DECAF COLOMBIA EL VERGEL PINK BOURBON

Tastes Like: Pineapple juice, white grape, buttercream frosting

Why I'm Obsessed: A pink bourbon as decaf? And a honey processed one to boot?? Well, if anyone’s ever told you that you can’t geek out on specialty coffee because you drink decaf, this officially proves them wrong! Pink Bourbon is having a serious moment in coffee. Two finalists at the 2023 World Barista Championships used it in the final round, and the specialty world has been paying attention ever since. The reason: Pink Bourbon carries a unique combination of citrusy acidity and delicate floral sweetness, driven by an unusually high sugar content in the bean. It's also notoriously difficult to grow well, which makes a great Pink Bourbon a genuine find. And a decaf version done well is a real rarity!

This may just be the sweetest, most nuanced decaf you’ll ever taste. It’s mellow, subtle and sweet, with a hint of fresh pineapple juice, a floral, white grape delicacy, and a creamy vanilla-toned body that reminds me of a good old-fashioned Nilla wafer (so nostalgic right). What I especially love about pink bourbon coffees are their “light richness”, which this one has in spades.

El Vergel comes from the Bayter family in Colombia's Tolima region, former avocado farmers who became obsessive coffee innovators. They designed their honey process specifically around how delicate Pink Bourbon is: a 36-hour pre-fermentation, followed by a 120-hour sealed fermentation under shade, all calibrated to keep those clean florals intact without losing the sweetness that makes this varietal shine. As for the decaf method, it’s Swiss Water: non-toxic, no chemical solvents, and no stripping what makes this coffee interesting. If you or someone you love is into decaf, don’t sleep on this one! But, at 99.9% caffeine free, you’ll be sleeping well for sure…

Bottom Line: You’ll love this coffee if you love pineapple desserts, sparkling rose, and bragging to your friends about your lack of a caffeine dependency.