We proudly present another coffee that falls into the category “No-Way-That’s-Decaf”-Decaf. Our first coffee from Mexico, this lovely decaf brings mellow flavours and complexity to the cup. It has a creamy vanilla and stone fruit vibe to it and a pleasant nuttiness reminiscent of Hazelnuts to round it off. Try it and you won’t miss the caffeine one bit - promise!
Background Info:
The Sierra Mazateca mountain range is located in the state of Oaxaca, one of the most diverse states in México, both biologically and culturally. The region is very remote, hard to access, with many in Oaxaca not even knowing of its existence. It is an important indigenous region which gets its name from the presence of the indigenous group, the Mazatec. Around 92% of the population speaks an indigenous language, mostly Mazateco and in their own language this group is called Ha Shuta Enima, which means “those who work the hills”. There is an important tradition of coffee growing in this region. The steep landscape makes for hard work but is also the reason for the outstanding cup quality. The region is also one of the most lacking in health and education coverage of the country with an alarming poverty and illiteracy level. It is made up of small and isolated communities where the main economic activity is small-scale agriculture, since few people own more than a couple hectares of land.
The weather, the land, and the producers together generate extraordinary coffees in this region. Most coffee producers in the Mazateca have between 0.5 to 5 hectares of land with the average producer working on less than one hectare. This means that, as in much of Oaxaca, production is very small and yields are lower here than in other areas of the state. The average amount of coffee processed by each producer per harvest can be as low as 100kg. We are buying this coffee through Raw Material Coffee, a Community Interest Company reinvesting 100% of the profit they generate back into the specialty coffee regions they work with. In the case of the Mazateca region they are aiming to open up access to the specialty market for producers and to provide a sustainable and profitable supply chain for their coffees. In time, this supply chain can help to generate capital and investment to help improve yields, production volumes and quality in the Mazateca.
The decaffeinated coffee from this region is a mixed lot of washed coffee that is transported to the Mountain Water decaf facility in Veracruz, north of the coffee producing regions we work with. For the processing, the station uses mineral water from Mexico’s highest peak, the Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl, which sits at 5,636 MASL. The process is chemical-free, immersing the green beans in a high pressure filtration system which gradually removes the caffeine. Once complete, the beans are re-dried and packed for export.
Sierra Mazateca - Mountain Water Decaf
100% Arabica, medium roast
Origin: Mexico
Region: Sierra Mazateca, Oaxaca
Altitude: 1700-2000 masl
Producer: Smallholders of the region
Process: Fully Washed, Mountain Water Decaf
Varietal: Bourbon, Typica, Mundo Novo
Tasting Notes: Vanilla Custard, Apricots, Hazelnuts
Recommended for: Espresso and Brewed Coffee- 250g bags are resealable with aroma valve made from omnidegradable material - best before 6 months from roast date
- 600g bags are made from plastic free FSC certified paper, non-resealable and fully kerbside recylcable, recommended as a refill option for airtight coffee containers - best before 8 weeks (in bag) and 6months (in airtight container) from roasst date
Learn more about our new packaging! And grab yourself a deal on our coffee + container bundles!