Coffee Geeks
HONEY VS. WASHED
In the first part of our Processing Series, we learned about the difference between natural and honey processes. In this part of the series, we’ll add-on to that knowledge base and learn the difference between honey and washed processes, taking you to the opposite end of the processing spectrum.
Want a quick recap and to learn more about natural processing? Check out Part 1 of the Processing Series HERE.
Honey
Picking up right where we left off, honey processed coffee, which is sometimes referred to as pulped natural, is somewhere in between natural and washed process. Unlike natural processed coffee, honey processed coffee removes some of the pulp from the cherry, allowing it to dry without washing afterward. Since some of the mucilage on the outside of the bean is left on, what remains is akin to honey.
Want to taste some? Snag a bag of Tabi Honey Colombia before it leaves our line HERE. In a cup of Tabi Honey Colombia, you’ll experience complex notes reminiscent of a fuller bodied bourbon whiskey paired with the sweetness of fruity cereal in whole milk and the juiciness of yellow kiwi. This fruity honey processed coffee is indicative of the possibilities honey processing has in store!
Washed
Coffees that undergo washed processes are clearly differentiated from both honey and natural processed coffees: they are completely pulped and ‘washed’ with water afterward. This process completely removes the skin and mucilage from the outside of the beans, thereby producing some of the most clean, least fermented coffees available when done correctly.
By removing the skin and mucilage and washing the beans, the beans are, in a sense, able to speak entirely for themselves, showcasing the best that a particular variety and terroir have to offer. Though washed processing introduces water, and therefore adds an input material to the processing, in its own way, it allows us to experience the coffee bean itself in a more pure form–as only the seed, and not the fruit.
Pretty cool, huh?
Click the button below to grab a bag of our Boneshaker Colombia and try one of our favorite year-round, washed offerings. In a cup of our light-roasted Boneshaker Colombia, you’ll taste the complex, yet refined flavors that altitude and great processing yield. Rich plum sweetness is given further depth by notes of cocoa, lemongrass, red grape, and a grapefruit acidity, all rounded out by a medium body.
GET BONESHAKER COLOMBIA