Decaf? Wait before you dismiss it—give us three minutes, and we’ll definitely convince you that not all decaf is created equal. Los Nogales Decaffrom theColombian town of Bruselasis a coffee that deserves your full attention, no matter what you think of decaf. Oscar Hernández and his team at the Los Nogales farm don’t produce it as a bland “decaf,” but as the result of scientific precision and a family passion stretching back three generations. In the cup, you’ll find papaya, raspberry balsamic, and juicy peach. And if you’re used to hearing about decaffeination with ethyl acetate or the Swiss Water method, this coffee will introduce you to something different: the Mosto method, which you’ll encounter almost exclusively at innovative specialty farms like Los Nogales.
The Los Nogales farm is located in the village of El Diamante near the town of Bruselas in the southern part of the Huila department, one of Colombia’s most prestigious coffee-growing regions. Thanks to the fertile soil of the Andes, high altitude, and ideal microclimate, coffees with exceptional complexity and minerality are produced here. The Hernández family traces its tradition back to 1940. A turning point came in 2006, when Ricaurte Hernández won the Colombian Cup of Excellence, putting Bruselas on the map of the world’s specialty coffee. Oscar, his son and the project’s current leader, is continuing this tradition with scientific precision. Today, a team of biochemists, agricultural engineers, and microbiologists works at Los Nogales, thanks to whom the farm has become an inspiration for growers throughout the region.
Decaf Mosto is a decaffeination method that relies on the natural potential of the coffee cherry itself. The Caturra variety first undergoes classic washed processing, after which the beans are immersed twice in hot water at 40 °C, each time for four hours. The key step is the addition of must, a natural sweet juice extracted from the pulp and skins of coffee cherries. This liquid acts as a natural solvent that gently extracts caffeine from the beans without compromising their aromatic potential. After soaking, the beans are carefully washed and dried for approximately five days. The result is a decaffeinated coffee that nevertheless retains all its fruity vibrancy and clarity.