A Sweet Find, Honey

We’ve written about honey processing before. We’re big fans of this kind of coffee processing, like washing coffee, which is a major stop on the coffee flavor chain. Honey processing is a good balance between the fruity tartness of natural processing and the mellow pleasantness of washed coffee. Complimenting honey processing with the right kind of varietal can produce a truly extraordinary coffee—like our new Kona Honey—a true gem we found in our 2024 Kona Coffee Festival!

So why isn’t honey processed coffee more available everywhere? It all comes down to geography, efficiency and—of course—money. Hawaii, for example, produces some of the best tasting varietals on the planet, and works very well washed because of its volcanic, mineral rich soil, rainy climate and high elevations. Washing the coffee tames excess acidity for a truly delicate, mild and flavorful coffee. But why not try a natural process for those who want to amplify sweetness wrapped in bold acidity?

You could, but they rain and frequent constant cloud cover will work against the natural process, which requires time in the sun to allow fermentation and concentrate sugars. Coffee producers in this kind of geography haven’t invested in the infrastructure to work around the weather. And they won’t any time soon so long as the washed process, which doesn’t care about rain, continues to produce coffee that sells well.

For those producers, however, that chase the flavor, honey is a workable option, though not easy. “It’s just too sticky,” one coffee farm owner told us—which means more labor and less production. Still, for those who do it, when paired with the right coffee, the results are truly exceptional, like our very popular honey processed coffee from the Puna region in Hawaii.

We’re very excited about our Kona honey for the 2024/25 season, a rare find for rainy Kona. Try the best of Hawaii in our honey process before we sell out!