Zero Knots – Medium Roast (Standard)

For the times when you want the ritual of the cockpit without the high-altitude jitters, Zero Knots provides a smooth, "engines-off" experience. This selection is designed for late-night flight planning, or the post-flight "debrief" where flavor is the priority and caffeine is non-essential. It’s a decaf that doesn't compromise on performance, proving you don't need a "full throttle" to enjoy a premium cup.

Flavor Notes & Tasting Profile:

A rich, comforting profile that maintains its structural integrity even without the caffeine "boost."

• Aroma: Toasted graham cracker, molasses, and subtle cocoa.
• Primary Notes: Smooth milk chocolate and roasted almonds.
• Finish: Clean and mellow with a gentle hint of brown sugar.
• Body: Medium-bodied and velvety; it offers a balanced "glide slope" from the first sip to the last.

Origin Details:

• Region: Northern Andean Highlands of Peru.
• Altitude: 1,200 – 2,000 Meters (ASL).
• Selection: Single-origin Peru, chosen for its naturally sweet profile and ability to retain its "flight characteristics" throughout the decaffeination process.

Growth & Processing Method:

The Swiss Water® Process is essentially the aviation equivalent of flying a perfectly balanced aircraft through a smooth crosswind ridge—it’s all about maintaining equilibrium, pressure gradients, and zero structural damage to the cargo.

The Pre-Flight: Creating the "Neutral Airspace" (GCE)

Before you can safely extract the caffeine without losing the flavor, you must build a perfectly stabilized atmospheric environment.

You take a sacrifice batch of green beans and soak them to extract everything—the flavor compounds and the caffeine. Then, you run that mix through a carbon filter that acts like a micro-mesh bird strike grate; it traps the heavy caffeine molecules but lets the volatile flavor compounds fly right through.

The result is Green Coffee Extract (GCE), or what we call Neutral Airspace. It is a fluid entirely saturated with coffee flavor, meaning its "flavor altitude" is maxed out, but its caffeine density is at absolute zero.

The 4-Step Flight Plan:

1. Pre-Flight Prep & Hydration

The target green coffee beans undergo a pre-flight inspection and washing. They are hydrated with pure water, which expands the bean's cellular structure. Think of this as extending the flaps—it opens the surface area and readies the caffeine molecules for a clean departure.

2. Establishing the Pressure Gradient (Osmosis)

The hydrated beans are submerged into the Neutral Airspace (GCE). Because the GCE is already fully loaded with flavor solids, there is no pressure differential for the flavor. The flavor compounds inside the bean look outside, see a crowded sky, and stay exactly where they are—maintaining structural cruise.

But caffeine faces a massive low-pressure zone. Because the GCE has zero caffeine, a steep concentration gradient is formed. The caffeine molecules naturally execute a rapid egress, migrating out of the bean and into the liquid to balance the pressure.

3. The Fuel Filter & Recharge

The liquid—now holding the captured caffeine—is diverted through a specialized carbon filtration bank. The carbon acts as an inline fuel filter, screening out and trapping the caffeine while allowing the pristine, flavor-heavy liquid to pass through cleanly. The liquid is completely "refueled" and recirculated back into the system for the next run.

4. Final Approach & Landing (Drying)

Once the beans hit a 99.9% caffeine-free reading, they exit the bath. They are sent to the drying deck where moisture levels are brought down to a precise, stable baseline.

• Cultivation: Sustainable Smallholder Farms. Grown in the fertile, high-altitude ridges of the Andes, where consistent rainfall and volcanic soil create a dense, flavor-packed cherry.
• Processing: Washed & Sun-Dried. After the caffeine is removed, the beans are handled with the same precision as our lead-line roasts, ensuring they arrive at the drum ready for a perfect development cycle.

Brewing Recommendations:

This decaf is versatile enough for any "mission profile."

• Best Choice: Pour Over or AeroPress. These methods highlight the sweetness preserved by the sugar cane process.
• Ratio: 1:16 (Coffee to Water)
• Temp: 198°F (92°C)

Pilot's Note:

Zero Structural Degradation: Traditional decaf methods use harsh chemical solvents (like methylene chloride) to strip caffeine. That’s like flying through a severe hailstorm—it batters the bean and strips away the delicate origin notes. The Swiss Water Process is a clean, organic flight path that leaves the bean’s delicate flavor profiles completely intact.

When we roast a Swiss Water batch at Stick & Rudder, we aren't changing the flight characteristics of the bean. We’re just clearing the airspace of caffeine so our crew can enjoy a smooth, full-flavored cup all the way to a midnight landing.