The dramatic, lush green mountains that stetch through the very centre of Colombia's Huila department are home to some truly delicious coffees. Usually grown and processed by small-holder farmers collaborating through co-operatives, the coffees in this part of Colombia have a rare combination in that they are both exceptional and accessible in flavour profile. It’s for this reason that we’ve turned to Huila for our next level decaf, La Serrania.
La Serranía Decaf is grown high in the central Andean cordillera that runs through Huila, passing through the communities of Pitalito, Acevedo, Palestina, Timaná, and Suaza as it heads north. The fifty producers whose farms are on these mountains have committed as much care to this decaf as any other specialty coffee they produce. Once harvested and processed the coffee is decaffeinated using the sugarcane ‘Natural EA (Ethyl Acetate)’ process, developed and carried out in Manizales, Colombia.
All decaffeination needs a solvent of some kind to remove caffeine. Using products from natural sources is important to Artisan Roast and this clever method uses a natural ethyl acetate derived 100% from sugar cane mixed with mountain water. It’s brilliant at getting the caffeine out without damaging coffee flavour and the result is definitely not your everyday decaf.
Everything you would expect in specialty quality Colombian coffee shines through. Flavours of brown sugar and milk chocolate set a rounded and moreish base to La Serrania. Over this, notes of raisin, dried redcurrant and roasted almond combine. Hints of brown spice and vanilla come through on the finish enhancing the brown sugar like nature of the coffee. The acidity is mellow and lemon like, enough to add structure and complexity as the coffee cools.
