Honey process
Halfway between washed and dry. Part of the sticky layer stays on the bean.
In the honey process (often miel in Costa Rica) the fruit is pulped, but the sticky mucilage is partly left on the bean while it dries. The name has nothing to do with tasting of honey — the bean is simply as sticky as honey.
Its grades: white, yellow, red and black honey, depending on how much mucilage stays on and how long it dries. The more there is and the slower it goes, the fruitier and fuller the result.
What that means in the cup: somewhere between the clarity of a washed and the sweetness of a natural. Often a caramel-and-honey sweetness, a medium body, and an acidity that is still there but softer.
An example in our range: our bottled cold brew is made from a honey-processed Costa Rican coffee — that gentle sweetness works particularly well extracted cold.
Where it is typical: Costa Rica is where the honey process really took hold, partly because it needs less water than washing.