How Good is Honey Kiss Coffee? Introduction to Honey Kiss Coffee Bean Varieties and Prices

Ethiopia 90+ Natural Nekisse Coffee Beans

Nekisse originally comes from Shakisso, Ethiopia, named after "NAKED honey from the Shakisso region." Processed with traditional natural methods, the cherries are dried on high raised beds, then the dried fruit skin and pulp are removed, and the beans are finally sent to Addis Ababa for hulling. The flavor profile at that time showed intense berry jam, a creamy texture, citrus, and tropical fruit. Production was later moved to Wellega and Sidamo, because the Sidamo region was found to deliver even better honey and jam characteristics.

Ninety Plus is an internationally renowned company for producing and selling premium coffee beans. Its development of special processing methods has innovated in every aspect of green bean processing, leading the specialty coffee market by offering rare and unique beans. Traces of Ninety Plus award-winning coffees appear in coffee competitions of all sizes around the world. Nekisse is an exceptional coffee you absolutely cannot miss.

Coffee Bean Information

Planting Region: Africa

Country: Ethiopia

Producing Area: Sidamo Province / Shakisso

Altitude: 1,900-2,200 meters

Processing Method: N2 Natural Processing

Variety: Mixed Heirloom, wild and naturally grown

Stories by Ninety Plus

Outstanding Achievements

Ninety Plus translates directly to "ninety plus," or "above 90 points." Those outside the industry may not understand what a score above 90 means to coffee enthusiasts: near perfection. Whether referring to cupping scores or Coffee Review (www.coffeereview.com) ratings, these are hard-earned honors.

• 2007: Aricha Selection 7, Ninety Plus's first coffee, received a high score of 95 points from Coffee Review (the roaster was Novo Coffee Roasters, also owned by Ninety Plus's founder).
• 2009: Aricha Micro Selection 14 won third place in the Specialty Coffee Association of America's annual World Coffee Competition.
• 2009: Aricha Micro Selection 33 accompanied Sammy Piccolo to become World Runner-up in that year's World Barista Championship.
• 2012: Perci Red Geisha from the Panama estate made its debut, receiving Coffee Review's highest score ever of 97 points (Barrington Coffee Roasting Co.).

About Processing Methods: W2, H2, N2, Red, Ruby, Solkiln

W2, H2, N2: These can be understood as traditional green bean processing methods, which Ninety Plus also uses to distinguish flavor profiles.

Ninety Plus believes coffee itself is a fruit, so it classifies its exclusive processing methods by flavor as (W2), (H2), and (N2). Once you understand traditional coffee processing, you will find that small adjustments blur the distinctions between them. For example, adding a small amount of washing at different stages during honey processing can achieve a lighter, brighter washed flavor, while controlling the degree of pulp fermentation can make a natural processed coffee closer to honey processing, or a honey process more like a natural.

According to how much the fruit flavor influences the taste during processing, the methods can be ranked from low to high: W2, H2, N2. These three flavor distinctions can also be understood simply as processing methods: W2 = washed, H2 = honey, N2 = natural.

W2: Low fruit tones; emphasizes brightness, acidity, and floral notes.

H2: Moderate fruit tones; emphasizes sweetness, fruit texture (rather than fruit aroma), and tea-like qualities.

N2: High fruit tones; emphasizes boldness, sweet-tart balance, and jam and dried fruit flavors.

Solkiln: The so-called Solkiln method is a special processing technique patented by Ninety Plus. Coffee cherries are dried in a building originally used for drying wood. In this building, special equipment controls temperature and humidity to keep the environment stable while eliminating the effect of the local humid climate on the coffee.

Red: So-called "Red processing" is a special method the Ninety Plus team developed through their patented drying technology. This process causes the parchment coffee beans to show varying degrees of red. It enhances the coffee's aromatic character and delivers a strong sweetness with distinct fruit flavors in the mouthfeel.

Ruby: So-called "Ruby" processing is an even more difficult and extreme form of red processing. It pushes the sweetness and fruitiness of red processing to the limit; exceed it by even a little and the cup crosses into the undesirable territory of bad fermentation flavors. This method also requires extensive manual selection. Every green bean must meet the "Ruby" standard to be called a Ruby bean. After multiple rounds of elimination and attempts, only the final portion reaches the Ruby standard, which explains its high price.

About Level

In Ninety Plus's flavor profile there is a "Level" indicator, the number following the "L" in the product name. For example, L12 means Level 12. This Level roughly correlates with price. It represents a green bean grading model: based on quality, quantity, and production cost, Ninety Plus continues to grade its already excellent green beans as follows.

Level 7: Single-origin harvest. Rare varieties with delicate flavors and special characteristics are hand-selected and then processed with Ninety Plus's unique methods to exceed Ninety Plus criteria.

Level 12: Single-origin harvest. The website uses negative adjectives like "unrecognizable" and "indelible" to suggest that beans of this grade offer an unforgettable taste that every coffee enthusiast will remember for a lifetime.

Level 21 (L21), Level 39 (L39): These are mostly Gesha varieties grown by Ninety Plus on its Panama estates. The special Red-processed Ethiopian Nekisse Red also belongs to Level 39 (L39).

Level 95 (L95), Level 195 (L195): These are beans from premium microenvironments on the Panama estates, processed with patented drying technology and lengthy selection. They reach the highest taste standards in the design and are mostly processed under the personal supervision of founder Joseph. Annual production might reach only a dozen to a few dozen kilograms. They belong to the collectible category.

Taste Profiles

The flavor profile is determined by coffee cherry variety (Size), farm climate, and processing formula. Profiles are graded from level 7 to 195, assessing quality and scarcity, and corresponding to the digital level set by price increases.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the intense natural fruit of a Nekisse-style Ethiopian appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Red Cherry is a fine place to start. Ethiopian natural processing removes damaged or moldy cherries first, then dries the fruit in the sun for two weeks until the sugars and essence soak into the bean. Dried to 12% moisture and then hulled and sorted, the beans deliver a clean, refined cup with rich, captivating fruit. Look for peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon.

For an even more aromatic natural, try FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Huakui from the Hambela region of Guji, Sidamo, where a 200-hectare farm uses the traditional natural method and dries ripe cherries on raised beds for 21 days, turning them regularly and hand-sorting defects every three to five days. Light-medium roasted, it shows a gentle fermented wine note, florals, citrus, and mango, with honey sweetness, a cocoa finish, full body, and a long aftertaste.