Review: Costa Rica Honey Process from Happy Mug

Happy Mug Coffee Review

When my order from Happy Mug arrived, I was pretty excited to try it. Happy Mug was my first time ordering fresh roasted coffee online and, I have to say, it was a good experience.

The service was fast.  I ordered it on a Sunday and it was delivered to my doorstep by Wednesday.  The shipping period gives the coffee time to start degassing. Coffee needs some time after roasting before it is ready to be brewed.

Three business days isn’t bad, especially since they don’t roast the coffee until you order it.  Next time I’ll order on a business day to see if there is a difference in shipping time and yes, there will definitely be a next time.

Ordering

Placing an order from Happy Mug was straightforward, and easy.  They have a wide variety of coffee available in whole bean or ground to suit your needs.

Like most online shops you have the option to create an account or checkout as a guest just check out as a guest.  Their shipping is a flat rate of $3.  I was surprised the shipping was so affordable considering it cost me $12 to have a charm delivered for my daughter’s necklace, and that weighs about as much as a paperclip.  You also have the option to pick up your order in the store, if you live close by.  That wasn’t an option for me, but I like that they do have a brick and mortar location. They’re located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania.  If you are in the area, definitely check them out.

Timeline: What to Expect When You Order from Happy Mug

Shortly after placing my order on Sunday morning, I received an email thanking me, and confirming my order details. I ordered the Costa Rica Honey Process.  Sounds amazing!

The next day, Monday morning at 9:03, a second email arrived email notifying me that my coffee had been shipped along with the necessary tracking info. That’s some pretty speedy service.  They wouldn’t have actually received my order until Monday when they opened for business, and by 9:03 am their employees have already had their coffee, and roasted, ground, and shipped mine.

Tuesday, the package was en route. It probably spent some time in the sorting facility getting passed around by mail carriers, so they could all enjoy the delicious smell of my freshly ground coffee.

Wednesday when I got home from work my package was waiting for me.  One of the postal workers must have been a little too aggressive with the sniffing because the outer package was torn open at the corner. Lucky for me the package on the inside was not damaged at all. I could smell freshly ground coffee as soon as I walked in the house.

The package had a sticker indicating it was ground on the 12th and it arrived just 3 days later on the 15th. Thursday morning I was ready to try my Costa Rica Honey Process.

My Happy Mug Coffee Order. What is Honey Process Anyway?

There are 4 layers covering the coffee bean:

• An outside layer of the skin and pulp.

• Underneath the outside layer is the mucilage, which is sometimes called honey because it is so sugary and sticky.

• Next is the parchment. It is called parchment since it resembles parchment paper once it is dried.

• Silver skin is the final thin layer before the coffee bean. This layer comes off during roasting.

   

Typically the outer layers of the coffee cherry are removed in a process called wet processing.

With honey processed coffee only the pulp gets removed. While it is drying that sweet, sticky layer called the mucilage is left intact. This causes the coffee to have less acidity than coffee that has been wet processed, and the sugars and fruit flavors are given time to soak into the bean.

The Costa Rica Honey Processed from Happy Mug was the first honey processed coffee I’ve had experience with. I could definitely taste the fruitiness in this cup. There was a very faint taste of apple. The coffee appeared reddish in color after it was brewed.

I found that I could use fewer grounds than I normally use to get a great tasting cup. The first batch I brewed, I went overboard with the grounds and the sweetness was a little overwhelming.  The next morning, I cut back on the grounds and the result was amazing. It was a very light and sweet coffee that went down smooth. Very enjoyable.

Summary

My first experience with Happy Mug was great. The ordering was smooth, the shipping was fast, the price was right, and the product was amazing.  I enjoyed the Costa Rica Honey Processed coffee from Happy Mug and look forward to trying some of the many other varieties they have to offer.  I hope you enjoyed my Happy Mug Coffee Review. Have you tried coffee from Happy Mug?  If you’re interested in learning more about ordering coffee online, I wrote a post about that topic.  I will continue to add new retailers to this list as I discover them.  I’ll include a brief synopsis of the company and a description of what they offer. You can check out that post here.  Thanks for reading!