Late Night Decaf - Specialty Decaffeinated Coffee

Colombia, 1,500–2,070 Masl

This lot is grown in Colombia across a notably wide elevation band, 1,500 to 2,070 meters above sea level — high enough, at the top of that range, to sit alongside some of the country's best-regarded specialty growing zones. Colombia's coffee-growing regions run through a mountainous middle band of the country where altitude, rainfall, and volcanic soil combine to favor slower-ripening, higher-quality cherries over the flatter, faster-grown coffee found at lower elevations.

The varietal is Caturra, a naturally occurring dwarf mutation of the older Bourbon cultivar, discovered in Brazil and since spread widely across Latin America for its compact growth habit and reliable cup quality — it's one of the most common specialty varietals grown in Colombia today, prized for a clean, sweet cup rather than for yield alone.

Colombia has also become one of the world's leading origins for the Sugarcane EA decaffeination method specifically, since sugarcane is a major domestic crop there and the fermentation infrastructure needed to produce ethyl acetate is well established in the country. That's part of why so much specialty decaf on the market today, including this lot, traces back to Colombian green coffee even when the origin story for that particular bean predates its decaffeination.

Brown Sugar, Peach, Red Apple

This cup leads with brown sugar sweetness, moves into ripe peach through the middle, and finishes on a crisp red apple note — a fruit-and-sugar register that reads far closer to a standard specialty coffee than the flattened, cardboard-adjacent profile decaf sometimes gets accused of.

Body is medium, acidity is gentle rather than sharp, and the sweetness carries the cup well enough to enjoy black. Decaffeination inevitably strips out some of a bean's soluble compounds along with the caffeine, which is why decaf coffee in general tends to taste a shade quieter than its caffeinated counterpart from the same lot — the Sugarcane EA process is generally considered gentler on flavor than more aggressive solvent methods, which is reflected in how much fruit character this cup still holds onto.

If you're comparing this to a fully caffeinated Colombian coffee, expect a similar sweetness and body with slightly softened brightness — this is a coffee built to be a legitimate evening or bedtime cup, not a compromise you drink only because it's decaf.

Brews Like Any Medium-Bodied Coffee

Decaffeination doesn't change how you should brew a coffee — this lot behaves like any other medium-bodied Colombian coffee at the brewing stage, so standard ratios and methods apply.

Pour-Over

Ratio: 1:16 (coffee to water by weight). Grind: Medium. Water temperature: 200°F (93°C). A clean, balanced cup that lets the brown sugar and peach notes come through clearly.

Drip or French Press

Ratio: 1:15–1:17, adjusted to taste. Grind: Medium for drip, coarse for French press. Either method suits this lot well, since its sweetness and body hold up fine to full immersion, not just filtered brewing.

Storage and Freshness

Store this coffee whole-bean in an airtight container, away from light and heat, and grind only what you need right before brewing. Decaffeinated beans are, if anything, slightly more porous than caffeinated beans from the same processing, which means they can lose aromatic compounds a little faster once ground — a good reason to buy this one in a size you'll get through at a reasonable pace rather than grinding the whole bag at once.

Prefer a pre-portioned pod instead of whole bean? The same "Late Night Decaf" name is also available as ESE pods.

Did You Know

• "EA" in Sugarcane EA stands for ethyl acetate, a compound found naturally in fruit. The ethyl acetate used in this decaffeination method is produced by fermenting sugarcane rather than synthesized from petroleum-based sources, which is why the method is sometimes marketed as a more naturally derived alternative to older industrial solvent processes.

• Not all decaf methods use the same solvent. Beyond Sugarcane EA, the two other widely used approaches are the Swiss Water Process, which uses only water and no solvent at all, and processes built around methylene chloride, a synthetic industrial solvent — three genuinely different routes to the same caffeine-free result, with different flavor and processing trade-offs.

• Caturra is a dwarf mutation, not a bred hybrid. It appeared spontaneously among Bourbon coffee trees in Brazil and was propagated because its compact size made harvesting easier and its yields more consistent — the same kind of natural genetic accident behind other well-known coffee varieties like Yellow Bourbon.

• Decaffeination happens before roasting, not after. Green (unroasted) coffee is the only stage where caffeine can practically be removed — once beans are roasted, decaffeinating them would mean undoing the roast itself, which is why every decaf method, including this one, works on green coffee before it ever reaches a roaster.

What is Sugarcane EA process decaf?

Sugarcane EA is a decaffeination method that uses ethyl acetate produced by fermenting sugarcane to draw caffeine out of green coffee before roasting. Because the ethyl acetate is plant-derived rather than synthesized from petroleum, the process is often positioned as a gentler, more naturally sourced alternative to older industrial solvent methods.

Is this decaf coffee chemical-free?

Not entirely — decaffeination requires some solvent to separate caffeine from the bean, and this method uses ethyl acetate. What sets Sugarcane EA apart is that the ethyl acetate is derived from fermented sugarcane, a naturally occurring compound also found in fruit, rather than a synthetic industrial solvent.

Does decaf coffee have any caffeine at all?

Decaffeination removes the large majority of a coffee's caffeine but not literally all of it; industry decaf standards call for the substantial majority to be removed rather than an absolute zero. We don't publish a specific caffeine figure for this lot.

Why is this called a bedtime or evening coffee?

Because it's decaffeinated, it's positioned for drinkers who want real coffee flavor without the caffeine that would otherwise keep them up — the brown sugar, peach, and red apple notes are built to make it a satisfying cup on its own terms, not just a lesser substitute for caffeinated coffee.

What's the difference between this and Semi Decaf?

This is fully decaffeinated using the Sugarcane EA method; our Semi Decaf is a half-caf coffee that keeps a portion of its natural caffeine. Choose this one if you want essentially no caffeine, and Semi Decaf if you want a reduced-caffeine middle ground.

Where is this coffee grown?

It's grown in Colombia, across a 1,500–2,070 meter elevation range, from the Caturra varietal — a dwarf mutation of Bourbon prized across Latin America for its clean, sweet cup quality.