Colombia Tumbaga Sugarcane Decaf Omni

Region: Cauca, Tolima, Antioquia

Producer: Various smallholders < 5 hectares

Variety: Various | Altitude: 1 400 to 2 100

Tumbaga is named for an alloy of gold, copper, and silver that was used throughout Colombia to make small, often religious, objects. This alloy symbolically married the contradictory energies of sun (gold) and moon (silver), producing a balance between opposites, much like our Tumbaga Sugarcane Decaf. Knowing that the decaffeination process will magnify sweetness and acidity,  Tumbaga beans are sourced with high body, high sweetness and low acidity. The result,  a balanced, chocolatey and sweet cup.

Sugarcane decaffeination utilizes a naturally occurring compound, ethyl acetate (EA) to decaffeinate coffee. The EA used in this process is derived from molasses (a byproduct of sugar production). Since EA is naturally-occurring, the process is labeled as “naturally decaffeinated. The EA process is relatively simple. The coffee beans are moistened with water and EA is circulated throughout. The EA binds with the caffeine in the bean and extracts the caffeine while leaving most of the other flavor compounds. After the desired caffeine level is reached, the EA residue on the beans is removed by steaming them.