El Condor Decaf | Colombia

El Condor EA Process Coffee is decaffeinated using Ethyl Acetate (EA). In this method, the green beans are steamed or soaked to expand the beans for caffeine extraction. The expanded beans are then soaked in EA, a naturally occurring organic compound found in many fruits and vegetables, which can be synthesized for coffee decaffeination.

In the presence of EA, caffeine bonds with the compound and is drawn out of the bean. The decaffeinated coffee is then removed from the EA solvent, rinsed thoroughly, re-dried and re-bagged for transport. El Condor is brought to us by way of Forest Coffee. Produced by the mother and son team of Marta, Elias, and Shady Bayter, they’ve implemented experimental tactics such as EA to improve their coffee quality. This process of decaffeination is a favorite of ours because it retains much of the coffee’s acidity and sweetness, as well as drops the caffeine content to 0.1%. In this cup we taste bright notes of spicy cinnamon, red berry, and rich caramel.