How we buy coffee
Everything that matters most about a coffee is settled before it reaches the roaster. Roasting brings out what is in a coffee; buying decides what is in it. So the buying is where HoneyCo Coffee Roasters spends its first and longest effort each year.
Here is how we choose coffee, why the names on the bags stay the same while the coffees change, and what "fresh crop" means on this site.
The top 1 percent
HoneyCo buys from the top 1 percent of fresh crop specialty coffee. That means cupping far more coffees than we buy, and buying only the ones that stand out. A report from one of those buying trips, with the cupping lab at the foot of a volcano, is in Trip Report: Guatemala.
We buy almost exclusively washed coffees. Washed coffees tend to taste clean and clear, so the character of where a coffee was grown comes through in the cup.
Direct relationships and what we pay
Wherever possible, HoneyCo buys through direct relationships with producers, and pays well above Fair Trade prices for all of its coffees.
Fresh crop, and why the coffees rotate
Coffee is an agricultural product with a harvest. A lot tastes best in the months after it is milled and shipped, and fades over the following year. Buying fresh crop means buying from the current harvest in each country and moving to the next harvest when it lands, rather than holding a lot until it goes flat.
That is why the coffees at HoneyCo rotate through the year. A single origin from Colombia in spring and the same bag in fall may be from different farms or different harvests. The blends rotate too: the coffees inside Classic Espresso and Heirloom Blend change with the seasons.
Why the names on the bags stay the same
The labels stay familiar on purpose. Classic Espresso, Scout House Blend, Heirloom Blend, Matte Black, Cuesta Decaf, and the single origins each have a profile, and each new lot is roasted to match the profile of the one before it. Classic Espresso tastes like Classic Espresso whenever you order it.
Hitting that profile on a new lot is roasting work. Every HoneyCo batch is logged with temperature readings every 4 seconds from several probes, and tens of thousands of saved batches give the roaster a reference for every coffee on the shelf. Behind the Scenes in the Roastery walks through it.
Each product page lists the current lot under the coffee so you can see what is in the bag this season.
Single origins and blends
Single origins come from 1 country and usually 1 region, cooperative or farm. They are the clearest expression of a place. Right now that is coffee from Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala. Brew them as pour over or drip to taste the differences, or pull them as espresso for a brighter, juicier shot than Classic Espresso.
Blends combine 2 or more coffees for a profile that 1 coffee alone would struggle to hold year round. Classic Espresso is built for sweetness and body in milk. Heirloom Blend is lighter and brighter, built for filter. Scout House Blend is the everyday drip at the cafes. Matte Black is the dark roast.
Both are bought the same way, from the same top 1 percent. A blend at HoneyCo is a set of excellent single coffees chosen to work together.
Where the coffees come from
Over the years HoneyCo has roasted coffee from Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica, among others. Each product page names the current origin, region and producer where we can share it.
Taste the result
All of this is tasted every day at the 3 Scout Coffee cafes in San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay, where every coffee on bar is a HoneyCo coffee. Bags are on the shelf at each cafe and on honeycocoffee.com. To see the roasting side, visit the Morro Bay roastery, behind glass at 390 Morro Bay Blvd.
Frequently asked questions
Where does HoneyCo Coffee buy its coffee?
HoneyCo Coffee Roasters buys from the top 1 percent of fresh crop specialty coffee, through direct relationships with producers and exporters wherever possible, and pays well above Fair Trade prices for every coffee.
Why does the same HoneyCo coffee taste a little different sometimes?
The coffees under each HoneyCo label rotate with the harvest, so a new lot may come from a different farm or season. Each new lot is roasted to match the profile of the one before it, so the character of the coffee stays consistent through the year.
What does fresh crop coffee mean?
Fresh crop coffee comes from the current harvest in its country of origin, bought and roasted in the months after milling when it tastes best. HoneyCo buys fresh crop and rotates to each new harvest as it arrives.
Does HoneyCo pay Fair Trade prices?
HoneyCo pays well above Fair Trade prices for every coffee it buys, and buys through direct relationships with producers wherever possible.
What is the difference between single origin and a blend?
A single origin comes from 1 country and usually 1 region or farm and shows the character of that place. A blend combines 2 or more coffees for a consistent profile, such as HoneyCo Classic Espresso, built for sweetness and body in milk.
Does HoneyCo buy washed or natural coffees?
HoneyCo buys almost exclusively washed coffees. Washed coffees tend to taste clean and clear, so the character of where a coffee was grown comes through in the cup.