Does Decaf Coffee Use 100% Arabica Coffee Beans? Does Starbucks Have Decaf Coffee Beans?

Understanding Decaf Coffee

When people talk about decaf, two things usually come to mind. First, it is very gentle to drink, with a caffeine content below 0.1% of the green bean's dry weight. Second, most common decaf beans tend to taste lackluster, having lost the wonderful aroma and distinctive character, such as fruitiness, that coffee beans naturally possess.

So why is that?

Let's first look at two common ways of processing decaf green beans: the water processing method and the supercritical carbon dioxide method.

Water Processing Method

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Processing Method

Most decaf beans on the market still use the relatively lower-cost water processing method. With this method, decaf green beans show a significant color difference from regular green beans.

If even the color changes, it is no surprise that the flavors are worlds apart. Because of this, decaf processing facilities don't much care what processing method a bean had before its transformation, or what its original flavor was, since after decaffeination everything that should be gone is gone. So the decaf green beans we typically encounter lack the detailed, clear information of regular specialty coffee, such as whether the process was natural or washed, which specific region, which estate, or what altitude.

The Rolls-Royce of Decaf Coffee

To all the caffeine-sensitive coffee lovers out there: at this point, are you feeling completely discouraged? Don't worry, we still love you.

You can tell from the color that this bean is very close to a normal green bean. In every other respect it also fully meets specialty green coffee standards. It is called the "Rolls-Royce" because all its information is traceable and documented: it was washed processed before carbon dioxide treatment, and it is the proud work of the latest batch from the Sachiso Estate, a key partner of Trabocca. As a decaf, its flavor is fully comparable to regular washed Yirgacheffe. As long as the roast is adjusted properly, it will give you a huge surprise. While we were testing it, we were captivated by its unique floral notes and Ethiopian citrus flavors, and could hardly believe it was a decaf. Of course, it's also possible that I simply roasted it well.

Precisely because of its traceable information and premium flavor, calling it the "Rolls-Royce of decaf coffee" is no exaggeration. For caffeine-sensitive people who love coffee, a cup of stress-free decaf like this may bring more joy than taking a Rolls-Royce for a spin. Before, they either had to take various risks to taste a good cup of coffee and satisfy a craving, or had to suppress the desire and drink a decaf to ease it. Either way, it sounds inexplicably sad.

About FrontStreet Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee is a roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but a diverse lineup of beans, where you can find both famous and lesser-known lots, along with online store services.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

This decaf is remarkable precisely because, after carbon dioxide treatment, its flavor remains comparable to a regular washed Yirgacheffe. If you want to taste that reference point for yourself, FrontStreet Coffee's Gotiti Cooperative coffee is a superb example of washed Ethiopian character. From the Gotiti village team in the Worka area, it follows the most traditional washed processing, maximizing jasmine fragrance and bright citrus acidity; with a medium-light roast it reveals green tea and honey notes, and it suits pour-over, cold brew, and espresso.

If you enjoy the clean, juice-like clarity that washed processing brings, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Small Tomato is a benchmark for double-washed coffee: at 1,550-1,750 meters in Kenya's Thika region and grown from SL28 and SL34, a 72-hour double-wash fermentation gives it cherry tomato, dark plum, snow pear, black plum, and yellow sugar aromas, with a bright, full, juice-like body. And if you prefer a smoother, balanced cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is washed processed as well, delivering the pure hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel notes that make Blue Mountain so even and complete.