Villamaría - Omni Roast - 250g
 
Origin: Colombia; Caldas
Producer: Various
Process: Washed EA Decaf
Variety: Pink Bourbon
Altitude: 1800 masl
Importer: Raw Material
Roast Date: 03/02/2025
Batch Number: 03
 
The coffee is dried for 15 days in a temperature-controlled greenhouse, followed by finishing in a mechanical dryer. Sugarcane decaffeination is often referred to as a natural decaf process. Ethyl Acetate (C4H8O2) is an organic compound and by-product found in the fermentation of fruits, and it’s naturally present in items like ripe bananas and beer. The decaffeination plant, just a short drive from Villamaría, uses water from the Nevado del Ruiz volcano (situated between Caldas and Tolima) and natural ethyl acetate from fermented sugarcane sourced from Palmira, in southern Colombia.
 
The process starts by steaming the coffee, which increases its porosity and initiates the breakdown of caffeine, typically bound to salts and chlorogenic acids in the beans. The beans are then soaked in an ethyl acetate solvent, which removes 97% of the caffeine. Finally, steam is applied to eliminate any remaining traces of the compound. The final caffeine content is reduced to ≥ 30 ppm, which is significantly lower than the level found in a banana!