The “honey” in this coffee’s name refers to the style of processing. After the coffee cherry is de-pulped – meaning, after the fruit has been stripped off of the beans – the sticky mucilage covering the beans is left intact, instead of being immediately washed away as it is with a “washed coffee,” or otherwise removed as in a “natural” process coffee.

Leaving that coat of “honey” on the bean gives the coffee a sweeter taste, with subtle notes of brown sugar and chocolate. Honey processing began in Costa Rica, and has spread to other countries in Central America and elsewhere. In addition to its distinctive taste, it has the environmental benefit of using less water during processing.