Sugarcane Decaf coffee

In the cup:

BLACKCURRANT, BROWN SUGAR & COCOA

NATURALLY DECAFFEINATED COFFEE

There are many reasons why you might turn to decaffeinated coffee. From lifestyle choices, to a quest for better quality sleep, medical reasons, or just to avoid caffeine overload. It's clear that the increase in demand for quality decaf coffee is a lifestyle choice that's here to stay.

A truly delicious decaf remains a rarity; even rarer is a decaf with 100% traceability. But we have always been up for the challenge and, over the years, have tried several different processes and farms to find a delicious decaf with no compromise.

Our Sugarcane Decaf espresso is one of the best we've tried and proof that you can be just as fierce without the caffeine.

Footloose, fierce and caffeine free

BUY DECAF COFFEE ONLINE

Visit our online shop to buy this year's Decaf and Low-Caffeine coffees or keep scrolling to read the history of Sugarcane Decaf, our fierce house decaf.

BUY SUGARCANE DECAF COFFEE ONLINE

WHAT IS SUGARCANE EA DECAF COFFEE?

The sugarcane process uses compounds from locally grown and fermented sugarcane called Ethyl Acetates (EA). Despite their rather harsh name, these are an entirely natural by-product from fermenting sugarcane.

Once harvested and processed, the green (unroasted) coffee is steamed and soaked in water with the EAs, which help extract the caffeine from the coffee beans.

Finally, the water is drained and the coffee is rinsed and re-steamed (to remove any traces of the EAs).

Extract Coffee Roasters at La Marianela Coffee Farm Colombia

Extract Coffee Roasters Co Founder, Dave visiting La Marianela coffee farm.

100% TRACEABLE DECAF COFFEE

Our Sugarcane decaf is grown by long term partners, La Marianela. Once harvested, they send the coffee to the nearby town of Pitalito where it is decaffeinated using the Sugarcane EA method.

DECAF COFFEE WITH FEWER FOOD MILES

As well as tasting better than any decaf we've tried, our Sugarcane Decaf had far fewer food-miles than other methods.

This is because it is decaffeinated in the country where the coffee is grown, Colombia, instead of being transported around the world for decaffeination.

When we made this change a few years ago, we estimate that we saved 6000 food miles per coffee shipment. So, Sugarcane Decaf coffee means your cup has a smaller carbon footprint and also directs more funds to the country of origin. A win-win!

MORE ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

The story behind our Sugarcane Decaf

2019

100% TRACEABLE DECAF

LA MARIANELA, COLOMBIA

After the huge success of our new, Sugarcane Decaf, we made our house decaf even better by moving to a 100% traceable supply chain in 2019.

We connected one of our longest standing growers, La Marinaela with the local sugarcane processing mill in nearby Pitalito.

Now we can offer an epic decaf with complete traceability back to farm and lot. Fierce!

FARMS: La Marianela, Cauca, Colombia
PROCESS: WASHED, SUGARCANE EA DECAFFEINATION
IN THE CUP: BLACKCURRANT JAM, BROWN SUGAR & COCOA
2018

BETTER FLAVOUR. LOWER FOOD MILES

SUGARCANE DECAF, PITALITO

In 2018 we upgraded our decaf from a pussycat to a light-footed, but 100% more badass, jaguar.

We changed the process from Swiss Water Decaf to Sugarcane Decaf, a decaf which was so good our sourcing team could barely taste the difference!

This change also saved us about 6000 food miles, as instead of being transported from Brazil to Canada for decaffeination, our new coffee was grown and decaffeinated in Colombia.

FARM: Pitalito smallholders, Colombia
PROCESS: Sugarcane EA
IN THE CUP: BLACKCURRANT JAM, BROWN SUGAR & COCOA
2013

Swiss Water Decaf

The Swiss Water process was chemical-free and the only plant of its kind to be certified organic, making it a great choice for the next evolution of our house decaf. A nutty, chocolatey Brazilian decaf.

The green coffee (raw beans) are washed, then soaked in a series of containers with a GCE (Green Coffee Extract) to remove soluble caffeine and reintroduce other coffee solubles, like oils and sugars that make the coffee taste good. The process is repeated until 99.9% of caffeine is removed.

The coffee was selected from the Cerrado region in Brazil, the richest and most biologically diverse savannah in the world, before being transported to British Colombia in Canada for decaffeination.

FARMS: Cerrado, Brazil
PROCESS: Swiss Water
IN THE CUP: COCOA, CHESTNUT
2011

CO2 DECAF, FINCA LA JOYA

In the CO2 decaffeination process, green, unroasted coffee beans are soaked in water with compressed carbon dioxide. This attracts and removes the caffeine molecules from the beans. Carbon filters then remove the caffeine from the water.

Finca La Joya growers, the Pacas family, are growers on several small estates around El Salvador’s fertile Apaneca Ilamatepec mountain. Their CO2 decaf was the first coffee we used as our house decaf. No sock in the jaw here, so we stuck a lazy cat on the bag. Miaow!

FARM: Finca La Joya, El Salvador
PROCESS: CO2 DECAFFEINATION