Santa Barbara Decaf, Honduras

THE COFFEE. 

 Taste. 

Probiotic ginger and pineapple shot and a rum baba so creamy I’d give up on not trying to get it all over your hands.  Punchy tropical acidity with a deep and lightly spiced, boozy body with an eminently creamy mouthfeel. Hands down one of the best decafs we’ve ever had on espresso. 

Processing.

This one’s an interesting one when it comes to processing. As with most decafs, this is a mixed lot from multiple producers. This one just happens to be quite a unique mix occupying the whole spectrum of coffee processing. Washed, honey, anaerobic honey, natural, and anaerobic natural beans have all gone into this blend (check out our blog post if these terms are a little confusing). Sounds like a bit of a mess, right? The result is anything but, expect a super clean, zesty, and complex cup.  

 These beans have undergone the Ethyl Acetate (EA) or sugarcane decaffeination process. During the process, the beans are steamed to open their pores (yes beans have them too), and then submerged in a solution of EA (a natural by-product from sugar cane and fruit production) and water. The EA and binds to the caffeine before the beans are removed from the tank and steamed once again to remove any residual solution. This process effectively decaffeinates the beans without impacting on the coffee’s quality or flavour. 

THE PLACE. 

Origin. 

 All of the coffees including in this lot come from Santa Barbara, a real favourite origin of ours and one we’ve routinely featured over the last few years. Densely forested, ecologically rich, and home to soaring altitudes, the region is home to some exceptional coffee growing conditions, illustrated by some great results for producers from Santa Barbara at the Cup of Excellence.  

 Coffee cultivation began in the region in 1940s as a secondary crop grown in the lowlands. But, with the boom in coffee prices in the 1970s, coffee quickly overtook other economic activities to become the main economic sector in Santa Barbara. The industry kept going strong until 2011 when the Roya disease decimated almost all the farms in the region. Since then, producers have been working tirelessly to rebuild their livelihoods, and, thanks to their resilience and dedication, the region is once again producing exceptional coffee. 

THE STORY.

Sourcing.

The lots that make up this decaf come from Beneficion San Vincente, one of LCM’s main partners in Honduras and includes offerings from Nelson Ramirez, who we recently featured an exceptional washed anaerobic from. Originally purchased as micro-lots, the coffee was conceived to plug a gap after issues in LCM’s supply chain. Its exceptional quality impressed the team so much that they decided to make it a permanent part of their offerings. 

 The decaffeination was undertaken at the Coffeein Compagnie factory, a family-owned business in Bremen with almost a century of experience in the process.