LMSC - I find decaf coffee doesn’t taste as good as the real stuff. I’m with Dave, and in my opinion a lot of flavours are lost.
I’m happy to be proven wrong, it I’m yet to find a good decaf that I like. It’s a similar comparison to non-alcoholic beer: they taste OK, but it’s just not the same taste wise.
Rave Coffee has, on their website, the “Colombian El Carmen”, both normal and sugarcane decaf. Whether they are actually the same coffee I don’t know.
I’ve had a lot of awful regular coffee and some very nice decaf. Human intervention always steers the final flavour of the coffee (picking, process, roast and especially…roast). All coffees taste somewhat different, that’s why we buy different ones.
Regular coffee limits how much I like to drink, but choices in decaf don’t really make it a viable alternative to the variety available in regular coffee. But, I have gone through decaf stages, especially when a work colleague had sensitivity to caffeine.
So, in short, not all decaf leaves you wanting in the flavour stakes, but you will certainly be limited in choice. And most decaf is darker/espresso oriented.
(EA process/sugarcane decaf have usually been my preferred options).
MediumRoastSteam non-alcoholic beer: they taste OK,
The difference is in the kick! This makes a huge difference MRS! I do not know if you drink beer. If you do, get a can of Brewdog’s Hazy Jane and Triple Hazy. The difference in these two us in alcohol content and flavour. I love both, but more of the triple hazy. I guess the same applies for coffee. Certain standard bag has more oomph than others - like light roasts vs medium roast. I find Brazilians are too mild. Liking a decaf is like that.
MediumRoastSteam good decaf that I like.
Please try a bag of Extract Coffee’s sugarcane decaf and Smith Street’s Five Arches. The best so far IMO.
Unless one can prove the significant loss of flavour or otherwise, neither no one is wrong. I would tend to think nothing significant is lost as opined by most of the roasters. We need a solid evidence to prove otherwise.
I am puzzled why expensive coffee beans don’t go through the decaf process. I can’t blindly assume the risk of losing lots of flavour is the reason. The decaf is an expensive process. This will make the expensive beans decaf cost prohibitive.
MWJB It’s a shame we are really limited in decaf choices.
LMSC Please try a bag of Extract Coffee’s sugarcane decaf
Done! 👍😊
I can vouch for Extract Sugarcane decaf too. If you haven’t ordered from them before they usually do a 30% discount code for new customers
DavecUK - I’ll defo come around during the holidays if you are around. 👍
These guys have some decent collections. I haven’t heard them before.
https://www.decadentdecaf.com/collections/decaf-coffee-range
https://www.redber.co.uk/collections/decaf-coffee-beans
Caffeine & alcohol rots the brain and lowers your vibrational frequency.
drdre89 Errr.. yeah….and??? Lol, you pay your money and you make your choices.
IMHO existing without living (risks,etc) lowers your vibrational frequency a helluva lot more!!
Enjoy the ride, everything in moderation, including moderation! Safe and sensible is for accountants
For me, the reminders of injuries past are a sometime drag, but the memories are freakin awesome!!!
This guy gets it:
The sugar cane decaf from extract came in the post today. Meh. In my opinion, just another decaf. Not my thing at all, and, very dark.
Once Dave described coffee as being “alive”. And I think I get it now, as, for me, day experience with decaf is meh, flat, dead, not a great deal of aftertaste.
I’ll keep in the freezer for when I fancy a coffee after dinner.
MediumRoastSteam What was the roast date? You need to give it a rest for at least 3 weeks. It’s defo on the darker side.
LMSC - 14th of July.
MediumRoastSteam If you don’t like decaf, you don’t! Surprised you don’t like it. I was really surprised how good it actually is. The only thing that I don’t like about them is they are on the darker side, considering the process greens have gone thru!
Sorry mate, you had to spend money only to find it disappointing!
I’ve not opened my Django decaff yet. Still resting. Am really interested to find out what it tastes like.
I’m really looking forward to JHs ‘great decaff experiment’.
My understanding (from a YT Q&A he did) is it will involve buying a bean at source, sending it to different decaff processors, then selling it to roasters to roast their way and people can buy from them as normal. Follow and interrogate the whole process and then see what people think. I don’t know if there will be a ‘worlds biggest choice tasting’ element to it.
