DÉCAF Minute Papillon
Farmers: Grupo San Augustin Los Cauchos
Origin: Cauca, Colombia
Altitude: 1800-2000m
Process: Washed, Oxygen sugarcane decaf
Varietal: Caturra, Typica
Roast Level: medium
Notes: caramel, cinnamon, candied oranges
This is NOT your regular decaf. None of the decaf coffees we source are. This one, however, holds a special place in our hearts. Years ago, when we still were trying to understand why decaf sucked so much, we found a few examples of really fantastically processed decafs but, we realized there had to be a few boxes ticked off every time.
One - It had to be a great coffee to start with, not a coffee that didn't turn out & the only thing left was to make it a decaf.
Two - It had to be decaffeinated at origin. Not only from a freshness perspective but also to reduce as much of the carbon footprint as possible. Coffee is already a product that travels across the world and sometimes back again, so any small element we can improve is a win.
Three - It had to be the best decaf we ever had. While this decaf remains the highest we've paid ever for a decaf, it IS by far the best decaf we've ever drank so, you get what you pay for.
The San Augustin & El Alto de Los Idolos
Around 1.000 B.C. a pre-Colombian civilization known as San Agustín flourished next to the mountains where the Magdalena River comes to life. The civilization disappeared mysteriously before the arrival of the Spanish Conquerors. Little is known as to exactly what happened and the only thing that was left behind were the burial sites. These sites were discovered in 1960 by explorers and the archaeological park “El Alto de Los Idolos”, the home to these burial sites, was founded.
The coffee growers from this region initially got together to share ideas and form groups to facilitate the sale of their coffees. The group has always been quality focused and members currently working on standardizing practices, improving their overall processes as well as their drying patios. They have managed to significantly increase the quality of their coffee over time.