Epoch Chemistry Coffee - Colombia Decaf - Medium Roast (250 g)

This coffee is a blend of multiple regions in Colombia with a focus on cup consistency. It is decaffeinated by the local company Descafecol SA, in the town of Manizales, Caldas, using the Ethyl Acetate (EA) process.

Ethyl acetate is produced by esterification between ethyl alcohol and acetic acid. The ethyl acetate used by Descafecol is produced by sugarcane grown locally. Sugarcane grows at lower elevations than coffee and is often planted at the base of the same mountains where coffee flourishes. Ethyl acetate and spring water are the only substances coffee comes into contact with during the decaffeination process. This process is FDA approved and the ethyl acetate produced by Sucroal is verified food grade, kosher, and halal.

Ethyl acetate is a natural solvent, meaning it can dissolve other substances. The EA process gently extracts the caffeine from coffee beans, avoiding the use of excessive heat that could damage the structure of the beans.

The EA process begins with a pretreatment step of steaming beans at a low pressure to remove silver skins. Coffee is then moistened with hot water to swell and soften the beans to catalyse the hydrolysis (the chemical breakdown of a substance due to reaction with water) of the caffeine, which is bonded to chlorogenic acid inside the coffee.

Coffee next passes to an extractor, where caffeine is removed by repeatedly washing with the natural solvent ethyl acetate. This process happens several times to complete the extraction stage, removing more than 97% of caffeine, per US standards.

Once caffeine extraction is complete, a flow of low-pressure steam is passed over coffee to strip residual ethyl acetate, leaving less than 5 ppm, which evaporates at 70°C once coffee beans are roasted.

The coffee, now decaffeinated and free from ethyl acetate, moves from the extractors to the vacuum drying drums to remove the water applied during the moistening step and adjust the final humidity of the beans to between 10-12%. The coffee is cooled to ambient temperature using fans and polished as the final step of post-treatment. It is then ready to be packed and shipped as decaf, providing the full and delicious flavour of Colombian terroir to those sensitive to stimulants!

Sorry, coffee can only be delivered within Canada, due to FDA regulations.

• Origin: Colombia
• Region: Blend of different regions
• Tasting Notes: Cinnamon, caramel, citrus, peanut butter, Oh Henry bar
• Roast Level: Medium
• Cultivar: Caturra, Castillo, Colombia
• Elevation: 1500 MASL
• Producer: Smallholder Farms
• Process: EA Decaffeination

About Epoch Chemistry Coffee

Epoch Chemistry started as a passionate endeavour in June 2020 to bring the best coffee to Atlantic Canada. What initially started as a dream of a cafe grew into an individual business model in coffee, focused on education and experience. Today, Epoch has a full roastery, two cafe locations, and a dedicated tasting room supported by a team of passionate coffee and business professionals. We believe specialty coffee should be approachable and fun, with a focus on circularity in our supply chains and to lead by example when it comes to ethical practices and sourcing.

We roast in a Nordic style; meaning we like to keep the profiles light-medium, as opposed to what we can typically find here in the East Coast. The reason we roast lighter profiles is to highlight the flavours of the high quality single origin green coffee we order from importers. In our coffees, you'll find notes varying from chocolate, dried fruits, and nuts to mulled wine, tropical fruits, and candy.

Sorry, coffee can only be delivered within Canada, due to FDA regulations.