Decaf Esmeralda, México

This small-batch decaffeinated coffee started its life in the highlands of southern México. Using traditional growing practices, the members of the Esmeralda cooperative harvest their coffee fruit at the peak of ripeness and then choose to process their cherries in a natural style. By leaving the fruit on the drying coffee beans, the final result is a coffee that is intensely sweet, full-bodied, and complex.

We love this particular offering because it retains its bright character and full body even after decaffeination using Ethyl Acetate (EA). In this method, the green beans are steamed or soaked to expand them for caffeine extraction. The expanded beans are then soaked in EA, a naturally occurring organic compound found in many fruits and vegetables. The combination of expertly-produced coffee, the choice of natural processing, and decaffeination using Ethyl Acetate leave us with a decaffeinated coffee that is wildly complex, and just as juicy and sweet as our traditional coffee counterparts.