2026 October Box

October Roastery Select

To continue in our processing nerd theme from last month we have another pair of coffees to compare! This time it is another pair of Ethiopian coffees but to explore the honey process. This is a process that is often a bit misleading for budding specialty coffee enthusiasts as the term 'honey' has little to do with real honey. In this process the coffee is pulped with some mucilage remaining on the seeds. The coffee is then often left in piles or tanks to ferment to loosen the mucilage. As it ferments the mucilage becomes gooey and sticky, transitioning from a pale straw colour to golden amber and then become progressively darker (reddish brown) from the oxidation. The oozing mucilage has a flow and viscosity that reminded people of honey and so the name stuck for this process. We look forward to seeing how you guys enjoy these!

Reshad Ababulgu Pair: Red & White Honey

Reshad Ababulgu represents a landmark shift in Ethiopian specialty coffee. After years of supplying top cooperatives like Duromina near Biftu Gudina, Reshad and neighboring smallholders—including Mustefa Abasadi and Abo Hussein—are stepping into direct exporting, equipped with dedicated drying infrastructure, outside support, and official export licenses.

A second-generation producer, Reshad cultivates land his family has farmed for nearly 60 years, passed down from his grandfather. In the early 2010s, he modernized the estate by replanting with improved local varieties and adopting modern agronomic practices. Today, Reshad lives just a kilometer from his fields with his wife and three children, devoting his family's full livelihood to producing exceptional, direct-trade Ethiopian coffee. ABOUT HONEY PROCESS: The main distinction between White Honey and Red Honey processing comes down to the amount of sticky fruit mucilage left on the seed during drying. In a White Honey process, most of the mucilage is removed after depulping; this minimal fruit residue yields a cup with crisp acidity, exceptional clarity, and delicate sweetness that closely resembles a traditional washed coffee. Conversely, a Red Honey process leaves a much higher amount of the mucilage intact. This extended interaction with the fruit sugars allows gentle fermentation to take place, resulting in a rich, syrupy body, vibrant fruit depth, and intense jammy sweetness that lands perfectly between a washed and a natural coffee.

300g Sourced by Crop To Cup

Origin:

Jimma, Agaro, Ethiopia Producer: Reshad Ababulgu Variety: 74110 Process: Red Honey / White Honey Elevation: 2,050 masl Harvest: 2026

Recommended Brew:

Filter, Modern Espresso

Reminds us of:

RED HONEY: Floral, Berries, Brown Sugar

WHITE HONEY: Chamomile, Apricot, Sugar Cane, Oolong Tea