I've noticed that decaf coffees produced with the Swiss Water process share an odd consistent "note" not typically noticeable in coffee. It's sort of "chemical"-ish, I guess—but Swiss Water doesn't use solvents. Wonder why? Maybe from reusing green coffee solutions?
Conversation
Replying to
I assume it’s just a side effect of “you can’t remove the caffeine without also removing some of the flavor”
1
2
Right—the green coffee solution is only isotonic when averaged across all coffees, so it'll mute variations between coffees.
Replying to
I haven’t noticed that. The SWP decaf I’ve had tastes as close to non-decaf as I could hope for. Very much unlike the bulk decaf you buy in the store, which tastes like a cup of hot acid. I wonder if prep method and grind make a difference, though.
1
1
Possibly! I'm prepping as I do for the same roaster's typical single origins: V60 @ 21g / 330g aiming for 2:45 extraction.
Replying to
But, if I’m drinking decaf, I’m generally drinking for a specific purpose, i.e., time of day. So I’m more interested in just having a good cup of coffee than I am in the notes differences between varieties. So maybe I haven’t paid as much attention to the subtleties as you have.
