Apia DecafDecaf
Roasted by Elusive Coffee in Athelstone, SA
Tasting notes
Chocolate, Berries, Apple, Pineapple, Cocoa
In the roaster's own words.
- Origin
- Colombia · Apia, Risaraldasmall-scale farmers
- Roast
- Medium · Espresso or filter
- Process
- Washed
- Caffeine
- Decaffeinated · Sugarcane EA
- Altitude
- 1700-1900 masl
What Elusive Coffee say
Apia Decaf - Single Origin Colombian Coffee - Sugar Cane Decaf
Colombian Apia Decaf – Naturally Decaffeinated with Sugar Cane EA Process
Discover the exceptional flavor of Apia Decaf , a specialty decaffeinated coffee sourced from the Apia, Risaralda region in Colombia. This sugar cane decaf (Ethyl Acetate process) preserves the natural structure of the bean, resulting in a smooth and flavorful decaf with rich chocolate, caramel, and citrus notes .
Grown at 1,700 – 1,900 MASL by small-scale farmers, these beans benefit from the mineral-rich volcanic soils near Tatamá and Los Nevados National Parks . The careful decaffeination process ensures that the coffee maintains its full-bodied sweetness and clean finish , making it perfect for black coffee lovers and milk-based drinks alike .
Espresso This coffee is great for espresso and milk based: Smooth, rich, and bold-perfect for lovers of a traditional espresso shot. Or as Long Blacks : Balanced and flavorful, delivering the ideal blend of intensity and sweetness in every sip
Recipe: 20 g coffee : 300 g water (1:15), coarse grind, water at 92 °C.
For this coffee: for a sweeter, rounder cup, make pour 1 smaller (40 g) and pour 2 bigger - it deepens the chocolate and body.
Use a coarse grind similar to sea salt. This allows for a slower extraction, which results in a smoother brew.
Pour hot water into the French Press to warm it up, then discard the water.
Place the 30g of ground coffee into the preheated French Press.
Slowly add 450ml of water. Stir gently to ensure the grounds are evenly saturated.
Place the lid on the French Press, but don’t plunge yet. Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes .
After 4 minutes, press the plunger down slowly and steadily.
Immediately pour the brewed coffee into your cup to prevent over-extraction.
Coffee Dose: 20g of finely ground coffee (slightly coarser than espresso grind).
Use a fine grind, slightly coarser than espresso, for the Moka Pot to avoid over-extraction.
Fill the bottom chamber with water, just below the safety valve. Insert the filter basket.
Fill the filter basket with 20g of ground coffee. Level the surface but do not tamp the coffee down.
Place the Moka Pot on medium heat. As the water heats up, it will create pressure, pushing the water through the coffee grounds into the top chamber.
When you hear a hissing sound and see coffee filling the top chamber, the brewing process is almost complete.
Once you hear a bubbling sound, remove the Moka Pot from the heat to avoid burning the coffee.
Is this decaf actually good, and is it good in milk? Yes - it's a single-origin Colombian decaffeinated with the Sugar Cane EA (ethyl acetate) method, which uses a natural compound derived from sugar cane fermentation to remove caffeine while keeping flavour intact. Roasted medium, it carries chocolate, berries, apple, pineapple and cocoa notes - genuinely flavourful rather than the flat, hollow taste decaf is known for. The chocolate-and-cocoa backbone means it holds up in milk, so it makes a proper decaf flat white or latte, as well as a sweet black cup for the evening.
How is this decaf made (Sugar Cane EA vs Swiss Water)? This coffee uses Sugar Cane EA decaffeination: green beans are introduced to ethyl acetate - a compound that occurs naturally and is here sourced from fermented sugar cane - which bonds with and removes caffeine, before the beans are washed and dried. It's a naturally-derived solvent method, distinct from the Swiss Water Process (which uses only water and carbon filtration). Sugar Cane EA is prized for preserving sweetness and body, which is why this Colombian keeps its chocolate, cocoa and fruit character after decaffeination.
What does the Apia Decaf taste like? Chocolate, cocoa and berries, with apple and pineapple brightness - a sweet, fruit-tinged decaf rather than a dull one. It's a washed-then-Sugar-Cane-EA Colombian grown at 1,700 MASL, roasted medium, so it's balanced: cocoa and sweetness up front with a little fruity lift. If you've been disappointed by decaf before, this is built to taste like real, flavourful coffee - good black or with milk, any time of day.
Quoted from their product page.





