We Broke the Record: Highest-Rated Decaf Ever
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 Coffee Review here:
Or shop the coffee while it’s still available: