Zen Decaf

Founded in 1960, the Caldas cooperative operates in 11 municipalities in the region and today has 15 sales points and assistance centers. In these, producers from the region can deposit and sell their coffee, as well as obtain agricultural support and advice from agronomists employed by the coop.

These regional batches provide access to the specialty coffee market, and therefore a higher resale price, to producers who might otherwise find themselves forced to sell on the convenience market at a significantly lower price. They can therefore sort out their quality cherries and get a financial premium for them. In addition, access to the resources of the coop allows for improvement from year to year of each of the small individual batches forming this mixture.

Once the washed process is carried out by the Coop, the coffee is decaffeinated by a third party in Colombia.

Located in the heart of an area nicknamed "Eje Cafetero" (coffee triangle), the Caldas region is located in west-central Colombia. The “Eje Cafetero” area benefits from conditions perfectly conducive to coffee cultivation such as fertile soil, high altitude, and a temperate climate. It is made up of the departments of Quindio, Risaldara, Tolima, and of course, Caldas. The region's typical harvest runs from September to December each year.

Lots of multiple varieties in Colombia are often the result of regional blends. These batches are selected according to a pre-established quality level and then mixed to produce larger harvests than the small individual batches of each of the producers who are members of the assembly. These larger batches will often be used by specialty roasters in their annual offerings, as nano-lots are not available in sufficient quantities for them.

In the washed process, the pulp of the cherry is removed using a mechanical pulper. The cherries are then soaked in a vat of cool water for a period of time, typically 12 to 36 hours. During this period, fermentation develops and allows the mucilage to separate from the grain. Fermentation also adds flavors to the coffee. Then, the grains are washed: that is, rinsed repeatedly with water to dislodge any pectin or part of the fruit remaining on the grain. The beans are then allowed to dry, before being sent for sorting and milling, where the parchment remaining on the beans is removed.

For this specific batch of Caldas Cooperative coffee, fermentation was 36-40 hours and drying lasted 15-30 days on raised beds.

The decaffeination process used by Descafecol is an acetate-based process. The decaffeinating agent used is called ethyl acetate and is derived from a mixture of acetic acid (vinegar) and a natural extract distilled from sugar cane, blackberries, beets or sometimes of grapes. This direct solvent process means the beans are first steamed to expand their pores, then rinsed repeatedly in ethyl acetate to remove the caffeine. Then the grains are dried, but not completely, until 10-12% moisture remains.