Ursa Major - Rare and Unusual Decaf

Sweet // Strawberry // Floral

Ursa Major sits at the very top of the Nott range. Our big dipper.

The coffee may change, but the idea behind it will not. Ursa Major is our top-tier decaf, reserved for the most exciting decaffeinated coffees we can find. It exists for the times when “good decaf” simply isn’t enough, and you want to see just how far decaffeinated speciality coffee can go.

We originally created it for Bjorn Speciality Coffee in Holmfirth, where we wanted a decaf that could sit confidently alongside the very best coffees on the bar, rather than feeling like the obligatory caffeine-free alternative.

This edition is a natural Pacamara from Jonathan Gasca’s Bella Vista farm in Colombia, with an unusually involved thermal shock process. In our cup, it’s sweet, with strawberry and floral notes. Exactly the sort of coffee Ursa Major was made for.

The producer

Jonathan runs Zarza Coffee, a third-generation family project in the mountains of Bruselas, known locally as the Coffee Capital of Huila. Since 2022, the Gasca family has been refining each stage of production, from selective harvesting to fermentation and drying, with traceability, innovation and sustainability at the centre of their approach.

That attention extends beyond the coffee trees. Beekeeping is integrated into the farm, supporting biodiversity and connecting coffee production to the wider ecosystem around it.

Natural processing, thermal shock and decaffeination

Only fully ripe, high-sugar cherries are picked, then hand-sorted and floated to remove underripe or defective fruit. A controlled oxidation stage comes before whole-cherry fermentation, during which the fruit releases a fermentation liquid known as must. This is collected and recirculated through the cherries, bringing the fruit into closer, more even contact with the liquid as the fermentation develops.

A controlled thermal shock then rapidly changes the temperature to regulate fermentation. The cherries are dried whole on raised beds for 20–30 days, with regular turning to keep drying even. Once they reach around 10–11% moisture, the coffee rests under controlled storage conditions before milling.

Decaffeination takes place at Decafecol in Colombia, with the aim of removing caffeine while preserving the sweetness, aromatics and character developed at the farm. The result is a decaf with a story worth telling, and a cup that makes the processing worth talking about.

Origin: Bruselas, Huila, Colombia
Producer: Jonathan Gasca, Zarza Coffee
Farm: Bella Vista
Varietal: Pacamara
Species: Arabica
Altitude: 1,750–1,800 metres above sea level
Process: Natural with thermal shock, followed by decaffeination at Decafecol
Harvest: Early 2026

Brewing

Brew as filter or AeroPress to explore the strawberry and floral notes, or enjoy as espresso, black or with milk. It’s also suited to a cafetière, giving you plenty of ways to make this edition part of your day.

The precise coffee will change with the seasons, but Ursa Major will always represent the same thing: the absolute peak of what we can find right now.

Look up. This is about as far as we can take you.

Explore more from the Nott Coffee range.