Groovy: Base64 encode/decode with and without Commons Codec

I've been using Apache's Commons Codec to do encode and decode base64 data. The Groovy code:

  import org.apache.commons.codec.binary.Base64

  def data = "data"
  def bytes = data.bytes

  Base64 coder = new Base64()

  def encodedData = coder.encode(bytes)
  def decodedData = coder.decode(encodedData)

  println "Original Data: $data"
  println "Encoded Data:  " + new String(encodedData)
  println "Decoded Data:  " + new String(decodedData)

Producing:

  Original Data: data
  Encoded Data:  ZGF0YQ==
  Decoded Data:  data

But Groovy makes it easy thru its additions to the JDK:

  encodedData = bytes.encodeBase64().toString()  
  def decodedBytes = encodedData.decodeBase64()
  decodedData = new String(decodedBytes)

  println "Groovy Encoded Data: $encodedData"
  println "Groovy Decoded Data: $decodedData"

Which produces:

  Groovy Encoded Data: ZGF0YQ==
  Groovy Decoded Data: data

Maven coordinates for commons-codec:

  <dependency>
    <groupId>commons-codec</groupId>
    <artifactId>commons-codec</artifactId>
    <version>1.3</version>
  </dependency>

Suggestions for alternative appreciated as always.