From the very first sip,Castillo Decaf from Ordinary Coffee Roasters feels different than what one would expect from a decaf. Instead of a light or "hollow" body, it offers fullness and a pleasant, natural sweetness. The flavor develops slowly and smoothly, starting with a delicate chocolate note reminiscent of nougat or creamy praline, gradually transitioning into caramel and dried fruit. Notes of dried dates also emerge, lending the cup a rounded, slightly syrupy character without feeling heavy. In the background is a very subtle fruity note somewhere between ripe mango and sweet compote. This note lightly enlivens the entire flavor profile but remains more in the background as an accent rather than a main element. What makes this cup interesting is its balance. It is neither distinctly acidic nor bitter; everything is arranged to come across as smooth and natural. The aftertaste is longer, gently sweet, and lingers on the palate like a light caramel note.
Behind this coffee is Daniel Bermudez, a producer from the Huila region of Colombia, who is among the most prominent names in today’s specialty coffee scene. On his farm, El Paraíso, he works a bit differently than traditional farmers. Instead of relying solely on terroir and classic methods, he approaches coffee almost like a laboratory project. He monitors every detail: from the precise ripeness of the cherries at harvest to controlling temperature, pH, and oxygen levels during fermentation. It is precisely thanks to this approach that he is able to create flavors that are not only distinctive but, above all, consistent and stable across individual harvests. The Castillo variety used is often perceived as more practical than flavorful, but in Bermudez’s hands, it takes on a whole new dimension. The entire El Paraíso project thus demonstrates that even more common varieties can offer a surprisingly complex and modern flavor when processed correctly.
Processing begins right on the farm, where Daniel Bermudez employs precise, controlled fermentation. The cherries are harvested at full ripeness and then undergo several steps, including controlled fermentation, temperature management ,and a “thermal shock”—washing with hot and cold water—which helps stabilize the flavor and preserve its purity. The coffee is then sent to the Colombian DESCAFECOL plant, where sugar cane decaf is performed—a gentle decaffeination method using ethyl acetate derived from sugarcane. The beans are first steamed to open their structure, and then immersed in a solution that binds the caffeine while preserving as many aromatic compounds as possible. After decaffeination, the coffee is re-stabilized and dried to maintain a balanced profile. Thanks to this combination of precise processing and gentle decaffeination, the result is a cup that retains the sweetness, clarity, and structure of the original coffee.