DECAF Dulces Suenos, Nicaragua — Espresso Roast

This lot is a blend of day lots from producers around the San Ignacio districts, which in this case are Chirinos, San Jose de Lourdes and Tabaconas. Producers in these areas pick and process their coffee themselves and usually dry the coffee on a lined patio. Coffee is generally fermented there for 24 - 36 hours and the main varieties grow are caturra, castillo and typica.

The three districts that are represented in this blend are three of the most promising qualities areas in all of Latin America – with high altitudes and ideal growing conditions. The altitude of the Andes combined with rich volcanic soils and tropical rainfall means that Peru has the ideal topography and climate for producing high quality Arabica coffee.

EA process uses Ethyl Acetate, which is a natural component found in substances like fruits and sugarcane. It can also be produced synthetically. In both cases, the solvent is food-safe. Preparation: The green beans are steamed to open the cell structure (a bit like pores on skin). Extraction: EA is added to the beans and extracts the caffeine from them. The beans are rinsed a few times with EA to remove all caffeine. Finishing: Steam is then used to remove traces of the solvent and dry the beans back to their original moisture content. Compared to water processes, the EA process has fewer steps because the solvent is highly effective at binding to caffeine. This reduces the stress on the internal cell structures of the coffee, resulting in fantastic cup quality.