Processing method
Honey Processing
A halfway house between washed and natural — depulp the cherry but dry the seed with its sticky mucilage still on.
What is honey processing?
Honey processing splits the difference between washed and natural. The skin and outer fruit are removed like a washed coffee, but the sticky, sugary mucilage layer is left clinging to the seed as it dries — never fermented off in water.
The name comes from the Spanish miel (and the gluey, honey-like feel of the mucilage), not from any added honey. By controlling how much mucilage is left on and how the lots are dried, producers dial in a spectrum of styles.
The honey spectrum
| Style | Mucilage left | Drying | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | ~10–15% | Fast, full sun | Closest to washed; clean |
| Yellow | ~25% | Quicker | Light sweetness |
| Red | ~50% | Slower, some shade | Syrupy, balanced |
| Black | ~80–100% | Slowest, shaded | Heavy, jammy, natural-like |
More mucilage and slower, shadier drying push the cup toward the wild fruit of a natural; less mucilage keeps it clean and bright.
Step by step
- Harvest & sort — ripe cherries only.
- Depulp — skin and most fruit are removed, leaving a chosen amount of mucilage.
- Dry with mucilage — beans go straight to beds, sticky and unwashed.
- Constant turning — frequent raking prevents the sugary coating from clumping or fermenting unevenly.
- Hulling — once dry, the parchment is milled off.
What it tastes like
Honey coffees are prized for rounded, syrupy sweetness with a balanced acidity and medium-heavy body — think brown sugar, stone fruit, and caramel. They keep more clarity than a natural while gaining body and sweetness over a washed lot.
Where you'll find it
The style was refined in Costa Rica and El Salvador, and is now widespread across Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. On the bag, look for "honey," "miel," or a color grade like "red honey."