The Honey Hunt

Lime Tree Honey

2021-08-28T15:37:00.001-07:00

Packager: Alshifa +966-12-614-3938, P.O. Box 8960, Jeddah 21492, Saudi Arabia info@sunbulahgroup.com

Nectar Origin: Unknown

Color: Extra Light to Light Amber

Filtration: Raw

Price: About $13.50/pound.

Flavor: This has a pleasant taste with a bitter finish. There is nothing particularly citrus about it other than the bitter taste at the end which is reminiscent of citrus rind.

Cherry Honey

2020-12-24T15:33:00.001-07:00

Packager: Apicoltura Brezzo S.r.l., Frazione Tre Rivi, 87, 12040 Monten Roero, Italy 2123 brezzo.it
Nectar Origin: Italy
Color: Amber or Light Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $10.00/pound.
Flavor: This has a strong chemical flavor to it that is difficult to describe beyond that general statement. There is nothing reminiscent of cherry about it.

Citrus Blossom Honey

2020-12-24T15:02:00.001-07:00

Packager: Golden Desert Hives, Waddell, AZ (623) 244-2123 https://www.facebook.com/goldendeserthives/
Nectar Origin: Arizona, USA
Color: White or Extra Light Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: Unknown. This was a gift from Richard and Jenn Gee.
Flavor: A very mild flavor with a hint of mild citrus flavor.

Swiss Forest Honey

2020-05-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

Packager: Imkerei Christian Uhlman, Hasli 4A, 4856 Glasshütten, Switzerland
Nectar Origin: Aargau, Switzerland
Color: Light Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: Unknown. This was a gift from my friend Elliott Nelson who visits Switzerland on a regular basis (as long as the plague is not raging).
Flavor: A more descriptive name for this honey could not be found. It really does taste like a forest. It doesn't taste like pine and fir trees, but its flavor certainly reminds me of that. There is a génépi-like flavor, but more earthy.

Flowers of Miyakojima

2020-05-02T15:02:00.002-07:00

Packager: L'Abeile, https://www.labeille.jp/
Nectar Origin: Miyakojima, Japan
Color: White
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $57.00/pound
Flavor: I bought this honey at Mastsuya Ginza in Tokyo. If you have never been to the basement of a Japanese department store to check out the food markets that are often there, you really must give it a try some time. Just about anything you can imagine is available and presented in a stunningly attractive fashion. This honey is very floral and a bit fruity. Citrus and pear come to mind, but who really know.

Takayama Honey

2020-03-14T17:52:00.001-07:00

Packager: If you can read Japanese, information on the packager is contained in the accompanying photograph.
Nectar Origin: Takayama, Japan
Color: Extra White
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $66.00/pound
Flavor: I bought this honey at a farmer's market in Takayama, Japan. I don't speak or read Japanese and Google Translate is no help in trying to figure out what kind of honey it is. I have assumed it is wildflower honey. It has a wonderful flavor with notes of maple and butterscotch. A licorice-like flavor can also be detected.

Borage

2020-02-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Packager: Fortnum and Mason, London, England
https://www.fortnumandmason.com/products/essex-borage-honey
Nectar Origin: Essex, England
Color: Water White
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $27.00/pound
Flavor: This honey is light in every respect, both color and taste. The flavors are very subtle. Anything other than a light sweetness is difficult to discern. It clearly falls into the confectionery flavor column. Only sugar and honey come to mind to describe its taste.

Marmeleiro - Brazilian Quince

2019-12-19T18:57:00.002-07:00

Packager: Bee Seasonal, LLC, Gilbert, Arizona https://beeseasonal.com/
Nectar Origin: Caatinga, Brazil
Color: White
Filtration: Raw
Price: $24.00/pound
Flavor: This makes me think of marshmallows for some reason (the name maybe?). The flavors are subtle and hard to tease out. There is a fruit flavor I can't quite put my finger on. Thanks to Rachel Gray for this gift. See her cooking blog at cookingwithrachel101.

Aroeira - Brazilian Pink Pepper

2019-11-16T16:58:00.002-07:00

Packager: Bee Seasonal, LLC, Gilbert, Arizona https://beeseasonal.com/
Nectar Origin: Cerrado, Brazil
Color: Light Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: $24.00/pound
Flavor: This has a robust molasses-like flavor with distinct notes of licorice and, to my surprise, some actual peppery flavors now and then. Thanks to Rachel Gray for this gift. See her cooking blog at cookingwithrachel101.

