BRAZIL - SANTOS - "SWISS WATER PROCESS" DECAF

Decaffeinated coffee was first developed in Germany in 1903. Traditionally, most decaffeination processes utilize solvents to eliminate caffeine, often removing essential chemicals pertinent to flavor and aroma along the way. These methods can frequently alter cup profiles and diminish origin characteristics, leading to a negative perception of decaf among 'real' coffee drinkers.

The ongoing challenge in the decaffeination process is to remove caffeine without stripping the beans of their inherent aromas and flavor profile. The Swiss Water decaffeination process employs water to gently remove 99.9% of the caffeine from green beans while preserving the bean’s distinctive origin and flavor characteristics. Originally discovered in the 1930s in Switzerland, the Swiss Water process is now patented and utilised by the Swiss Water Decaffeination Coffee Company in British Columbia, Canada. The process ensures 99.9% caffeine elimination while retaining the best of the bean. It's 'decaffeinated coffee without compromise.'

The Swiss Water process uses water saturated with soluble coffee solids, referred to as Green Coffee Extract (GCE), to remove caffeine from green beans without eliminating any of the soluble coffee components that contribute to origin characteristics and aromas. When the green beans are introduced to the GCE, the soluble coffee components of the beans are maintained at equilibrium with the coffee solids in the GCE. This results in a net extractive process in which only the caffeine is removed, leaving the coffee's unique flavor profile intact.

The GCE is then passed through a carbon filtration system to capture caffeine molecules, maintaining the concentration level of soluble coffee components. The green beans are submerged once more, and this process is repeated until the beans are 99.9% caffeine-free. The entire process takes approximately 8-10 hours. After decaffeination, the beans are dried, bagged, tagged, and ready for roasting.

A very versatile coffee. Light to Dark espresso roast depending on the flavour intensity you enjoy. Try blended 50/50 with a caffeinated coffee for a half-caf experience