What is Black Honey Processing?

• The Method: Coffee cherries are picked and pulped to remove the outer skin, but the sticky inner fruit layer (the mucilage) is left on the bean.

• The Color: Black honey is the most intensive honey process. It keeps the maximum amount of mucilage on the bean while it dries slowly in the sun.

• The Result: The drying mucilage transfers intense natural sugars and fruit flavors into the coffee seed, resulting in a cup with heavy body and deep sweetness.

Typical Flavor Profiles

When brewing black honey coffees (often from partners like the famous Las Lajas Micromill), you can expect complex tasting notes:

• Dark chocolate and cocoa

• Berries and jam (such as boysenberry or blackberry)

• A rich, wine-like or syrupy finish.

• Finding & Brewing

  • For Roasters: Wholesale roasters can view current and upcoming batches on the Cafe Imports platform.

  • For Coffee Lovers: You can often find roasted versions of these exact microlots from specialty partners like Dart Coffee Co.

  • Brewing Tip: Because black honey coffees contain more natural sugars from the dried fruit mucilage, use slightly lower water temperatures (around 200°F or 93°C) to prevent scorching and to highlight the sweet berry notes.

• Steven Vargas and his father, Gilbert, are the producers behind Don Sabino, a small but strong operation (named for Gilbert’s father) that includes several farms  located about an hour north of the Oxcart Coffee – Cafe Imports Latin America office in San José. The family team grows several common varieties including Caturra, Catuai, and Villa Sarchi, with a smattering of Gesha, SL-28, and Moka.

  “More than a legacy, it’s a way of life. More than economics, it’s our way of life,” Steven has said of their operations. “It’s our passion.”

• **Courtesy of Cafe Imports