Between the Andes and the basin of the beautifully named Magdalena River lies a fairly hard-to-reach region with an outstanding terroir. Tolima accounts for as much as 12% of Colombia’s coffee production and is the country’s third-largest coffee region. Coffee here is typically grown on small family farms averaging about 3 hectares each.

This lot is one of those remarkable examples that delights us with its terroir-driven bouquet, even despite the powerful decaffeination process using a solvent. The cool climate, fertile soil, and unique local characteristics shape the acids and aromatic compounds in the coffee beans. Only after that does the coffee undergo the strong solvent treatment that can strip away some of the organic compounds. But that is not the case here.

This lot was decaffeinated using methylene chloride. First, the coffee was soaked in hot water, causing the beans to swell and expand, making it easier to extract compounds. The tank was then filled with the solvent — in this case methylene chloride, a highly volatile substance. This step was repeated in several cycles to remove nearly all the caffeine. Finally, the solvent was washed out of the coffee with steam, and any traces left evaporated during drying.

In this way, almost all the caffeine is removed from the green coffee, together with a certain percentage of flavor and aromatic compounds. Yet this coffee remains so vibrant that the Colombian potential shines through in every cup, with a bouquet full of bright berries, spices, and citrus notes.