lessthanjoey wrote:I actually came to dislike the Brandywine Yirg Decaf after getting more used to it

That's disappointing to hear, though I can certainly understand it, it's a different flavor from anything else I drink. Hopefully I don't wear it out too quickly. I'll line up an order of the Luna here in the next week or two. That and Four Barrel are next on my list

walr00s wrote:That's disappointing to hear, though I can certainly understand it, it's a different flavor from anything else I drink. Hopefully I don't wear it out too quickly. I'll line up an order of the Luna here in the next week or two. That and Four Barrel are next on my list

Sadly the Luna is gone, I got it right at the end of the run

A couple of additional comments about decafs from Italian roasters.

Caffe del Doge does a good decaf but it is hard to handle. It has the same tendency to be too acid that all non-dark roast decafs have. If it is pulled a little like a light roast espresso, the results can be very good. Long pre-infusion and a little ramp up in the pour.

Lavazza Dek (not Lavazza Decaffeinato in the light blue bag) used to be one of the best decafs around. It was one of Lavazza's best products in the commercial range. My experience recently is that it is uneven - sometimes still quite good, and sometimes not very good. This has been true of their entire range of coffees however. Their consumer coffees have gone from usable to roasted so badly that they can be throwaways even when recently produced.

Caffe Mauro. Again uneven. Basically a good decaf espresso, but some batches have off tastes that make them unusable. I would not order it from outside Europe, but it's worth trying if you can avoid significant shipping costs.

Cannizero decaf is interesting. Strong, dark, earthy taste. Not for everyone.

Lucaffe. If it is reasonably fresh and you don't mind a dark decaf, this is one of the best choices. usually quite reliable.

A strong opinion at the risk of offending some people. I have never tasted a drinkable decaf from a German roaster.

A few more notes on Italian decafs.

The decaf from New York (Florentine roaster) probably is the best I have ever tried. Full, chocolate taste with a soft mouthfeel. It is hard to tell that it's a decaf if pulled well.

Another Florentine roaster that is good is Manaresi. They are a good value decaf; only about 2/3 the price of New York.

Finally, Barbera Sencaf produces a classic Neapolitan espresso. Dark, bitter enough to require sugar, but with a taste identical to a non-decaf southern Italian blend. This is a much darker roast than Kimbo or some of the others - black, oily beans. Pulled strong with a little sugar added, it is hard to beat for an after-dinner coffee.

Links, please?

I buy coffee through Aromatico in Hamburg, but you can probably go to the roasters directly. Shipping from Germany to the USA seems to have become quite expensive, but you can check their website. They list roast dates!

www.caffenewyork.it

https://www.caffebarberashop.com/en/

https://www.manaresicaffe.com/

https://www.aromatico.de/

All around, New York is the best decaf espresso I have found. Barbera Sencafe is an exceptional Neapolitan style decaf. Like all Neapolitan coffees, it is better with a little sugar.

Thanks for the links! Alas, Caffe New York doesn't ship to the USA.

Some more recent ones:

Five and Hoek Brighter Days Decaf - Another fun, toasty decaf with lots of bready notes. I enjoy these, but I could see how others might not. It seems to be a unique-to-decaf flavor and it is very strong.

Flatlands Coffee Columbia de Cana Decaf - Very similar to the other sugarcane decaf. Moderate acidity, lots of caramel, inoffensive but not incredibly exciting

Cat and Cloud Friend Zone, Ethiopia Sidamo - This one was an interesting mix of bitter roast notes and acidity. I have never had anything quite like it. My wife hated it as a latte, saying it tasted "skunky". I couldn't really pick that up and I drank quite a bit of it. It was definitely weird though, and darker than I generally like.

Barrett's Colombian Sugarcane Decaf - Very similar to the other sugarcane decaf. Moderate acidity, lots of caramel, inoffensive but not incredibly exciting

Noble Roasting Co Ethiopia Sidamo - One of the smoothest decafs I've had. Also the most tea-like. It's not my favorite flavor, but it's the closest decaf I've had to natural process coffees. Moderate-high acidity, some floral notes more-so than fruity, which is my preference. One of the few decafs my wife liked enough to regularly request later in the day. It also made an excellent half-caf with a Barrett's Ugandan Natural or an Ethiopian Natural

Higher Grounds Decaf Peruvian Norandino Medium - My favorite of this bunch. It is also very smooth and pleasant and has a nice balance of sweetness and acidity. My first time trying a Peruvian coffee and it's made me want to try some more.

Thanks for the good word on Cat and Cloud Friend Zone! Cat and Cloud has been one of our favorite roasts for a long time. However, had not tried it till last month! It was very good! Can i ask what dosing was on Friends Zone?

im new to this but i only drink decaf . i rarerly drink straight espresso , i usually do milk drinks from cappuccino to lattes.
i have only tried two - one is cafe lusso decaf blend and i love this so far - dark roast - and with milk its great .
i also have olympia asterisk decaf - this one u might enjoy as its not dark .
i have some other stuff coming from noble coffe roasters, and intelligentsia