Beansmith.spresentsNOGALES, a decaffeinated coffee that retains a full-bodied, complex, and naturally sweet flavor even without caffeine. In the cup, it unfolds a balanced blend of mandarin, panela, and chocolate-covered banana, complemented by a medium, pleasantly juicy acidity. Thanks to the traditional Typica variety and the mosto method, this coffee tastes surprisingly fruity and clean—so much so that few would guess it’s decaf. With a cupping score of 88, it ranks among the most distinctive decaf lots of the season and offers a juicy, sweet, and very elegant profile when brewed over a filter.
The roots of this coffee lie at the Los Nogales family farm in Bruselas, Colombia, led by the energetic innovator Oscar Hernández. His family is an important part of the region’s history—his father, Ricaurte, helped put Bruselas on the map for specialty coffee when he won the Cup of Excellence in 2006. Today, Oscar continues the family tradition while moving the farm toward a modern and sustainable approach. At Los Nogales, their philosophy rests on three pillars: respect for the soil and regenerative agriculture, working with diverse coffee genetics, and bridging science with practice. Thanks to this, the farm has become a hub of innovation that inspires farmers throughout the region while producing exceptional lots with precise sensory profiles.
The unique character of this coffee is achieved through the decaf mosto method, which combines traditional washing with a natural decaffeination process. After hand-sorting and fermentation, the beans are dried on raised beds and hulled, then immersed twice in a 40°C hot bath and subsequently macerated in coffee cherry juice—the must. This step imparts a distinct sweetness and fruitiness to the coffee, as the compounds found in the pulp are naturally absorbed into the beans. After a final wash and five days of drying, the result is a decaf that tastes like a full-bodied filtered coffee: sweet, juicy, and exceptionally clean. Nogales Decaf is thus an example of how an innovative approach can transform decaffeinated coffee into a fascinating taste experience.