Decaf Honduras Ocotepeque

Country: Honduras

Region: Ocotepeque

Farm: Various Smallholder Farms

Process: Washed; Mountain Water Process

Variety: Bourbon, Caturra, Icatu, Ihcafe 90, Pacas, and Lempira

Harvest: November - March

Altitude: 1100-1750 metres

Baker’s chocolate, butterscotch, golden raisin

We’re excited to introduce our first decaf offering— Certified Organic Decaf Honduras Ocotepeque.  Often, we find that the flavor in a decaf can be dominated by the decaffeination process, and the typical decaf roast profile is tailored to mask the off-notes— compensating for the rigorous physical damage the beans incur during decaffeination.  However, this coffee performs excellently— both in the roasting drum using a light-medium roast profile, and in the cup as a pour-over, cold-brew, and even as a rich, velvety espresso.

Originating from the uniquely situated Ocotepeque region of Honduras, this lot has been selected by Royal Coffee importers from various smallholder farms.  In November of 2020, the Ocotepeque region was hit hard by Hurricane Eta.  Flash flooding and mudslides tore through the region. Farmers worked tirelessly to preserve their coffee harvests, as many of their livelihoods depended on it. This unique offering is a result of their efforts.

During the initial processing of the coffee, the fruit of the coffee cherry is removed from the bean, allowed to ferment for 18-24 hours, then washed and dried prior to decaffeination.  At the decaffeination stage, the coffee is processed in specially sourced mountain water from Pico de Orizaba- Mexico’s highest peak.  This organic water-based solution extracts the caffeine while leaving the flavor compounds intact.  It’s then dried, packaged, and shipped just like any other green coffee.

Due to the mountain water method of decaffeination, the natural flavor profile of the beans has been preserved.  We get some lovely notes of butterscotch, baker’s chocolate, and golden raisin- sure to taste good no matter how you take your coffee.