Planadas, Tolima

Planadas sits high in Tolima, on volcanic soil, and the coffee here comes from small farms, often under four hectares. This lot is processed as a natural: the cherries dry slowly in the sun on raised beds or patios, turned several times a day so they dry evenly. That slow drying is what builds the deep sweetness and fruit character that survives decaffeination.

What EA decaf actually is

Ethyl acetate is a compound that occurs naturally in fruit. For this coffee it is derived from sugarcane, and the green beans are steamed, then rinsed repeatedly in an EA solution that binds to caffeine and carries it out. The beans are steamed again to drive off residual solvent, then dried. Compared with the Swiss Water and mountain water processes, EA decaf generally holds on to more sweetness and body, at the cost of a slightly softer acidity. It is the most common method for Colombian decafs because the sugarcane is grown locally and the processing happens at origin.

About K&B Kafferosteri

K&B is a small roastery in Laholm on the Swedish west coast, working with specialty grade coffee across a compact rotating range. They carry several decafs alongside their single origins, which is less common among small roasters than it should be.

Brewing it

Decaffeinated beans are more brittle than caffeinated ones and produce more fines at the same grinder setting, so start one or two steps coarser than you would with a regular washed coffee and adjust from there. They also roast darker at the same heat input, so keep the brew water slightly cooler, around 92 to 94 degrees. It suits a paper filter well; a flat-bottom setup with the Orea 01 gives an even extraction, and the chocolate side comes through nicely in a smaller cup like the Loveramics Egg.

Coffee details