It’s time to wrap up The Decaf Project! We sent out a survey to everyone who purchased a The Decaf Project tasting kit and wanted to share some insights from the responses.

We received 147 replies—thank you to everyone who took the time to participate! With the holiday and end-of-year rush, I know it’s easy to forget, so I really appreciate it.

Participants: 147; *highest score from each individual vote 

Sugar Cane/ Ethyl Acetate was the favorite process among our survey participants, with 91 votes in the 4-5 heart rating range and 72 absolut highest rating, representing the highest individual rating from each participant.

Non-Decaf came in second, while Carbonic Natural and Swiss Water performed similarly.

Now, let’s dive into some individual observations and quotes. I added positive and critical comments for each process:

Non-Decaf

“Surprisingly, Non-Decaf was not my favourite in this test.“

“The sweet-acidic finishing notes (ever so slightly funky) of the non-decaf was mostly absent from the decafs, which was in itself interesting.”

“I was surprised how different the non-decaf sample was.”

“The control felt like the most rounded flavor package but that doesn’t mean that I liked it the most”

“The Non-Decaf tasted slightly bitter compared to the decaf options.”

Sugar Cane/ Ethyl Acetate

“Sugarcane had the most pleasant acidity.”

“The sugar cane processed coffee tasted quite sweet in comparison to the others and brought out the most "floral" flavours.”

“Ethyl Acetate was extremely close to non-decaf. Aroma might have even been "fuller" in the EA version.”

“The Sugarcane was my favorite, it just had the right acidity and sweetness for my liking.”

“Sugar Cane smells like instant soup, but (thanks godess) does not taste like soup.”

“Sugar cane had a slightly moldy taste.“

Carbonic Natural/ CO2

“CO2 added some complexity for me.”

“Especially CO2 was very similar, same profile just less intense.“

“C02 was the best, had the most flavours retained compared to original but without "funky" taste of the original.”

“CO2 was so good I even liked it slightly more than non-decaf. While it lacked a bit of body, it was sweet and delicate, with a muted but pleasant acidity.”

“The acidity & bitterness of the CO2 coffee clash rather than complement each other.”

“CO2 had a strong but a bit artificial taste.”

Swiss Water©️

“The Swiss Water one felt like it retained some of the sweetness while adding a layer of a "metallic" flavor, or like a bitter plum.”

“Swiss water was most similar to the original coffee.”

“The swiss water processed one had the most body & acidity, for me it was the favourite.”

“Swiss water was the most removed from the control in flavor but kept the mouthfeel the best. It was very delicious after a bit of cooling down.”

“It had a slightly flat finish, missing a vibrant aftertaste”

Additional note: a lot mentioned that they liked Swiss Water more when it cooled down

General

“Most interestingly, the differences were very minor. Most noticeable was the drop in bitterness in all the decafs.”

“I thought I’d easily smell and taste the differences, but in a triangle test, I realized I couldn’t. That was humbling but fascinating!”

“The results were really close. It’s proof that producing good decaf is absolutely possible, and that makes me very happy!”

Roasting 

For some the coffees were roasted a bit too dark others very much enjoyed it. 

There were also quite some people tasting kits from different roasters which I personally think is great (and did as well):

“Comparing to beans from another roaster that took part in the project, it seems to me that I really don't like the Swiss Water coffees. The other two decaf methods didn't correlate: I loved your Natural Carbonic beans, while I really liked the Sugar Cane from the other roaster. Of course, this is just a sample of two roasters, but an interesting observation for me nonetheless.”

“The coffee was roasted really well. We tried the beans from you and another roastery in a group. 9 of 13 preferred your roasts. We liked the Swiss Water and Sugar Cane the most.”

 “However, the most interesting observation by far was probably the difference in roast. Between four people cupping from D Stands For and another roastery, the predominant notes were the same across decaffeination processes, but the coffees themselves were very different (in the best possible definition of the term) and very clearly catered to different taste buds.”

Epilogue

Thanks to everyone who purchased a kit and took the time to complete the survey! I’ll leave you with this quote, which perfectly captures the goal of this entire experiment:

“This tasting showed me that decaf coffee can be just as good as regular coffee, and now I feel much more open to it.”