Angico

2019-09-28T17:07:00.001-07:00

Packager: Bee Seasonal, LLC, Gilbert, Arizona https://beeseasonal.com/
Nectar Origin: Centro Parana, Brazil
Color: Water White
Filtration: Raw
Price: $24.00/pound
Flavor: This has a strong floral flavor and smell. The distributor says it tastes like tropical fruits, which I cannot dispute. I was reminded of marshmallow too. Thanks to Rachel Gray for this gift. See her cooking blog at cookingwithrachel101.

Raspberry Honey

2019-09-28T16:48:00.001-07:00

Packager: Woodring Northwest Specialties, 1529 Pike Place, Seattle, Washington 98101 206-340-2705 https://woodringnorthwest.com/
Nectar Origin: Washington, United States
Color: White
Filtration: Raw
Price: $26.00/pound
Flavor: A slight berry taste, otherwise it was a lot like clover honey.

Pecan

2019-02-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Packager: The Honeyman, 6240 E Hwy 69, Prescott Valley, Arizona 86314 928-772-3530 https://www.thehoneymanaz.com/home.html
Nectar Origin: Arizona, United States
Color: Dark Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: $12.00/pound
Flavor: A strong honey, the flavors of molasses and toffee dominate.

Thyme

2019-02-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Packager: Melissokomiki Dodecanese Aeve, Bee Museum, Rhodes, Greece 85101 http://www.mel.gr
Nectar Origin: Greece
Color: Extra White or White
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $14.00/pound
Flavor: There is a distinctive herbal note to this honey. Sometimes I think it taste a little like peppermint. Other times it is more savory like thyme. Imagine that! Thanks to Carrie Nelson for this gift.

Orange Blossom

2018-10-27T08:13:00.001-07:00

Packager: Distributed by: Forever Cheese, 36-36 33rd St. Suite 307, Long Island City, NY 11106, (718) 777-0772 https://forevercheese.com/
Nectar Origin: Murica, Spain
Color: Water White
Filtration: Raw
Price: $17.00/pound
Flavor: The flavor of this honey is less orange than citrus in general. It has a slight bitterness in the aftertaste. Thanks go out to my parents for the gift.

Buckwheat

2018-10-27T08:05:00.002-07:00

Packager: Dutch Gold Honey, Inc., 2220 Dutch Gold Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601 USA, (717) 393-1716 https://www.dutchgoldhoney.com/
Nectar Origin: Unknown. Presumably USA.
Color: Dark Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: $7.15/pound
Flavor: "Tastes like medicine!" was my son's comment. That's about right. This has a strong, bitter, molasses-like flavor. The bitterness of the buckwheat comes through and would probably pair well with buckwheat pancakes (although I haven't tried it). Thanks to Geoffrey and Alessandra for this gift.

Camelthorn

2018-10-27T08:00:00.001-07:00

Packager: Absolutely Delightful Arizona Honey, (602) 331-8721 http://absolutelydelightfulazhoney.com
Nectar Origin: Winslow, Arizona
Color: Extra White
Filtration: Raw
Price: $13.70/pound
Flavor: This has a flavor similar to clover honey, but has a strong, pleasant floral flavor.

Black Sage

2018-09-01T08:22:00.002-07:00

Packager: Savannah Bee Company, 211 Johnny Mercer Boulevard, Savannah, Georgia 31410; (800) 955-5080 www.savannahbee.com
Nectar Origin: Sierra Nevada Mountains (California and Nevada), United States
Color: White
Filtration: Raw
Price: $21.30 /pound
Flavor: This honey has a noticeable spice flavor that hits you right away. It reminded me of thyme or marjoram. Apparently that flavor is sage. This honey has a nice sweet finish. Thanks for the gift, Rachel Gray. I recommend you check out Rachel's cooking blog.

Palmetto

2018-04-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Packager: Savannah Bee Company, 211 Johnny Mercer Boulevard, Savannah, Georgia 31410; (800) 955-5080 www.savannahbee.com
Nectar Origin: South Carolina, United States
Color: Water
Filtration: Raw
Price: $18.65/pound
Flavor: This has a strong floral note and a warm sugary flavor. Overall it is quite pleasing.

