Introducing: Red Fruit Co-Ferment Decaf
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Introducing Colombia Red Fruit Decaf
Sebastian Ramirez | El Placer | Quindío, Colombia
If you've spent any time around specialty coffee over the last few years, you've probably heard the name Sebastián Ramirez. A fourth-generation coffee producer and one of the industry's most innovative fermentation specialists, Sebastián has built a reputation for creating coffees that blur the line between coffee and dessert. His Red Fruit Co-Ferment has become one of the most recognizable experimental coffees in the world - and now, for the first time at Kickback Coffee Roasters, we're offering it as a decaf.
This isn't a coffee that merely happens to be decaffeinated. It's a coffee that happens to be decaf.
The cup explodes with notes of strawberry jam, raspberry candy, and milk chocolate, delivering the kind of sweetness and intensity that most people assume disappears during decaffeination. Instead, the fruit-forward character remains remarkably intact thanks to careful Ethyl Acetate (EA) decaffeination, which removes nearly all caffeine while preserving the coffee's signature profile. (Don't worry if you don't know about EA - well, now - I guess, you do.)
The result is one of the most approachable, joyful coffees we've ever roasted - equally at home as your evening pour-over, morning espresso, or afternoon treat when you've already had enough caffeine for one day, or always drink your coffee caffeine free.
Tasting Notes
Raspberry Candy
Strawberry
Chocolate
About the Coffee
Producer: Sebastián Ramirez
Farm: El Placer
Origin: Colombia
Varieties: Caturra & Pink Bourbon
Process: Red Fruit Co-Ferment EA Decaf
Elevation: 1,800 MASL
How It's Processed
The journey begins with carefully selected ripe coffee cherries. After harvest, the coffee undergoes an extended anaerobic fermentation using wine yeast and dehydrated strawberries before entering a second fermentation phase with CO₂ injection. These controlled fermentations help create the intensely sweet red-fruit profile that has made Sebastián's coffees famous. After drying, the coffee is decaffeinated using the Ethyl Acetate (EA) process, preserving the flavor characteristics while removing approximately 97–99% of the caffeine.
Why We Love It
Most decaf coffee is purchased because it has less caffeine. This coffee is purchased because it tastes incredible.
The decaffeination simply means you can enjoy another cup.
Whether you're sensitive to caffeine, cutting back, or just looking for an evening coffee that doesn't compromise on flavor, this is the coffee we reach for first.
Brew Guide
Pour Over (V60, Kalita, Origami)
Coffee: 20g
Water: 320g
Temperature: 205°F / 96°C
Grind: Medium
Time: 3:00–3:30
Method
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Rinse filter.
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Add 20g coffee.
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Bloom with 60g water for 45 seconds.
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Pour to 180g.
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At 1:30, pour to 320g total.
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Allow drawdown to finish.
Expect: Bright strawberry candy aromatics, raspberry sweetness, and a silky milk chocolate finish.
Drip Coffee
Coffee Ratio: 1:16
Example:
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60g coffee
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1,000g water
Temperature: 200–205°F
This coffee performs exceptionally well as batch brew, producing a sweet, fruit-forward cup that remains balanced and approachable.
Espresso
Dose: 18g
Yield: 36–40g
Time: 28–32 seconds
Temperature: 201–203°F
This coffee shines as espresso, becoming intensely sweet with flavors reminiscent of chocolate-covered berries and strawberry candy. It also pairs beautifully with milk, creating a drink that tastes remarkably similar to strawberries and cream. Community reviews of Sebastian's Red Fruit coffees frequently note strong strawberry aromatics and a lingering raspberry-candy finish.
Kickback Coffee Roasters
A coffee so good you'll forget it's decaf.