Aprocoyce Peru SWDecaf

Moving on from a popular coffee is always hard. It’s not simply a matter of finding an equivalent to take its place, but rather a challenge to move on from the positive memories the outgoing coffee brought. Moreover, it is our goal to release something better. The good news is that we have succeeded and we are proud to release our new decaffeinated Peru Aprocoyce. We were really surprised with the delightful character of this coffee. Aromas of almond and praline give way to a full bodied coffee with notes of candied pecan and sweet vanilla. This really sets a high bar for decaf quality and we hope you love it as much as we do!

A central part of our roastery work is the dynamic management of green coffee stock. We are always mindful of how are levels of stock are being consumed, what is due to run out and when we need to bring new stock in. One of the strengths of our decaf is that we tend to have a long-term supply, affording us more time to plan ahead for its eventual successor. Late in 2023, we began to cup through as many decaf options we could find. Considering the quality of the outgoing Honduras Capucas Decaf, this was not an easy task. We constantly found good coffee that just didn’t quite speak to us in the way we expect for a TCO release.

The Aprocoyce Decaf from Peru comes as a real game changer. This isn’t just a great decaf, but also a coffee that stands alongside any of our other caffeinated options. It is sweet with a gentle acidity and packs a real depth of flavour. The old adage of “Death before Decaf” is rapidly fading as the speciality industry evolves. There is a growing body of consumers who want to enjoy good coffee without the added effects of a stimulant. This has lead to more producers sending quality coffee for decaffeination, bringing tastier decaf options to the speciality market. Luckily, our customers get to benefit from this!

This coffee is a mix of Caturra, Catimor, Typica and Pache – representative of the 380 members of the Aprocoyce Cooperative. These plants are grown under shade crops at 1400-1800m, in the Amazonas region of northern Peru. Once ripe, the cherries are harvested and taken for floatation to remove detritus and under-ripe cherries. At this point the cherries are fermented in tanks between 12 and 16 hours, following which they are washed then left to dry on solar driers. At this stage, the green coffee is shipped to Vancouver, Canada for decaffeination with the Swiss Water Decaf team. Here, the coffee is partially rehydrated then soaked in a unique Green Coffee Extract (GCE) The GCE is a solution of fresh water and all the soluble solids found within coffee, except for caffeine. With 8 – 10 hours in the GCE, and continual circulation of the solution, the caffeine levels are reduced to 0.1%. The solution is filtered using a carbon filtration system which can be regenerated for repeated use. Meanwhile, once dry, the coffee is re-bagged and sent to us via our importer, DR Wakefield.

Soil quality is at the heart of the Aporcoyce Coop mission statement. The Amazonas region is in the mountainous, forested and deeply historic region of Peru along the northern border with Ecuador. This area is steeped in history as a direct consequence of the soil fertility. Native forests and a plethora of microclimates produce rich organic matter which ensures a high quality of soil. Aprocoyce centre their practices on helping their members increase their crop quality via access to technical and financial assistance, as well as the facilities to cup the crops they grow. Originally, founded with 23 members, the 380 members take part in environmental projects such as reforestation and soil regeneration to give back to the land that provides them with such a flavourful bounty.

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