Cointreau + Darjeeling + Cinnamon
COUNTRY: Colombia
SUB REGION, REGION: Tolima
FARM NAME / WET MILL: El Vergel Estate
PRODUCER: Elias & Shady Bayter
VARIETY / CULTIVAR: Red & Yellow Caturra
PROCESSING & FERMENTATION: Anaerobic Natural & Swiss Water Decaffeination
MASL: 1350
Our pals, brothers Elias and Shady Bayter, have become hot stuff on the specialty coffee producer scene in their short careers. It’s hard to believe but the masterminds behind the Koji fermentation process only began experimenting with natural processing in 2018 - though they’ve wasted no time making a reputation for themselves and their El Vergel Estate as pioneers in the space, known for innovative fermentation techniques and incredible coffee quality.
This anaerobic natty swiss water process veritably knocked our socks off the first time we tried it. Most seasoned coffee pros can point to a time or two in our careers when we tasted a brew and understood that the game was changed forever - when we knew we were tasting a new era of specialty coffee dawning on us in real time. For us at ST ALi, trying this SWP decaf from El Vergel has been one of those pivotal moments. We’ve tried plenty of coffees that were “good - for a decaf”, and can confirm that this isn’t that. This is an objectively stunning single origin, easily in the top tier of our fav releases of 2025.
The funky, sometimes boozy fruit notes inherent to the anaerobic natural process have been mellowed and deepened by the SWP decaffeination, maintaining its complexity while evolving its flavour into something more rich, balanced and liqueur-like. Look for notes of triple sec up front, a syrupy and moreish yet clear body, and notes of cinnamon and malted milk throughout. Needless to say we’ve found our new go-to after dinner drink.