Lime Flower

2018-02-15T21:06:00.001-07:00

Packager: Hilltop Honey Limited, Station Yard, Trefeglwys Road, Caersws, Powys, Wales, UK SY17 5HH; 44 1686 689027 http://www.hilltop-honey.com/
Nectar Origin: Unknown. The packager is in Wales, but I doubt there are any lime trees in Wales.
Color: Water white.
Filtration: Raw
Price: About $12.00/pound
Flavor: This honey has a distinctive aftertaste that is definitely citrus-like. The finish is bitter and reminds me of the flavor of the membrane inside oranges and grapefruit.

Fireweed

2018-01-14T21:20:00.002-07:00

Packager: Simple Pleasures, Sitka, Alaska, USA (907) 747-3880 http://www.alaskasimplepleasures.com
Nectar Origin: Alaska, USA
Color: In the Water White to Extra White range.
Filtration: Raw
Price: $27.80/pound
Flavor: I suspect this fireweed honey may include a good amount of clover honey as well since it tastes very much like clover. There is a strong note of something else that is reminiscent of dried pineapple (thanks Marina Marchese for the tip). And a big thanks to Lorrie and Dan for the gift of this honey.

Tulip Poplar

2017-11-05T19:18:00.001-07:00

Packager: Whistle Creek Apiaries, 440 Ebenezer Circle, Lexington, Virginia 24450; (540) 463-7732 http://whistlecreekapiaries.com/
Nectar Origin: Presumably Virginia or Southeastern United States
Color: Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: $12.00/pound
Flavor: This is a complex honey. There are flavor notes that can be described as pine and cinnamon, but the dominant flavor note, in my view, is that of Coca-Cola. Others have mentioned black current as a flavor, although I am not ready to commit to that just yet -- at least not for this jar.

Sea Lavender

2017-11-04T08:18:00.001-07:00

Packager: Stalland Apiaries, The Stalland, Deopham, Wymondham NR18 9ED, UK +44 1953 850873
Nectar Origin: Norfolk, England, UK
Color: White or Extra Light Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: $14.30/pound
Flavor: This has a strong floral taste at first and then a bit of a hay-like note. There is also a strong chemical flavor at the finish. The overall effect is that of a perfumed chemical cleaner or deodorizer. It's still honey and it's still sweet, but those unusual flavor notes detract.

Avocado

2017-10-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

Packager: Max's Honey House, Lake Elsinore, California; (951) 239-9498 https://www.facebook.com/ maxs.honeyhouse
Nectar Origin: California
Color: Amber to Dark Amber
Filtration: Raw
Price: $10.66/pound
Flavor: The dark color is a dead give-away that this honey is going to have a darker, more bitter flavor than a light honey. There are strong molasses-like flavors. Toffee too. Smoky and woodsy come to mind too. There is also a hint of licorice at the finish.

Rosemary Honey

2017-06-03T15:42:00.002-07:00

Packager: Savannah Bee Company, 211 Johnny Mercer Boulevard, Savannah, Georgia 31410; (800) 955-5080 www.savannahbee.com
Nectar Origin: Spain
Color: Water White or Extra White
US Grade: None listed
Filtration: Raw
Price: $21.33/pound
Flavor: The bottle describes this honey as herbaceous with a sweet finish. To me it has an extraordinarily floral flavor with a bit of a chemical-like finish. The flower flavor is so strong that it dominates even in baked goods. I mixed a teaspoon into bread dough and could hardly taste the bread for the strong floral taste from the honey.

Bruyère Blanche - White Heather

2017-03-06T20:46:00.003-07:00

Packager: La Chambre Aux Confitures, 9 rue des Martyrs 75009, Paris, France.www.lachambreauxconfitures.com
Nectar Origin: France. The back of the jar says the hives are located in the heart of the Ardèche.
Color: No color given. This honey is clearly amber in color.
US Grade: None.
Filtration: Presumably Raw.
Price: About $19.50/pound.
Flavor: The dominant flavor here is floral. I also thought I detected a fennel or anise-like flavor. The finish is firmly a warm tone. Caramel, brown sugar and toffee come to mind.