Name: SWEET MOMELO
Brand: La Leona, Luz Helena Salazar
Price: 17.9 EUR
Availability: InStock

100% Arabica naturally decaffeinated

CO2 neutral roasted & packaged

traded fairly and transparently

Roasted with love in Vienna

Behind the brew

Our first decaf from a female producer: Luz Helena Salazar from La Leona farm in Quindío, Colombia!

This fruit-macerated washed decaf begins with a 72-hour dry, anaerobic fermentation. Tropical fruits are then added to the fermentation tank to intensify the flavors and develop vibrant fruit notes. After fermentation, the cherries are pulped (the skins are removed) and dried under controlled conditions. Decaffeination then takes place using the natural sugar cane process at Descafecol, located close to the farm.

The result is a vibrant, sweet decaf with notes of honeydew melon, tangy pomelo, and a hint of agave syrup. Whether hot or cold brewed, this decaf tastes like sunshine in a glass and brings pure joie de vivre to every cup.

Producer: La Leona, Luz Helena Salazar
Origin: Armenia, Quindio, Colombia
Variety: Mixed varieties
Altitude: 1,450-1,500 MASL
Processes: Fruit-macerated washed
Decaf process: Sugar cane process
Importer-Exporter: Cofinet

This coffee was named by Laura!

By purchasing Sweet Momelo, you support sustainable, transparent, and innovative farming practices that benefit the farm and its community.

About La Leona

Luz Helena grew up in Armenia, Colombia, and has been producing coffee for over 20 years. She manages the 8-hectare La Leona farm, located at an altitude of 1,450 meters in Armenia, Quindío. Luz is the mother of Carlos and Felipe, the founders of Cofinet (the importer of this coffee) and the wife of Jairo Arcila, a renowned producer.

Her passion for coffee was ignited by Jairo's work on coffee farms and as a dry mill manager. She often heard him talk about coffee and wanted to become an active part of the world herself. With his support, Luz began to delve deeply into coffee cultivation and learned step by step how to produce high-quality, ripe cherries. Dealing with pests, in particular, presented her with significant challenges at first – this is where she benefited greatly from Jairo's experience.

Today, Luz focuses entirely on specialty coffee production. With Cofinet's support, she has further developed her cultivation methods and places great emphasis on the quality of her harvest. Once the cherries reach optimal ripeness, they are further processed at Cofinet's nearby La Pradera processing station.

Sustainability practice:

Cofinet and its partner farms, including La Leona, are committed to conserving resources and practicing sustainable practices. These include:

Water saving through the use of natural and honey processes. 90% less water is used in washed coffees through dry fermentation and only small amounts of water are used to remove the mucilage.
Agroforestry: Cofinet cultivates native plants in its own nursery and distributes them free of charge to producers. These plants provide shade, promote biodiversity, and improve soil quality – reducing fertilizer requirements, and the coffee cherries ripen more slowly, which intensifies the flavors. Together with their reforestation partner Biomma, they have been planting 70 trees every month since 2020 to offset CO₂ emissions and actively contribute to environmental protection.
Producer Internships: Cofinet offers producers a free, two-part internship program. In the first part, participants learn alternative fermentation methods at Cofinet. In the second part, Cofinet visits the producers on their farms and supports them in their initial trials. They guarantee the purchase of the first batch.

When Luz is not working on the farm, she enjoys spending time with friends and getting involved in local groups that support disadvantaged people.

About the process

Fruit-macerated washed

The process begins with a dry anaerobic fermentation of whole cherries for 72 hours, with the pulp on. During this stage, tropical fruits are added to the fermentation tank to enhance complexity and bring out vibrant fruity notes. Once the fermentation is complete, the cherries are pulped (skin is removed) and dried on raised beds under controlled conditions until the ideal moisture content is reached.

Through the dry fermentation process developed by Cofinet and its partner farms, only small amounts of water are used to remove the mucilage. This way up to 90% less water is used compared to traditional washed methods.

The result is a vibrant, sweet, and tropical cup that offers the full expression of Luz Helena’s terroir.

Sugar Cane Process

The beans are then decaffeinated using the sugar cane process. The sugar cane process uses ethyl acetate (EA), a natural solvent obtained from sugar cane through fermentation—hence its name. EA is naturally present in numerous fruits and other foods.

First, the green coffee beans are steamed to open their pores.
They are then placed in a solution of water and ethyl acetate, which binds and removes the caffeine without affecting the flavors. This process is repeated several times until 99.9% of the caffeine is removed.
Finally, the beans are steamed again to remove any remaining traces of ethyl acetate and then dried. The remaining amount in the beans is several times lower than in a banana.

The Sugar Cane process preserves the original aromas and flavor of the coffee, often gaining sweetness, and has no off-flavors from the decaffeination process.

This coffee was decaffeinated in the country of origin, keeping a larger portion of the value chain within the country. Short transport routes reduce the carbon footprint and guarantee the freshness of the beans.

How to brew

Filter

Ratio: 1:15 (e.g. 15g coffee to 225ml water)

Temperature: lower, approx. 88-89°C

Grinding level: slightly coarser than usual

Simple Recipe:
Bloom: 45g - 45sec
2 pours on 120g and 225g
Too much agitation leads to stalling and increased astringency.

Espresso

Temperature: Lower, about 91°C

Ratio: 1:2 as a base or shorter – I wouldn’t recommend longer.

Grinding level: Slightly finer than usual.

Aeropress

Here I can recommend Lance Hendricks’ recipe:

👉 Watch the video

30g coffee with 120g water (80-85°C)

Grinding level: Coarser than usual (French Press)

Preparation:

Pour all the water in at once.

Stir for 10 seconds.

After 1 minute, put the lid on and press for 1 minute.

Dilute with 80-120g water.

We would be happy if you shared your favorite recipe with us!

If you have any questions, please send us a message via email or WhatsApp.

Let customers speak for us

from 71 reviews

Great speciality decaf

It's not easy to find high quality decaf. Having he convenience of buying online for a decent price is really great.

Fuad S.

05/11/2025

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SWEET MOMELO

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Let customers speak for us

Specialty Decaf. Thoughtfully sourced. Freshly roasted in Vienna.

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