Costa Rica’s West Valley is synonymous with honey processing in coffee, and arguably the place where the method first found widespread global recognition. Developed in response to forward thinking national rules that aimed to minimise water use at wet mills, the process relies on keeping as much of the coffee fruit mucilage on the seed as possible. Lacking the altitude of the Tarrazú region, the West Valley micro mills embraced honey processing as a way to innovate, build flavour and explore new techniques in coffee farming.

This coffee from the small farm Desamparados shows how expressive yellow honey processing can be. The post harvest fermentation stays very light in touch. During pulping, around 15 per cent of the mucilage remains on the seed, and the coffee dries immediately on raised beds for a couple of weeks with regular turning to ensure even drying. This method retains sugars and leads to caramel focused flavours rather than the more fermentation driven characters associated with red or black honey styles.