DECAF COLOMBIA Zarza

An adventurous decaf from Zarza Coffee in Huila, the award winning family coffee project producing some of the world's most acclaimed coffees. Sugarcane EA Decaf Producer: Jhonatan Gasca Farm: Bella Vista Variety: Pacamara Process: Natural + Anaerobic Fermentation Region: Huila Elevation: 1800m Harvest: May-June 2025 Zarza Coffee is a third-generation family project rooted in Bruselas, the coffee capital of Huila. Since 2022, Jhonatan Gasca has refined every stage of production - from selective harvesting through to fermentation and drying - with a focus on traceability and expressive, high-quality lots. This attention to detail has led to high acclaim - in 2025 Zarza produced the coffee for world barista champion Jack Simpson that took him to the title. The Pacamara variety, known for its bold fruity tasting notes, is an unusual starting point for this decaf. Pacamara is a cross between the high yielding Pacas variety and the big-beaned Maragogype. It was developed in El Salvador in the 1950's, where it still dominates the national cup of excellence competition. This coffee undergoes natural processing with an anaerobic fermentation before decaffeination. Only fully ripe, high-brix cherries are handpicked and sorted. The whole cherries then go through an initial oxidation phase to activate native yeasts, before extended fermentation in sealed environments - developing a complex brightness and cacao-like depth. The cherries are then dried slowly on raised beds over 20–30 days, concentrating sugars and preserving fermentation complexity, before resting to stabilise the profile. The coffee is then transported to Descafecol where it undergoes Sugarcane EA decaffeination. The resultant coffee is 99.9% caffeine free - a reduction in caffeine of approximately 90%. This is a complex decaf for the curious coffee drinker: bright floral and rose notes making way for a deeper ripe fruits and long chocolate finish with a sweet syrupy body. We've roasted it lighter than our typical decaf, but with enough development to maintain a balanced cup.