Yes, specialty decaf exists. Meet Maroubra’s own Night Sky coffee beans.
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Nothing beats a warm coffee after a late afternoon surf or coastal walk up Malabar Heads. But if you’re hitting the caffeine past 3 PM, you may notice it can start to affect your sleep.
Let’s be honest, decaf coffee beans have a terrible reputation. Most options taste like watery cardboard or leave a weird chemical aftertaste. That’s because standard commercial decaf is stripped using harsh industrial solvents that destroy the actual flavor compounds along with the caffeine.
We wanted something better for Outdoor Brew. That’s why we use the Natural Sugarcane Process for our signature decaf blend.
How Sugarcane Decaffeination Works (Without the Chemicals)
It sounds technical, but it’s actually a clean, natural method. Instead of using man-made chemicals in a lab, this process uses a natural byproduct from sugarcane farming.
Here is how it works:
1. The green coffee beans are gently steamed to open up their pores.
2. They are soaked in a natural sugarcane liquid that acts like a magnet.
3. This liquid targets and removes 97% of the caffeine while leaving the natural oils and flavor structure completely untouched.
Because the process uses a natural sugar derivative, it actually locks in a nice, syrupy sweetness that standard decafs completely lose during processing.
The result? You get a clean, specialty-grade bean that keeps its heavy-hitting flavor profile of dark chocolate, roasted peanuts, and sun-dried raisins. It’s real coffee that just happens to let you sleep.
Roaster's Note: Why these beans look a little darker
When you open your bag of Night Sky, you’ll notice the beans look quite dark or slightly oily. Don't worry they aren't over-roasted! The sugarcane process breaks down the natural sugars inside the bean, causing them to caramelize much faster in the roasting drum. So while they look like a dark roast to the eye, they still brew and taste like a smooth, sweet medium roast.
Pro Tip: The "Half-Caff" Coffee Hack
If you aren't ready to go 100% caffeine-free in the afternoon, you don't have to. You can use our decaf to create a custom half-strength coffee blend.
Just mix it 50/50 with a bag of our standard beans. It gives you the perfect afternoon pick-me-up around 2 PM or 3 PM. All the rich, bold flavor you want, but with half the caffeine kick so you can still wind down later.
How to Brew the Perfect Cup
If you're brewing this as the sun goes down, it goes down incredibly well as a filter coffee. The paper filter cleans up the cup perfectly and really brings out that natural sugarcane sweetness.
If you need to brush up on your technique, you can use our step-by-step Well-Balanced Pour Over Recipe Guide to get it dialed in.
Whether you’re watching the evening sky change color by the cube, or just winding down on the couch, you shouldn't have to sacrifice taste for a good night's rest.