Colombia on Coffee & Me

Decaf Coffee: How It's Made and How to Buy a Good Bag

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 16:00:00 -0700

Why Decaf Deserves a Second Look

Decaf has a bad reputation: stale, flat, a little papery. A lot of that reputation was earned by old, cheap beans, not by decaffeination itself. Today many specialty roasters sell single-origin decaf with a roast date and real tasting notes, and it can be good enough that you would not guess it in a blind cup.

The trick is knowing what the decaf line on the bag means. Caffeine is always removed from green (unroasted) coffee, before roasting, and the method used changes both the taste and the price.

Colombia: Balanced, Sweet and Harvested Almost Year-Round

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:37:00 -0700

Why Colombia Belongs in Your Rotation

Colombia is one of the world’s largest coffee producers; in USDA estimates for 2024/25 it ranked third, behind Brazil and Vietnam. Nearly all of it is Arabica, and most of it is washed. For a home brewer that adds up to a dependable cup: caramel sweetness, red fruit or citrus, medium body, and a clean finish.

Colombia also has range. A chocolatey supermarket blend and a floral microlot from the southern mountains can both say “Colombia” on the bag. This guide helps you tell them apart.