Over the Moon Decaf: A Great Tasting Decaffeinated Coffee, 20 Years in the Making
To say this coffee was 20 years in the making is not an exaggeration.
The First Roast of the Day
When I started my coffee career as a roaster operator, roasteries assigned decaf as the first roast of the day. The roast that brings the roasting equipment to its optimal operating temperature. For those unfamiliar with converting raw coffee into the life-affirming roasted bean we enjoy each and every morning, the first roast of the day takes place when the roaster is "at temp," but has yet to fully warm-up, fully hit its stride and deliver at peak performance. Relegating decaf to the first roast was common practice 20 years ago, and mind-bogglingly, remains so today.
So What's Wrong With Being First?
At best, the roaster operates at a temperature that is ever-so-slightly less than ideal. At worst, it can take the roaster operator — and the roast itself — on a wild ride; a rollercoaster of unplanned temperatures and times. Either way, the decaffeinated coffee receives zero respect, and is not given the opportunity to deliver anything other than a less than optimal cup.
Why Doesn't Decaf Get the Love it Deserves?
But why then, is it always the decaf batch that gets left behind? Having already been subjected to the decaffeination process, it's pretty much agreed that a decaffeinated coffee is going to fall short when it comes to cup quality, regardless of batch position. Why make its odds of delivering a delicious cup even harder so? Intentionally so?
The answer to this question hasn't changed in twenty years: "Because it's decaf." Other classic responses include: Decaf drinkers aren't coffee drinkers. It's going to fall short in flavor no matter how we roast it. It's already undrinkable, you can't really make it much worse. Surprisingly, this thinking remains to this day.
What If We Challenged the Norm?
But what if we decided to challenge the norm? Not just at the roaster, but at each and every step of a decaffeinated coffee bean? Starting at the beginning, starting on the farm. What if we questioned the quality of the raw, green coffee that is chosen to be decaffeinated? Instead of decaffeinating coffee that is of lower quality and less expensive, what if we grew and hand-picked high quality coffee with the intent of making it a decaf? Breaking the "garbage in, garbage out" cycle that is all too common with decaffeinated coffees.
Sourcing Great Coffee for Decaf
As committed as I am, and our team of coffee experts to handling and roasting green coffee with the respect it deserves, the farmers of Gold Mountain Coffee Growers (GMCG) are equally dedicated to growing and processing the greatest green beans possible (not to mention their pursuit of some very impressive social practices).
So dedicated, they are willing to risk the serious financial consequences possible when they choose to undertake unwieldy and complicated fermentation processes. Processes that can render the coffee unsalable if something goes wrong. All in the pursuit of amazing decaf.
Over the Moon Decaf: A Great Tasting Decaffeinated Coffee, Finally
Happy's latest limited time offer of Over the Moon Decaf unites the passions of farmers and roasters alike. It's the ultimate example of what happens when growers, processors, and roasters are determined to overturn decades of false dogma.
Over the Moon Decaf is an incredibly complex, great tasting decaffeinated coffee, exhibiting hints of cocoa, an apple sweetness, and soft mouthfeel. Decaf's typical paper and cardboard flavors are nowhere to be found in this cup. Cream or sugar, very much optional.
I knew there had to be an enjoyable decaf. And twenty years later, now there is:
Michael
happy® coffee guru
About Over the Moon Decaf
Over the Moon is a 91-point Coffee Review Swiss Water decaf microlot from Jinotega, Nicaragua, sourced from Gold Mountain Coffee Growers. The Swiss Water Process removes 99.9% of the caffeine using only water — no chemical solvents — so what you taste is pure coffee. Notes of apple sweetness, cocoa, and balance.
Limited run only. When it's gone, it's gone.
More microlots from the Happy microlot series
Over the Moon isn't alone — check out Little Victories, our 92-point Maracaturra microlot from Jinotega. Or read the full Happy collab archive.
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