My very first Costa Rica coffee was honey processed. Since then, for some reason, whenever people ask for Costa Rican, my recommendation stays with honey. There was two reason: Honey process 1) often has high enough sweetness level to diminish acidity, 2) has clear and clean flavor works well even with coffee machine. Although the name of “Honey Process” often misunderstands to come from general cup impression, “sweet like honey”, it relates to “sticky fluid substance”, called mucilage, covers the beans after pulping.
In traditional Fully-washed process, mucilage are totally washed off after the skin and pulp is removed in mechanical washing process with rollers. However, honey process allows the mills to determine degrees of mucilage removed, which also decide “the colors” in honey process as follows:
Black Honey: 0% of mucilage removed, dried with cover and left to ferment with short drying time.
Red Honey: about 25% of mucilage removed, dried without cover.
Yellow Honey: about a half, 50%, of mucilage removed, dried without cover.
Golden Honey: about 75% of mucilage removed, dried without cover.
There are also so called “White Honey” with 100% of mucilage removed, but this maybe similar to “natural” in other reasons.
Regarding the flavor, the most important point, Black Honey is characterized deep sweetness and full bodied, when Red sweet/syrupy, yellow light/floral, Golden citrus-like/crisp, and White balanced/clean. It is said that the more mucilage left on beans, the deeper in sweetness and richness. There are no scientific research submitted, maybe only I have never seen the one, so there are no proof to backup besides sensory experiences the cuppers have. Also, the degree of mucilage left strongly depends on the mills/producers, of course. Blessed with Specialty coffee movements, the growers and producers focus on the market segmentation, which might refer as “segregation”, and produce/heighten the values of their cultivation. Colors in honey process might be the part of it. There will be more chance for the coffee geeks to find honey process colors in Costa Rican COE, but still less chance to compare flavor difference between “colors” by mills, unless you are a green beans buyer or a professional coffee roaster.
Deep appreciation to COE to bring Black honey accessible.
Otherwise, colors in honey process stays "covert" in coffee professionals in Costa Rica.
Beans: Finca Leoncia ～ Herbazu Washing Station
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting Degree: Full city
Origin/Area: Lourdes, Valle Occidental,
Western Valley Region, Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,650m
Variety: Catuai
Process: Black Honey
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium dark to dark, lightly citric, lime, high-tone yuzu citrus peel, slightly burbon vanilla hidden, smokey, hickory, star anise, mellow, hazel nuts cream, milk chocolate, round and pearly mouth feel, juicy, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, fresh prune, pear, apricot, white sesame butter, beets sugar, maple butter, a touch of cardamon, golden brown toast like crispy feeling hidden, brisk but light acidity, green apple, juicy clean sweetness a long lasting after taste.
【Note】
Herbazu washing station is a pioneer and the very first drip to create a ripple in, so called, "Micro Mill movements". Established in 2001, Herbazu washing station, a wet process micro-mill, has been the independent/family own and pioneer coffee mills since. The Barrantes families, the owner of Herbazu Micro Mill, is more than 50yrs of coffee farmers, who also owns 13 micro farms around the station grow Caturra, Catuai and Villa Sarchi. Herubazu micro mill won rank 9 in Costa Rican COE 2012 with Villa Sarchi from Leoncio, Finca Leoncia, managed/owned by Manuel Barrantes, who is third generation of the family. They follow traditional methods including sun-dry on patio and African beds, as well as produce variety of honey coffees.
【What is Black honey?】
Black honey is characterized extremely sweet and full bodied with fruitiness. It is said that “black honey is unique process to create the sweetest beans.” Whether it is true or not, there are several mills trying to produce “black honey” lately even there are no corroborative scientific analysis. In black honey process, zero percentage of mucilage is removed and dried with cover and quick fermentation periods, which gives unique flavor. Honey process has several types, but “black honey” process is only one honey process dried with cover.
