We Found The Only Decaf Whole-Bean Coffee You'll Ever Need

Decaf coffees can be a hit or miss — but mostly, they're a miss. While there are several different ways coffee is decaffeinated, ultimately the flavor is compromised with any type of caffeine removal. If you've ever had to go decaf, you know how hard it is to find something that tastes like the real thing. And yet, there do exist some java gems that nail the right flavor. Tasting Table embarked on a quest of testing 13 decaf whole bean coffees and found the one that can rival its caffeinated counterparts: Blue Ridge Decaf by Roadmap CoffeeWorks.

Our taste tester, Emily Hunt, was incredibly impressed by how smooth, consistent, and delicious this decaf brew was. It carries the flavor notes of chocolate, caramel, and citrus — a perfect mix of depth, sweetness, and acidity, with the latter creating a tangy finish. It's a very bright, full-bodied cup of coffee; a blend of medium and dark roast that can satisfy your craving for quality coffee without getting you caffeinated.

Regardless on which side of the whole-bean vs. pre-ground debate you are on, you can enjoy a cup of Blue Ridge Decaf. If you have the option to buy whole beans, definitely go for it, as freshly ground beans are more flavorful than pre-ground. Don't have a grinder? Roadmap CoffeeWorks can grind the beans for you, to your specific preference.

Roadmap CoffeeWorks (formerly named Lexington Coffee Roasters) has been around since 1990, so the company has seen many coffee trends come and go. Based in Lexington, Virginia, this specialty coffee roastery highlights flavor and freshness as the most important aspects of its coffee — something that certainly comes through in the Blue Ridge Decaf, considering that it's one of the company's most popular coffees, which we wouldn't normally expect from a decaf. There are currently three other decaf coffees in the company's lineup, but Blue Ridge Decaf might be so beloved because it's a non-caffeinated spin on Roadmap CoffeeWorks' trusted classic Blue Ridge.

Despite being a small-town company, Roadmap CoffeeWorks has received wider recognition for its approach to coffee. In 2013, it began a streak of consistently making the Coffee Review's Top 30 Coffees of the Year. In 2018, Forbes named it one of the 12 Best Coffee Roasters in the U.S. If you ever find yourself in Lexington and want to learn from the experts while sipping the best cup of decaf joe, you'll be happy to hear that Roadmap CoffeeWorks has an open-door policy — simply pop in at the roastery for a free, impromptu brewing lesson.