Decaffeinated Chambakú – Felipe Restrepo

Producer: Felipe Restrepo
Farm: Finca Chambakú
Region: Quindío, Colombia
Process: Washed, Sugarcane (EA) Decaffeinated
Harvest: 2024

TASTES LIKE

🍫 80% Chocolate – deep and smooth, with cocoa bitterness.
🍯 Muscovado Sugar – rich sweetness and syrupy depth.
🍎 Golden Apple – a delicate aftertaste with mild acidity.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER

Finca Chambakú is one of NOMAD’s long-standing partner farms, and producer Felipe Restrepo continues to refine his craft with each new harvest. For 2024, Felipe introduced a complete overhaul of the drying process for this decaffeinated lot—switching to mechanical silo drying to precisely manage moisture levels.

This improvement has led to a more stable and expressive cup, extending the coffee’s shelf life while preserving sweetness and balance. The result is a decaf that’s surprisingly complex and delicious, easily rivaling fully caffeinated coffees in flavour and texture.

THE PROCESS

The decaffeination method uses high-mountain spring water and ethyl acetate (EA) derived from sugarcane molasses—a natural solvent that selectively removes caffeine while preserving the coffee’s aromatic structure.

The process begins with steaming the green coffee to open its pores, followed by soaking in an EA solution. The caffeine molecules bond with the EA and are gently extracted. Once the process is complete, the coffee is steamed again to remove any trace of the solvent, ensuring 97% caffeine removal and leaving less than 20 ppm residue.

Finally, the coffee is dried to 11% moisture, ready for export. The result is a clean, sweet, and stable decaf that maintains the integrity of Chambakú’s terroir.

WHY WE LOVE IT

This coffee defies expectations—smooth, chocolatey, and full of depth, with a delicate golden apple finish that adds lift. Perfect for those seeking comfort without compromise, it’s a decaf that feels indulgent and satisfying whether enjoyed black or with milk.

Process: Washed

The decaffeination method uses high mountain spring water and ethyl acetate derived from sugarcane molasses — a naturally occurring compound found in yellow fruits like bananas. It’s a selective caffeine solvent, though notoriously difficult to work with due to its flammability and distinct, sweet base aroma. Handling it requires precision, which impacts production costs and can subtly influence the cup's aroma and taste. The result, however, is a coffee with at least 97% caffeine removed and a maximum solvent residue of 20 PPM. Final moisture content sits at 11%.

Expect notes of 80% Chocolate, Moscovado Sugar, Golden Apple

What is the roast recency?

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 6-10 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 10). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.