Have you ever found yourself leaning towards really jammy coffee? Or maybe really light bodied coffee? It could be that you have a type! A processing type that is. When the words washed, natural, and honey appear on a coffee bag, they indicate not only how the coffee was processed but also a mental impression of how the coffee could taste.
Before we dive into what you can expect in your cup from processing, let’s break down the bean! What we think of when we think of coffee, it’s a nice, toasted bean. Before that though, those beans are inside of a coffee cherry! That’s right, a fruit!
We focus typically on the bean, mucilage, and pulp, which produce the flavors we know and love in our morning cup. Let’s dive in and see how processing plays a role in flavor development!
Washed
Think of washed coffees as the ones keeping things clean and tidy. Right after harvest, the entire fruit is removed from the seed and the beans take a little bath to remove the sticky layer called mucilage. After that, they’re rinsed off and laid out to dry.
Because the fruit is removed early, these coffees tend to be clean, smooth, and super clear in flavor.
From our lineup: Bright Minds
Natural
Think of naturals as the complete opposite! Instead of removing the fruit, the whole cherry stays intact and dries just like that on raised beds. This can take a few weeks, depending on the weather, and during that time the fruit and seed commingle.
All the fruit sugars slowly work their way into the bean, which leads to coffees that are juicy, fruity, and full-bodied.
From our lineup: Fresh Perspective
Honey
Honey processing sits just in between. While the cherry is removed, some of the sticky fruit layer is left on the bean while it dries. How much is left behind changes things though!
No actual honey is involved! Just the lingering sweetness of well developed sugars reminiscent of that sticky goodness.
Depending on the amount of mucilage left, you can expect the cup to range from light body/high clarity, all the way to a super syrupy sweet with intense fruit notes.
From our lineup: Take Me Home
Co-Ferment & Experimental
Some producers are experimenting in ways that feel part coffee and part science!
Take one of our favorites from Colombia: El Eden.
For this lot, Rodrigo began by creating a fermentation starter using 10 strains of microorganisms (including Lactobacillus!), paired with chamomile, mint, rosemary, molasses, and panela. After an initial 190 hours of fermentation, hand-picked and sorted cherries were added for an additional 150 hours before being fully washed and dried slowly over 20–25 days.
These kinds of processes can create coffees that are wildly unique, layered, and unexpected.
From our lineup: Colombia - El Diviso Java
Processing might sound like a lot, but really it’s just a helpful hint for your future self. Bright and tidy? Jammy and bold? Somewhere in between? There’s no wrong answer, just different paths to a cup you’ll love.
