Honey Coffee: Is it just About The Money?

Some coffee growers sometimes process their beans with the “honey” method. Does it have anything to with actual honey? Or is it just about farmers saving money?

We’ve written about the importance of processing before, including washed processing, and how processing affects flavor. Sometimes geography and economics affects processing more than flavor goals. Many climates, for example, are simply too wet year-round to allow for a natural, sun-dried processing, so growers might prefer a washed process to remove mucilage from the means.

Even in a wet climate, a fully washed processing isn’t always the answer. Processing needs a lot of water per acreage of production, and many farmers would prefer to reduce water run-off affecting their topography. Many farmers also try to process in an environmentally conscious way, preferring to use as little water as possible if the climate would allow for other processing methods.

Enter “honey” processing—somewhere of a middle ground between the water intensive washed process and the sunshine demands of a natural process. Unlike a fully washed process, where the cherries are de-pulpled then fully soaked in water for weeks to allow the water and fermentation to fully wash away the mucilage, a “honey” process leaves the de-pulped cherries with its mucilage out to dry for a shorter period of time than a natural process. The sun and naturally occurring fermentation process dries some of the mucilage and concentrates the sweentess—just like a natural—but the shorter duration leaves mucilage still on the coffee bean. The sweet and “honey” looking mucilage enveloping the bean is cleaned off at the mill.

So honey is a kind of hybrid between washed and natural—an attempt to get a concentration of sweetness from mucilage fermentation in sunshine but still leaving some mucilage still on on the bean at milling. How much is “some”? There are different honey colors depending on how much time the bean is left to dry and how much mucilage is left on the bean prior to milling. “Yellow” honey still has around 25% of its mucilage, while “red” honey is closer to 50%. “Black” honey has nearly all its mucilage still on.

Ah, but does any of this affect flavor? Conventional wisdom is that a fully washed process produces a balanced, clean and refreshing coffee, while a natural process is more fruit-forward, bright with acidity and earthy moodiness. Honey falls somewhere in between, a complex mix of sweetness, earthiness and fruit. Maybe. Remember, tasting notes are bogus. So, it’s really whatever you get. The joke among those in the coffee business—and you didn’t hear this from us—is that simply adding the word “honey” in the labeling adds a premium because people think the coffee is sweeter.

Experiment for yourself! Try our Hawaiian honey-processed Puna and compare it to our washed Kona or K’au. We promise you won’t be disappointed!