How Does Honey Processing Affect Coffee Flavor? What Coffee Brewing Methods Are Best for Honey-Processed Beans?

Have You Ever Wondered What Honey Process Coffee Is?

Is honey process coffee better than other processing methods you've tried before?

This article will guide you through understanding what honey processing is and what makes it special.

Why is Honey Called Honey?

There are three main coffee processing methods: natural, washed, and honey process.

Natural processing involves drying the coffee cherries directly before removing the outer shell and mucilage layer. Washed processing uses large amounts of flowing water to soften (ferment) and remove the cherry skin and pulp, followed by drying and screening. Honey processing is intermediate between the natural and washed methods - the cherry skin is removed while preserving the pulp (mucilage) layer for drying.

So, wait, where's the honey?

You might ask, where's the honey?

The term "honey processing" leads many to think this method uses honey to process coffee, or that coffee processed this way tastes as sweet as honey. In fact, neither of these connections is correct. The name "honey processing" comes from the sticky, honey-like texture of the coffee cherry's pulp (mucilage) layer during drying. When the cherry skin is removed, the surrounding mucilage layer absorbs moisture from the air during drying, becoming sticky as if coated in honey.

Honey processing during drying

Why is Honey Processing Popular Among Farmers?

Honey processing began when people discovered this method could continuously improve their coffee bean quality. It originated in Costa Rica, and this processing method is now trending.

So why did Costa Rican coffee farmers initially decide to use honey processing?

When coffee farmers want to improve their coffee quality or price, they have three choices: change the coffee variety, change the growing altitude, or change the processing method. Just as most people brewing coffee prefer simpler methods like adjusting grind size and dose before considering adjusting water volume, pressure, and temperature, most coffee farmers also want to change the processing method first before considering investing significant time and money in planting new varieties or moving their farms.

So what's involved with honey processing?

Honey processing is not simple - it is time-consuming and requires attention to detail.

First, coffee farmers must select ripe coffee cherries from the coffee trees, then remove the outer skin while preserving the mucilage layer. The mucilage layer retains a high proportion of sugars and acids, and these sweet and acidic components are key to honey processing.

The next step is the most complex and detail-oriented part of honey processing: drying.

Timing must be well-controlled, with duration being crucial. If drying time is too short, the mucilage layer's substances cannot transfer to the coffee beans. However, the time cannot be too long either - actions must be swift to avoid over-fermentation inside the beans, which would lead to moldy beans.

So how do you achieve the right balance?

During the first few days of placing beans on drying racks or cement floors, the beans must be turned several times per hour until they reach the desired moisture content. This step typically takes 6-10 hours. For the next 6-8 days, they need to be turned at least once daily. Very time-consuming, isn't it? The reason honey processing drying is so time-consuming is that the beans absorb moisture from the air each night, requiring more drying time the following day.

Once coffee drying is complete, it can undergo dry milling and roasting just like other processing methods.

Honey processing during drying

Why is Honey Processing So Wonderful?

Given that honey processing is so difficult to execute well and so time-consuming, you might wonder if it is really worth all the effort.

Without a doubt, it is absolutely worth it.

Honey processed coffees typically have wonderful sweetness and balanced fruit acidity. The flavor isn't as intense as natural processed coffees, but it is fresher and more aromatic - why wouldn't you want that?

The key to these flavor differences comes from the sugars and acids in the mucilage layer. During drying, the mucilage layer's sugars become increasingly concentrated, and these sugars penetrate into the coffee beans.

Yellow, Red, and Black Honey: What's The Difference?

When purchasing honey processed coffee, you typically have choices like yellow honey, red honey, and black honey. You may have also heard that these honey processing methods preserve different percentages of the pulp (mucilage) layer - but what do these actually mean?

Coffee farmers process coffee to different degrees. Some retain less pulp (mucilage) layer to shorten drying time, while others retain more pulp (mucilage) layer, requiring longer drying time. Yellow honey (approximately 25% mucilage retention) must be dried in minimal shade (clouds, shade trees) to complete faster, resulting in a yellow appearance. Red honey (approximately 50% mucilage retention) takes longer and requires some shade for drying. Black honey (approximately 100% mucilage retention) naturally requires even longer drying time and is usually covered during the process to extend the drying period.

Honey processing, from right to left: black, red, yellow

Yellow, Red, & Black Honey: Which Is Better?

Which is better among yellow, red, and black honey?

Black honey might be superior. Honey processed flavors are influenced more delicately by the sugars contained in the mucilage layer - the more mucilage retained, the richer the flavor. (Note: This is the original author's opinion. The editor believes that different processing methods like black honey, red honey, and yellow honey each have different flavor characteristics. Which one is better depends on personal taste preferences.)

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Honey processing is prized for its sweetness and balanced fruit acidity, and FrontStreet Coffee roasts several coffees that show how varied the style can be. The FrontStreet Costa Rica Blackberry uses a black honey process that removes almost no mucilage, with a drying period of at least two weeks under cover, and after a medium-light roast it gives off rich floral aromas with grape, berry, and ripe blackberry flavors. The FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Geisha blend pairs a Panamanian Geisha with a Costa Rican raisin-honey coffee for classic orange-blossom honey, plus notes of grape, dried blueberry, soft fruit acidity, and an almond finish. For an even more fruit-forward cup, the FrontStreet Costa Rica Mozart uses a raisin-honey process with 100% mucilage retention and brings osmanthus, pineapple, and raisin aromas to pour-over, cold brew, or moka pot. If you want to compare honey processing with its ancestor, the semi-washed FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado is a classic pulped natural with cream, peanut, nut, and chocolate notes.