About Esselon Decaf French Roast Coffee
- Country: Brazil
- Region: Cerrado
- Varietals: Mundo Novo, Yellow Catuai, Red Catuai
- Altitude: 3000 – 4000 ft.
- Process: Natural
- Drying: Sundried, mechanical
- Harvest: April – September
Roast Level: Medium
Tasting Notes: Cocoa, toasted nut, full body
Suggested Brew Method: Drip, French Press, Espresso, Moka Pot
Origin: Cerrado is a region in the state of Minas Gerais, which is now the largest coffee-producing state in Brazil. The coffee is grown in rich soil that locals call “Terra Roxa” or “Red Earth.” Consistent rains, high daytime temperatures and dry winters combine to make the Cerrado region ideal for producing world-class Brazilian coffee. Today, coffee is produced by over 4,500 farms, delivering 5.5 to 6.0 million bags per year, making it one of the most productive coffee growing regions on the planet.
Our Brazil Cerrado coffee is produced by members of the Cooperativa dos Cafeicultores do Cerrado Ltda. (EXPOCACCER), which was founded in 1995 in the state of Minas Gerais. EXPOCACCER is renowned educating its employees in coffee classification, coffee cupping and coffee preparation. EXPOCACCER also supports youth educational, arts, sports and English studies for students up to the age of 12 through the Centro Educacional Pedro Bernardes Dias.
At Essleon we use Mountain Water Process (MWP) and Methyl Chloride (MC) decaffeinated beans. Both these methods use repeated water baths and rinses to remove caffeine from the bean, retaining as much of the bean’s original characteristics, flavors and aromatics as possible.
Mexican Water Process beans are decaffeinated using glacial water from the Pico de Orizaba mountain in Puebla, Mexico. Please check out our What is Decaf? section for more information on the decaf process and why we prefer these methods.
No decaf process is perfect, but we love the coffee these methods produce, and are happy to share them with our friends.