Introducing - the "Honey" process
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Time to read 3 min
One of the main reasons I love the honey process is because it's a best of both worlds process that sits between washed and natural processes. Where washed coffees are associated with clarity and balance, naturals are known for their enhanced sweetness and funky flavours. The difference is how washed and naturals taste is night and day, and naturals can often be quite divisive and thought of as 'marmite', either being loved or hated. Naturals definitely offer a unique cup profile, but purists often cite that heavy processing methods can mask some of the inherent qualities that are achieved by farmers at the level of crop cultivation and agronomy, and it raised an interesting debate about the pros and cons of pre vs post-harvest production methods.
The honey process is a great middle ground because it tends to offer clarity, balance, enhanced sweetness and acidity, without being too funky and retaining alot of characteristics you find in well produced washed coffees.
Despite its name, no actual honey is used in this process. The term "honey" refers to the sticky layer of mucilage that remains on the coffee bean during drying, which resembles both the appearance and texture of honey.
Let's look at some of the detail and the different variants of honey you might find.
The Honey Process!
The honey process begins with the harvesting and sorting of ripe coffee cherries. The outer skin of the cherry is removed using a depulping machine; however, unlike the washed process, some or all of the mucilage is left attached to the parchment layer surrounding the bean. The coffee is then dried with this mucilage still present. During the drying stage, producers carefully control airflow, temperature, shade, and the frequency of turning to manage fermentation and prevent spoilage. The amount of mucilage left on the bean, along with the drying conditions, determines the specifics of honey processing and significantly influences the final flavour.
Types of Honey Processing
Honey-processed coffees are commonly categorised into four types: white, yellow, red, and black honey. These categories relate not just to colour but also to the amount of retained mucilage and the corresponding drying conditions.
White Honey: Involves the least amount of mucilage and the fastest drying times. Beans are typically dried in full sun and are turned frequently. This method produces a cleaner cup with bright acidity and subtle sweetness, often resembling a washed coffee.
Yellow Honey: Retains slightly more mucilage and dries more slowly than white honey. It typically produces balanced coffees with moderate sweetness, soft fruit notes, and a smooth body. Yellow honey is often regarded as approachable and versatile.
Red Honey: This process leaves a larger amount of mucilage on the bean and generally involves slower drying, sometimes with partial shade. The resulting coffees usually have deeper sweetness, heavier body, and more pronounced fruit flavours such as red berries or stone fruit.
Black Honey: This method retains the highest amount of mucilage and employs the slowest drying times, often under shade with minimal turning. Although labour-intensive and risky (as the coffee can over-ferment or develop mold), when executed successfully, black honey coffees are complex, syrupy, and intensely sweet, with flavours resembling tropical fruit, chocolate, and wine.
Countries Where Honey Processing Is Common
The honey process is most commonly associated with Costa Rica, where producers popularised and refined the technique in response to environmental and economic challenges. Traditional washed processing requires large amounts of water, and concerns about water scarcity motivated Costa Rican producers to experiment with lower-water methods. Additionally, honey processing allowed farmers to differentiate their coffees in the growing specialty market by offering distinct flavour profiles.
Honey processing is also prevalent in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama, where climates with defined dry seasons aid in controlled drying. In recent years, producers in Brazil and parts of Colombia have increasingly adopted the honey process to create unique specialty coffees and enhance the value of their harvests.
Flavour Characteristics
The flavour characteristics of honey-processed coffees typically combine qualities found in both washed and natural coffees. They often exhibit greater sweetness and body than washed coffees while maintaining more clarity and acidity than naturals. Common tasting notes include caramel, honey, brown sugar, stone fruit, berries, tropical fruit, and chocolate. The exact flavour profile depends on the honey style, coffee variety, climate, and producer techniques, making honey-processed coffees highly diverse and sought after in the specialty coffee industry.
The Author: Stevie Mckusker
Stevie is Head of Coffee at EDGE Tea & Coffee, responsible for sourcing and roasting our green beans and ensuring every coffee meets our quality standards before it reaches our shelves.
