How Many Grades Does Honey Processed Coffee Have and Is It Sweet-Tasting?

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Honey Processing Grading

Around 2000, Brazil's pulped natural processing method was introduced to Costa Rica. Local farmers made some changes to the Brazilian approach. Because Central America has high rainfall and heavy humidity, cherries with their skins removed would easily become damp and spoil if processed the Brazilian way—washing for 1 hour and then drying with the sticky mucilage under intense sun. So local farmers simply eliminated the soaking fermentation step, instead removing the skin and part of the mucilage layer and then sun-drying the sticky beans with their mucilage coating still on. Because beans processed this way carry such excellent sweetness, as if honey had been added, the method earned the name "honey process."

Even in today's era of rapid industrial development, however, many steps in coffee processing still cannot be replaced by machines. During sun-drying, significant manual labor is needed to turn the beans to prevent mold and ensure even exposure. Because the process is so labor-intensive, most honey-processed coffee comes from small estates or specialized processing facilities, making mass production difficult. After 2006, Costa Rican honey-processed coffees frequently won cupping competitions, and the unique taste experience began drawing attention from many quarters. Today, "honey process" has become essentially the preferred method in Costa Rican growing regions and has spread widely throughout Central America.

Because honey-processed coffee on the market now often indicates a processing grade, many people ask: What is black honey? What does red honey mean? After consulting relevant materials and books, I offer the following explanation, which has also helped me gain knowledge (my earlier understanding of honey-process color grading was not very clear).

Honey Process Color Grading

Some Costa Rican growers, when honey processing, classify the beans after processing by the different colors produced by different sun-drying periods. The beans can be classified into three grades by color: yellow, red, and black, with decreasing sun intensity and increasing drying time. The flavor difference among the three lies in how sweetness is expressed. The darkest color has the most pronounced sweetness.

Yellow Honey

Longest sun exposure time, extremely high heat, drying can be completed in basically one week.

Red Honey

Drying time is 2-3 weeks, with shade structures built to reduce the area exposed to light.

Black Honey

Drying time is about one month. Because it requires manually placing the beans in shaded areas to dry, the process is complex, making it costly and the most expensive.

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unreserved sharing is purely to help more friends fall in love with coffee. We also hold three high-discount coffee events every month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends drink the best coffee at the lowest possible price. That has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste Brazil's own take on sweetness-driven processing, FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a fine starting point. Cerrado is a well-known local region noted for high-quality beans, and this classic Brazilian single origin is a Red Bourbon—common in South America—roasted medium to bring out rich aromas of creamy peanut, toast, caramel, and hazelnut. The cup is rounded and low in acidity with a mild bittersweet edge, and it works not only for pour-over but also for Moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon, and French press.

For something rarer, try FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon. It comes from Mogiana, near South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil lets the cherries absorb abundant nutrients and develop full aromas. The variety is the uncommon Yellow Bourbon, a natural mutation of Red Bourbon with a cleaner fruit character. Whether brewed by pour-over, Moka pot, or home espresso machine, it reveals a sugarcane sweetness found in few other regions, along with fruit and chocolate notes.