James Hoffmann has done many great things in the coffee world. From winning the World Barista Championships to setting up Square Mile Coffee and starting his famed YouTube channel. This man is never resting, never sitting back. Most recently, he launched a global Decaf Project that aimed to highlight just how far decaffeinated coffees have come in the past years. Thanks to this, I discovered a bunch of new micro roasters like D stands for Decaf from Vienna. I can only say ‘thank you, Sir’.
Ever since launching this new category of Coffeevine coffees, decaf sales have steadily grown. It seems that I am not the only person who is really developing an interest in low-caf or decaf coffees. Everywhere I go lately, I see decaf take a more prominent place on shelves, in grinders and on menus.
For me, it was simply a way to appeal to a broader customer base. For Miriam Boubachta it was a necessity during and following her pregnancy. It was then that she understood the effect that caffeine has on your body and it sparked a curiosity in her. Could caffeine-free specialty coffee taste just as good? She had to investigate.
As she discovered during her journey of discovery, the answer is yes. In the last few years, decaf has made huge strides out of the shadows. Previously, decaf was something only pregnant women, people with heart problems or those with sensitive stomachs would drink. It was never something to be proud of or that was proactively being promoted by roasters.
But as techology and science have advanced, so has decaf. The fact that she could get access to so many interesting lots from different origins was the reason Miriam felt emboldened to launch her own roastery with a sole focus on caffeine-free coffees. She set up shop in Vienna and roasts on an environementally friendly S7 Stronghold roaster.
After discovering her company through the Decaf Project, I reached out to Miriam and invited her to be our decaf partner for February. She sent me a few different options to consider but the results of the blind cupping were pretty clear. The washed sugarcane decaf lot from El Vergel stole the show. This coffee was so good, I mistook it for a regular lot. It is vibrant, fresh and really clean.
If all decaf coffees could taste like this, I would say this category has a bright future. And luckily, all signs are pointing in the right direction!
To order this extraordinary coffee, visit the decaf product page.
