The necessary evil…
As I await the arrival or our Organic Decaf beans from Mexico, I reflect on how difficult it was to source a lot that I would be comfortable selling to my customers.

The mandate, the mission of Forge, my purpose for starting it, is to only sell the best of the best. If it isn’t, then someone else can sell it. Our goal is not to be big, or sell the most coffee, but to sell the best.

I mulled over not offering decaf at all. Decaf is often the afterthought of the coffee world. After all, the character of the coffee is changed from its original form, somehow impairing its flavor, right? The assumption is often made that since this isn’t “real” coffee, that little to no attention should be paid to it. Taste doesn’t really matter with decaf, does it? It doesn’t sell as well, it gets the “orange” designation, you get the flipped over coaster.

With the sample roasts that I did, I was rapidly coming to the conclusion that decaf might not be the right choice for Forge… they ranged from sour and bland to downright abhorrent… until I found this wonderful organic decaf from Mexico. It hits you hard with toasted caramel, then a pleasant fruited brightness following close behind, settling into mellow chocolate and finishing with a bit of sweetness in the aftertaste. The cup is smooth and rounded overall. It really is close in taste to a regular coffee.

I realized that there are those out there that NEED their decaf. Those with high blood pressure on strict orders to avoid caffeine, people who need to sleep, but still want their cup of joe, people who just don’t like the buzz. It should therefore be my obligation, and in keeping with Forge’s mission, to sniff out the very best decaf I can possibly offer.