We Broke the Record: Highest-Rated Decaf Ever
Updated September 2026
Frequent Coffee just set a new record.
Our Red Bourbon decaf from Wilton Benítez received a 94-point score from Coffee Review, the highest ever awarded to a decaffeinated coffee in the publication’s history.
It’s a meaningful moment, not just for us, but for decaf as a category.
The Coffee Behind the Score
This lot comes from Wilton Benítez at La Macarena in Cauca, Colombia, a producer known for precision processing and pushing boundaries in fermentation.
The coffee undergoes a tightly controlled double anaerobic fermentation with yeast inoculation, followed by sugarcane EA decaffeination. The goal is simple: preserve as much of the coffee’s original structure and aromatics as possible.
In the cup, that shows up as clarity, balance, and expressive character.
Coffee Review described it as:
“Soaringly complex, exhilaratingly citrusy decaf cup.”
— Kenneth Davids, Coffee Review (April 2026)
A Shift in Decaf
For a long time, decaf has been treated as an afterthought. Lower expectations. Lower investment. Lower ceilings. That’s changing.
This score reflects a broader shift happening across specialty coffee, where producers, processors, and roasters are applying the same level of care to decaf as they would to any high-end lot.
Accordingly, Frequent wasn't the only decaf-focused roaster featured.
Coffee Review’s April 2026 report highlighted a small group of roasters pushing decaf forward, signaling a larger movement toward higher-quality, more expressive, and more traceable decaffeinated coffees.
Read the Review + Try It
You can read the full Red Bourbon Coffee Review here:
Read the full Red Bourbon Coffee Review
Or shop the coffee while it’s still available:
Shop Red Bourbon Wilton Benítez Decaf
93 Points: Finca El Paraíso Castillo
In September 2026, Coffee Review scored our Finca El Paraíso Castillo 93 points, with 9s in aroma, body, and flavor.
Tasting blind, the panel found strawberry, lychee, yellow peach, vanilla bean, and white chocolate, over a gently juicy acidity and a thick, syrupy body. Their bottom line credited the processing for the "vivid fruit and confectionary sweetness" in the cup while holding onto balance.
The lot comes from Finca El Paraíso in Cauca, Colombia, home to producer Diego Samuel Bermúdez and one of the most innovative processing teams in the country. It goes through yeast inoculation in stainless steel bioreactors, sealed anaerobic fermentation, a thermal shock finish, and sugarcane EA decaffeination. More on that method in what yeast inoculated coffee means.
Shop Finca El Paraíso Castillo Decaf
92 Points: Sidekick
In September 2026, Coffee Review scored Sidekick 92 points, with 9s in body and flavor.
Tasting blind, the panel found milk chocolate, baked pear, caramel, roasted almond, and orange zest, over a gentle, round acidity and a creamy mouthfeel. Their bottom line called it inviting and full bodied, built on chocolate, nut, and caramel sweetness with enough fruit and citrus to keep it lively.
The coffee comes from smallholding farmers of the Asprotimana Cooperative in Huila, Colombia, grown from Caturra, Castillo, and Variedad Colombia, washed, then decaffeinated by the sugarcane EA method in Colombia.
Sidekick is one of our best sellers and the coffee most of our subscribers keep coming back to. Available in 12oz and 5lb, and on subscription at 20% off every order.
Our Coffee Review Scores
Coffee Review is the longest running independent coffee publication. They score blind on a 100 point scale, so these are outside assessments rather than our own claims.
| Coffee | Score | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Red Bourbon, Wilton Benítez, Sugarcane EA Decaf | 94 | April 2026 |
| Finca El Paraíso Castillo, Yeast Inoculated, Sugarcane EA Decaf | 93 | September 2026 |
| Sidekick, Huila, Sugarcane EA Decaf | 92 | September 2026 |
The 94 on the Red Bourbon is the highest score Coffee Review has ever given a decaf.