Tired of drinking bland and low-quality decaf coffee? That's why St Martin's collaborated with their raw coffee partner to find the most delicious decaf coffee available. Their search led them to a Sugar Cane Processed bean from Colombia, known as Naturally Decaffeinated Coffee, which boasts robust flavors of Blackcurrant, Brown Sugar, and Cocoa. The Sugar Cane Process, which is commonly used in Colombia where sugar cane is abundant, avoids damaging the structure of the bean while also enhancing the sweetness of the final cup.
Here's how it works: fermented molasses from sugar cane is first used to create ethanol, which is then mixed with natural acetic acid to produce ethyl acetate (E.A.). E.A. is found in wine, beer, fruit, and vegetables. The coffee beans are then soaked in water, which increases their moisture content and allows caffeine to be released from the structure. After soaking for the appropriate amount of time, the beans undergo an E.A. wash, which dissolves the caffeine. Finally, the beans are cleaned with water again, steamed briefly to cleanse the inner parts of the bean, and then dried to their original moisture level. Thanks to the fermented molasses from sugar cane, the Sugar Cane Process yields beans with a delightful, clean, and sweet flavor!
