Colombia
La Serrania Decaf

The EA Natural decaffeination method uses 100% ethyl acetate derived from sugar cane.

Washed + EA natural decaf process Caturra, Castillo, V.Colombia

Flavour: blackberry, molasses, milk chocolate (as black) / almond, honeycomb, vanilla (with milk)

Body: Acidity:

Roast: omni (filter + espresso)

Subscriptions available

Honestly delicious

This is a beautifully-tasting decaf coffee, that’s why we’ve been sourcing and roasting it yearly since we started.

The EA Natural process removes the caffeine while being gentle on the coffee’s original character, and adds some fruity notes and complexity to the cup.

Flavour profile: subtle sweetness, red fruits, nutty

As black: blackberry, molasses, milk chocolate. It balances some sweetness with a touch of brightness and cocoa.
With milk: almond, honeycomb, vanilla. When brewed as espresso and combined with quality, creamy milk, we feel hints of savoury nuts and aromatic sweetness.
Medium body, low acidity. Given by our omni roast profile (around the medium spectrum).

Photo of a landscape near the area where La Serrania coffee is produced.

About La Serrania

La Serrania represents the work of more than 30 coffee producers based in the central cordillera of the Andes that goes through Pitalito, Acevedo, Palestina, Timaná, and Suaza.

Each producer harvests and processes (washed process) their cherries at their farm, paying particular attention to the picking and drying process to ensure consistency and uniformity.

Then, Caravela coffee mixes them together (only when the quality standards are met) and gets the whole coffee ready for the decaffeination process.

About the Natural EA (a.k.a. sugar cane) decaf process

The place where the decaffeination takes place is called Descafecol, and it’s in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.

The Natural Ethyl Acetate (EA) decaffeination process at this plant uses ethyl acetate (derived 100% from sugar cane) mixed with mountain water. It removes 99.7% of the caffeine, preserving the large part of the original flavours and aromas of the coffee, plus adding some fruity notes and complexity to the cup.

EA Natural decaf process infographic at Caravela Coffee importers.

Learn everything about this coffee:

Ethical, traceable sourcing

We publish all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share and give us permission to—both for single origins and blend components.

This helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (enjoyed black or with milk)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our decaf roast sits somewhere between our single origins and espresso blend profiles.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. This decaf is well enjoyed as black and/or with milk.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach
The milks we use in our cafes

Best brewed within days 3-28 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But decaf coffee ages faster than non-decaf coffee, due to the decaffeination process affecting the bean structure—that’s why the recommended window is shorter and earlier than that of our caffeinated blends and single origins.
Heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

Learn more:
Our packaging

Producer: +30 Producers
Country: Colombia
Region: Huila
Altitude: 1500 – 1700m above sea level
Varieties: Caturra, Castillo, and V.Colombia
Process: washed + EA natural decaf
Country grade: Excelso (Colombia)
Importer Grade: A (Caravela)
Importer: Caravela
Body: Medium
Acidity: Low
Tasting notes: Blackberry, molasses, milk chocolate (as black) / almond, honeycomb, vanilla (with milk)
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varieties

Castillo variety

Castillo is named after the researcher Jamie Castillo, who helped develop the varietal in 2005 by Cenicafe, Colombia’s coffee research centre

Caturra variety

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon that was originally discovered in Brazil in 1937, considered to be the first naturally occurring mutation ever discovered.

V.Colombia variety

Also known as “Variedad Colombia”, this varietal was developed by Colombian researchers at Cenicafe by crossing Caturra and Timor Hybrid

The location

Coffee from Colombia

Colombia is one of the largest coffee producers in the world and benefits greatly from having one of the most unique and complex set of micro-climates of all coffee producing nations.

The Huila region of Colombia

This region boasts the perfect combination of high quality soil and geography and is quickly becoming one of the largest coffee producing regions in Colombia. One of the best regarded regions for high quality, fruit driven coffee.

Farm processes

Washed + Ea Natural Decaf process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.