Decaf Colombia - Elias and Shady Bayter

About the Coffee

Elias and Shady Bayter run El Vergel, a 400-hectare farm in the Tolima region of Colombia, sitting at 1,550 meters. The farm grows Yellow and Red Caturra varieties and has built a reputation for pushing the limits of what Colombian coffee can do, producing some of the country's most experimental lots alongside more traditional offerings.

This coffee is decaffeinated using the sugar cane ethyl acetate process, which is the most common method in Colombia. Fermented sugar cane produces ethanol, which is then combined with acetic acid to create ethyl acetate, a naturally derived solvent that bonds with caffeine and strips it from the green beans before roasting. Because the solvent itself comes from local sugar cane, the process is considered natural and tends to be gentler on the bean's structure than synthetic chemical methods.

El Vergel's approach to coffee is hands-on and experimental. Elias and Shady have been involved in developing processing techniques that go well beyond what most farms attempt, which is part of why their lots show up consistently on specialty roasters' menus. Even on a decaf, the farm's attention to the base material makes a real difference.

About 94 Celcius

Marc-Alexandre founded 94 Celcius in Montreal in 2017. His background is in biochemistry and pharmacology, and that training shapes how he approaches roasting. Rather than going by feel alone, he uses roast curve profiling on a Probat P12 to map out each batch systematically, tracking temperature changes the way a navigator tracks a route. The goal is consistency: the same cup every time, not just on a good day.

94 Celcius focuses on coffees with traceable origins and works directly with producers and importers who are transparent about their supply chains. They also lean into bold and experimental processing, including co-fermentations and other less conventional methods, which is part of why El Vergel is a natural fit for their lineup. They roast out of the greater Montreal area and sell online across Canada.

"As the guy responsible for testing your coffee before you get it, sampling 94 Celcius beans was an absolute pleasure. Every cup was remarkably clear AND had depth of flavour to explore. I'm particularly excited for you to try "El Limonar", which has the potential to be another subscriber favourite."

- Dean, Director of Coffee