Vizcaya Estate | San Marco Volcanic Region Maragogipe (Elephant Bean) Honey Process: Understanding Honey Processing

Viquesaya Estate | San Marcos Volcanic Region Maragogipe (Elephant Bean) Honey Process? What Is Honey Process?

Viquesaya Coffee Estate sits in Guatemala's oldest growing region, famed for high-quality coffee for two hundred years. Its coffee grows along mountain ridges at elevations of 1,200-1,400 meters, with temperatures between 21 to 27 degrees. Influenced by Pacific sea breezes and moisture, relative humidity runs 70% to 80%, with rainfall between 4,000 to 5,000 millimeters—the highest of Guatemala's eight growing regions. The nearby active volcano Santiaguito supplies volcanic ash, making the soil even more fertile. Given the climate and unpredictable rainfall, most estates run their own washing facilities: coffee is first sun-dried to semi-dry in courtyards, then finished with low-temperature drying.

Estate Information

Estate: Viquesaya Estate

Region: San Marcos Volcanic Region

Altitude: 1200-1400m

Soil: Volcanic soil

Rainfall: 4000 - 5000 mm

Processing Method: Honey process

Certification: ERGOS Origin Selection

Variety: Maragogipe (Elephant Bean)

Bean Size: (To be added)

Moisture Content: (To be added)

Flavor: Raisin and banana fruit flavors, colorful notes of vanilla, nuts, citrus, and tomato, with extremely high sweetness

Coffee Processing Methods

Coffee processing falls into three main categories: natural (dry), washed, and honey. In the natural method, whole cherries dry in the sun before the skin and mucilage are removed. The washed method strips the pulp before drying and uses fermentation to eliminate the mucilage. Honey process sits between the two: the pulp is removed but the mucilage is kept, and the beans dry with it still attached.

The name "honey process" leads many to assume honey is involved—that the coffee is processed with honey, or simply tastes as sweet as honey. Neither is true. The name comes from the very sticky mucilage layer on the beans before drying: it feels like honey. When the pulp separates from the bean, the mucilage is exposed to air, absorbs moisture, and becomes sticky.

Honey process is not simple—it takes a long time and careful handling. What does it involve? First, farmers pick mature cherries and remove the outer pulp, preserving the mucilage around the beans. That mucilage holds a high proportion of sugars and acids—the key to honey processing. Then comes the most complex and critical step: drying. Timing is everything. Dry too briefly and the mucilage's compounds never transfer into the bean; linger too long and the beans ferment internally and mold. The balance? Beans are laid on drying racks or patios. For the first few days they must be turned several times every hour until they reach the target moisture—usually 6-10 hours of work. For the next 6-8 days they need turning at least once daily. Labor-intensive, isn't it? The reason honey-process drying drags on is that the beans reabsorb moisture from the air every night, requiring more drying time the next day.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing:

Pour-Over Reference

Use a KEY dripper, 16 grams of coffee, 32 grams of water to bloom for 30 seconds, water at 89-90°C, 1:15 ratio, medium-fine grind (Fuji 3.5). For the second pour, add water to 110ml and pause; once the level drops, resume slowly at even speed, keeping the water level from climbing too high. Continue to 233ml total, with overall extraction around 2:15—yielding rich, naturally sweet notes. Adjust to your own taste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If honey processing has caught your interest, FrontStreet Coffee recommends two honey-processed stars from Costa Rica:

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Black Honey "Blackberry" — Black honey keeps nearly all the mucilage and dries for at least two weeks under shade cover, turning regularly to prevent uneven fermentation—more effort, higher sweetness. Medium-light roasted, it exudes fresh floral aroma with grape, berry, and ripe blackberry flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Mozart (Raisin Honey) — An innovative twist: whole cherries are pre-dried on raised beds for at least three days before pulping, retaining 100% of the mucilage—harder to execute even than black honey. The cup brings dried-fruit sweetness, ripe pineapple, and sweet orange, with an enchanting osmanthus fragrance as hot water hits the grounds. Wonderful as cold brew or iced pour-over.