El Vergel Decaf Natural

A few years ago, Marta Bayter was close to leaving coffee behind. Prices were falling fast, and like many small farmers in Colombia, she didn’t see a future in it anymore. But with the support of her two sons, Shady and Elias, she chose to take a different path.

Together, they began planting unique and delicate varieties like Java, Pacamara, and Geisha at their farm—El Vergel Estate in Fresno, Tolima. They also explored new and innovative processing methods that brought out incredible flavors in their coffee. Before long, their efforts paid off—they were earning five to ten times more than they had before.

But they didn’t stop there.

Wanting to share their success, the Bayters partnered with 25 nearby farmers, helping them make similar changes on their own farms. Shady and Elias now oversee the processing of all these coffees, making sure each one is handled with the same care and attention.

This special Red & Yellow Caturra lot goes through a carefully crafted natural anaerobic process. After a 48–60 hour sealed fermentation, the cherries are dried slowly in stages—from raised beds in the sun to gentle mechanical drying. Then, the beans rest for over 45 days to stabilize and develop even more depth.

After that, the beans go through Sugarcane EA decaffeination, a natural method developed in Colombia using ethyl acetate derived from local sugarcane. This process removes 99% of the caffeine while keeping the coffee’s full character and flavor intact.

The result is a beautifully crafted decaf with the flavor that I will be cupping in the next upcoming days.

Origin : El Vergel Estate, Fresno, Tolima, Colombia

Producer/Farm : Elias and Shady Bayter

Process : Sugarcane Decaffeination Natural

Roast Profile : Light

Varieties : Red and Yellow Caturra

Altitude : 1.450 m.a.s.l.

Tasting Notes : Strawberry, Pomegranate, Tropical Fruit

Size : 8oz. (227g)

Coffee beans roasted by Newbery Street Coffee Roasters in Greater Boston

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Coffee: 15g

Grind Size: Medium

Brewer: OREA V3 MKII with Kalita Wave 185

Water: 92'C (Boston tap water with ZEROWATER: TDS 000)

Ending Time: ~1:50

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