndrome at the time and needed work he could do on his own schedule. The timing aligned with a meeting with Henrique Cambraia, a fourth-generation Brazilian coffee grower, and the two things came together quickly. Andrew ordered a five-kilogram roaster from a supplier in Montréal, set it up in his garage, and started learning.

Roasti's production roaster, Tara Huizinga, describes their sourcing approach as focused on transparency and approachability. On the roasting side, they work from notes provided by importers and farmers about what each coffee should taste like, and try to roast toward that rather than imposing their own profile on it.

"Roasti caught my attention on Reddit forums, but earned its spot in our July box after sampling their coffees; every coffee I tried was delicious and well-balanced. The "icing on the cake": Roasti publishes each coffee's FOB price on their website."

- Dean, Director of Coffee