Back in October, we released a coffee from Cafe Rivense Del Chirripó–a fruity, and boozy coffee that achieves its unique flavor from extended fermentation practices that we call “full honey special.” Now, we’re bringing back the coffee that had us hooked years ago, when we first started working with the Ureña Rojas family. This coffee comes from the same family farm as the special, Los Cipreses. Similarly, coffee cherries are pulped and dried with all of their mucilage–”full honey”–still intact. While the special continued with additional fermentation steps, this full honey completes its processing here. Once dried, it gets sorted and prepared for export.
In the full honey process, coffee cherries are depulped and placed on raised drying beds with the mucilage 100% intact.
The mucilage—or honey—becomes stickier as it dries, and the coffees are raked on a regular basis to promote even drying and break up any clumping.
The resulting coffee is one that carries fruity and winey flavors, but with less intensity, making it a little more approachable for folks wanting just a hint of fun in their coffee. If the previously released full honey special felt like going to a nightclub, then this full honey feels more like hanging out at a popular cabana, where you can still meet people without a thumping baseline–and also have a dedicated place to sit down. This coffee reminds us of red grape, dried fig, and walnut bitters. On most days, I prefer easy going, chocolatey coffees as my first cup of the day, but lately I’ve been gravitating towards this full honey as my morning cup. It’s tasty hot, but I’m finding myself letting it cool down and then taking a big swig. If you’re looking for a coffee that has more of a juicy quality to it, this is one to keep on your countertop!
