The Name: Chambakú

Chambakú is the name of a legendary fragrant flower — the Mirabilis jalapa or Four O'Clock flower — deeply embedded in Colombian folklore and poetry. In Caribbean Colombian culture, the chambakú blooms in the afternoon and fills the air with sweet perfume as the day cools. The name evokes warmth, fragrance, and sweetness — qualities that align precisely with what this decaf aims to deliver in the cup: the gentle, aromatic sweetness of a good Colombian coffee without the caffeine.

Caldas: Colombia's Coffee Heritage Department

Caldas is one of Colombia's three core Coffee Cultural Landscape departments — along with Quindío and Risaralda — that together received UNESCO World Heritage status in 2011. The department is home to Manizales, the capital of Colombia's coffee axis, and produces coffee across a range of altitudes from 1,200 to over 1,800 metres above sea level. Caldas farms are typically small (1–3 hectares), traditionally managed, and producing primarily washed Caturra and Castillo — Colombia's two most historically significant commercial varieties. The volcanic soils of the department, fed by the Andes' geological activity, create the mineral richness that gives Caldas coffee its characteristic chocolate and caramel notes.

The Sugarcane EA Decaffeination Process

The Sugarcane Ethyl Acetate (EA) process is one of the most appreciated decaffeination methods in specialty coffee — and it is distinctively Colombian. Ethyl acetate is a naturally occurring compound found in fruit and fermentation, but the commercial EA used in this process is derived from fermented sugarcane — a crop grown abundantly in Colombia, including in the Valle del Cauca department adjacent to the coffee-growing regions. This sugarcane-derived EA is used as the solvent to selectively remove caffeine from green coffee beans, after which the beans are steamed to remove any solvent traces and dried.

The process is gentler than older chemical solvent methods (like methylene chloride), and the natural sourcing of the EA gives it a "clean label" appeal that resonates with specialty buyers. Importantly, it preserves coffee's aromatic compounds and structural sweetness more effectively than some other methods — making it the preferred decaf process for Colombian specialty lots that need to retain their character. Industry Beans (Australia) describe their Caldas Sugarcane Decaf as delivering "smooth, sweet and fruity" character; Castillo and Caturra at 1,600 masl processed this way genuinely retain their chocolate and brown sugar notes.

"Naturally decaffeinated using the Washed Sugarcane Process, resulting in a smooth, sweet and fruity cup." — Industry Beans, describing their Caldas sugarcane EA decaf

Why This Decaf Is Different

Most commodity decaf is made from varieties selected for yield rather than quality. Chambakú Decaf uses Caturra and Castillo grown at 1,400–1,800 masl in Caldas — the same altitude and variety combination that produces specialty-grade caffeinated Colombian coffee. The sugarcane EA process then removes caffeine while protecting the flavour architecture that those growing conditions created. The result is a decaf that behaves like a specialty coffee: caramel sweetness, stone fruit, clean acidity, and a smooth body that satisfies without the stimulation.

Brew Guide