Paraiso 92 | Red Bourbon Decaf

About the Coffee

Wilton Benitez grows this Red Bourbon at Granja Paraíso 92 in Cauca, Colombia, at 1,900 to 2,100 meters. Every lot off his farm starts with the same close cherry selection and tightly controlled fermentation, and this decaf follows that same routine rather than a separate, lower-standard process built just for decaf.

The cherries ferment anaerobically (sealed, oxygen-free tanks) with sugarcane juice added directly during fermentation, building sweetness before the beans ever reach decaffeination. After fermentation, the beans are inoculated and moved into the decaf stage, where ethyl acetate made from fermented sugarcane pulls out the caffeine. It's the same base material shaping both steps, fermentation and decaffeination, rather than two unrelated processes stitched together. A thermal shock wash follows to stabilize the bean's structure before drying.

Most decaf gets treated as an afterthought, processed separately and often with less care. This lot is built with the same attention as Benitez's competition-grade coffees, which is why the sugarcane thread runs all the way through instead of stopping at the decaffeination step.

About Somewhere Coffee

Somewhere Coffee Co. is a small roastery in Sherwood Park, Alberta. It started with a simple set of questions: where did this coffee come from, and why does this one taste different than that one? Answering them turned into a roastery.

They roast each coffee on its own terms rather than chasing one house style, running sample roasts, cupping, and adjusting before anything moves to production. Sourcing leans on relationships with importers who work directly and long-term with producers, so information about the farm and the person behind it comes with the bag instead of getting left out.

I love finding decaf that doesn't ask you to compromise, and this one from Wilton Benitez is a great example. Knowing the same sugarcane fermentation shapes both the flavour development and the decaffeination process makes it easy to see why this cup holds onto so much sweetness and clarity. It's proof that decaf can be treated with the same seriousness as any other lot on the farm.

"I've been hearing about Somewhere Coffee for a few months now - what drew me in is how they tailor their roasting style to the bean. Many roasters we work with have a specific style of roasting they adhere to; Somewhere is focused on getting the most from each bean. Enjoy!"

- Dean, Director of Coffee