Colombia - El Vergel Condor Decaf 2026

The Bayter family has been farming at El Vergel Estate since 1995, starting with avocado as their primary crop. When avocado prices fell in 2006, they began integrating coffee into the operation, adding catimor, red caturra, and yellow caturra. In 2016, with guidance from Miguel Jimenez, they transitioned to specialty coffee varieties, and by 2018 had adopted natural processing with a focus on fermentation control, including their Koji fermentation process. In 2017, Martha Montenegro, Elías, and Shady Bayter set out to find new ways to add value to their coffees and connect more directly with international buyers, leading to the founding of Forest Coffee in 2019. Today, Forest Coffee spans a network of 250 coffee-growing families across four projects in Colombia, built around processing innovation, education, and direct trade.

This lot is a washed EA decaf. The process begins with fermentation to develop the coffee's flavor profile, followed by caffeine extraction using circular containers filled with a blend of water and ethyl acetate (EA). EA bonds with the caffeine and extracts it while preserving flavor compounds, bringing caffeine levels to 0.1%.

Brewing recommendation:

• Rest 1–2 weeks before brewing
• Filter: 1:16–17 ratio, 88°C
• Espresso: 1:2–2.2 ratio, 90°C, 25 seconds