March 2020

When you mention decaf you can get mixed reactions.   Every decaf coffee lover wants their drink to taste just like their caffeinated cousin.  Some people feel coffee isn’t coffee without caffeine and that the experience just isn’t the same.  I personally have had some amazing decaf coffee and didn’t see much of a difference.  Everyone should have the opportunity to experience what I did and give decaf a try, even though it is made differently  To better understand decaf, you should know the different ways decaf beans are made.   Coffee beans are naturally caffeinated and have been used for their invigorating quality for centuries.   These seeds from a fruit of a tree, can have the caffeine extracted from them in one of three ways. Using organic chemical solvents (methylene chloride or ethyl acetate), using carbon dioxide, or the Swiss Water method.  A decaffeinated coffee bean has almost all of the caffeine removed from the bean.  At least 97 percent compared to regular coffee.  This is important for those who are sensitive to caffeine to know.   In the end, we know that decaf can be just as enjoyable as other caffeinated blends and deserves to be on the menu.  Next time you want to try something in the afternoon and don’t want the caffeine kick, try decaf, especially an Americano.  You may be surprised by the flavors you taste. 

When coffee comes to mind, we usually think of a dark, bitter, and aggressive beverage. Yet, we don’t think of coffee as being sweet. If so, we associate the sweetness to the sugar we add or cream to subdue the bitterness, making it easier to drink.  We have some news for you, some of the best coffee tends to be sweeter, and the higher quality coffee beans express this often. The Italians knew this all along.  So what are you looking for when we mean sweetness in the coffee? Similar to flavor, you first start with the tastes of caramelized almonds and other sweet, nutty flavors. Some blends offer strong hints of fruits or even maple, and yes, we cannot forget brown sugar. An easy way to experience this is to have two or three types of coffee that are different blends beside one another and taste them. To get the most out of this experience, taste each cup 3-4 times and make notes of what you discover, sharing what you find after each sip. To have some real fun try coffee from different regions of the world to see how the flavors differ from one another. This is something that will surely expand your knowledge of coffee and enlighten your appreciation of coffee.