If you’ve ever had a coffee that tasted unexpectedly fruity or slightly sweeter than usual, there’s a good chance it came down to how it was processed.
Two methods you’ll often hear about are honey and natural processing. Both leave some or all of the coffee fruit on the bean while it dries, which has a direct impact on flavour.
Honey-processed coffee
In honey processing, some of the fruit is left on the bean during drying. This layer, often called mucilage, is naturally sticky, which is where the name comes from.
Coffees processed this way tend to feel smooth and balanced, with a gentle, natural sweetness. You might notice flavours that remind you of caramel, honey, or soft fruit, along with a slightly fuller body.
Natural-processed coffee
With natural processing, the whole coffee cherry is left intact while it dries. As the fruit breaks down around the bean, it has a stronger influence on flavour.
These coffees are often more expressive. You might taste bold fruit notes like berries, tropical fruit or sometimes something slightly fermented. They can feel heavier and more layered in the cup.
Both methods highlight the role of the coffee fruit itself. Where washed coffees tend to feel cleaner and more structured, honey and natural coffees often feel softer, fruitier, and more rounded.
At Bootlegger, our beans are wet-processed (or washed) which means the fruit is removed from the bean before drying, using water to separate, depulp, ferment and wash the beans.
It’s not about one being better than the other, just different. And once you start noticing the difference, it becomes easier to choose coffees that suit your taste.
