We're Brewing The Best Decaf In America On The Coffee Sprudgecast

On the latest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, we’re doing something a little different. Call it bold, call it boundless, just don’t call it…caffeinated?

That’s because our intrepid hosts are diving deep into one of the most delicious decaffeinated coffees in the world today. On this episode, Zachary Carlsen brews BlendIn Coffee Club‘s Colombia Los Nogales, the first-ever decaf coffee to win at the United States Brewers Cup!

Weihong Zhang of Blending took home th 2024 United States Brewers Cup championship, garnering top honors in Rancho Cucamonga using a decaf Typica variety from producer Oscar Hernandez of Finca Los Nogales in Huila, Colombia. There was a mad rush on this coffee following Zhang’s big win, but we managed to score some and we’re brewing it up on the show. You can pick up a bag of it online or in their cafe year-round.

This is no ordinary decaf coffee. After de-pulping, the green coffee is then decaffeinated using, in part, its mucilage, which helps “[avoid] off flavors and [enhance] complexity with floral and fruity notes,” Zhang told Sprudge in an interview with Zac Cadwalader.

Eager to reproduce the flavors that won the big one, Zachary Carlsen replicates the brew process deployed on the Brewers Cup stage as accurately as possible (with a slightly different hand grinder and variety of Hario V60—listen in to find out more). The process is especially interesting due to its use of two water temperatures and a touch of water bypass at the end. Catch the whole episode to get the full download.

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, Pacific Barista Series, Ghirardelli, and DONA.