Honey process
also: pulped natural, miel process
Drying the bean with some sticky fruit layer left on, landing in sweetness and body between washed and natural.
Honey process sits between washed and natural. The skin and pulp are removed from the cherry like in washing, but instead of fermenting and rinsing off the sticky mucilage, some or all of it is left on the bean to dry. The name comes from that tacky, honey-like coating, not from any honey flavor.
Why it matters: how much mucilage stays on, and how it is dried, dials the cup along a spectrum. Roasters often grade it by color: white and yellow honeys keep little mucilage and taste closer to washed, while red and black honeys keep more and edge toward natural. Drying is slower and needs careful turning on raised beds to avoid mold.
In the cup, honeys offer rounded sweetness, gentle acidity, and a fuller body than washed coffee, while staying cleaner than most naturals. The style is closely associated with costa-rica and elsewhere in Central America. See honey-process for the deeper guide.