Beans: El Mirador Finca El Rincón
Roaster: Home roasting
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: La Libertad, Huehuetenango,
Guatemala
Grade: SHB
Screen: 15up
Defect: ～8
Altitude: 1,500～1,700m
Variety: Burbon, Caturra, Catuai
Process: Fully-washed
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 2
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium light to medium, aromaful, soothing high tone TCHO 70% cacao bar, sugar cane, a touch of peach, matured nectarine, dried pear, mellow and juicy, light but thick layer of sweetness, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, clean but rich, coconut juice, white grape, cane sugar, clear and mild bitterness hidden heighten sweetness, cacao, date sugar, maple syrup, juicy clear sweetness as a long lasting after taste.
【Note】
The best cup to end 2014, Micro lot from Finca El Rincón, Huehuetenango Guatemala. Managed by Molina Family, Finca El Rincón produces high quality coffee in Huehuetenango, the rising star region to produce green beans. Guatemalan coffee has been graded by the altitude but Huehuetenango has screen and defect, The Grading Green Coffee protocol based on GACCS of SCAA. In the states, Olam Specialty Coffee seems to have an access to Finca El Rincón.
Guatemalan coffee has opened the door to the world of coffee over decades ago, and stays the best choice since then. The specialty coffee has changed, and been changing, the coffee market in may ways, some understandable and the other not agreeable. Besides all, if this specialty movements motivates farmers and increases the value of green beans, last 20 years must be valuable. Since Jamaican survives Hemileia vastatrix in these years, there might be "coffee hunters" seeking for the golden goose.
Beans: Finca La Joya
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: San Jerónimo, Comayagua, Honduras
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,600m
Variety: Catuai
Process: Fully-washed
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 2
Richness: 2 ※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium, soothing, smokey, mellow aroma, apple woods, lemon, almonds, roasted chestnuts, licorice, hickory like top note, thick layer of sweetness, orange, slightly tangy, light acidity, white grapefruits, smokey mouth feel as a long lasting aftertaste.
【Note】
To be honest, this beans was the one impossible to trace both the importer and the estate/grower, "Javier". Since there are no access to the record of Honduran National competition winners, the information below is hearsay without confirmation. Please let me know if you have any information about "Finca La Joya" in Honduras, not in Guatemala.
"The owner of Finca La Joya, Javier, started his own coffee farm 22-years-ago with 0.7ha. Now, the estate is expanded to 10ha and grow two varietal, Catuai and Pacas. He devotes his passion to improve quality, which celebrates him with two National winner awards."
Beans: Finca Nuevo Mundo
Roaster: Home roast
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Sierra Central, Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,400 ～ 1,500m
Variety: Caturra, Typica
Process: Fully-washed, Sun dried, shade grown
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 3
Sweetness: 3
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium dark, aromaful, cocoa, chocolate, dark & high cacao content chocolate bar, citric and sweet, highly citric, lemon, lime, a touch of clove, cardamon as an airy top note, mellow, juicy, high acidity, lemon, grapefruits, acerola, pomegranate, tangy bitterness, pungent, maple butter like thick sweetness, clear, balanced sweetness and acidity, creamy sweetness with tangy-ness as a long lasting aftertaste.
This lot is dramatic in flavor. The impression changes one after another like a flip book as a cup getting chilled. The very first aroma impression is "chocolate", exactly same aroma as ripping off a chocolate bar wrapping, Lindt 90% cocoa bar or Ghirardelli's Intense Dark 86% Cacao Midnight Reverie. The "chocolate" aroma gradually changes to fruity, citric, blood orange skin like, as a cup cool down. As for flavor, highly tangy, acid-bitterness, comes very first in a hot cup, which will fades and replaced with mellow sweetness, natural sweetness like dates, plum and raisin as a cup cools off.
【Note】
Finca Nuevo Mundo, also called Alfred Dias estate, won the second place of CODOCAFE cupping contest in 2007. CODOCAFE is abbreviation of El Consejo Dominicano del Café, Dominican coffee association. Mr. Dias, the owner and founder, established the farm in 1989 and has been devoting his life to grow high quality/full flavored coffee beans. His dedication and enthusiasm opened the door to "new world" of Dominican coffee flavor: clear Caribbean flavor with lime like soothing citric aroma.
