"The Very Best Honey"

[Ben Framed]

Beekeepers; in your opinion, what is the very best honey you have ever tasted or produced? Examples: Cotton, Clover, Orange Blossom, Sourwood, etc......

[iddee]

Orange Blossom

[Michael Bush]

Hard to say exactly.  They are different but not necessarily better.  But if I were to rank them:

Sourwood
Tupelo
Thyme
Eucalyptus
Orange blossom
Black Locust
Basswood
Sumac

[NigelP]

Best honey I ever tasted was the the first honey I ever got off my bees........

[Acebird]

mine

[BeeMaster2]

Mine also. 
When I had my bees at my Jacksonville house, they made a mixed floral honey that is the best that I have ever had.
Jim Altmiller

[Lesgold]

Honey is a bit like wine. There is so much variety in the flavours available. And like wine, it comes down to a personal choice. As beekeepers our taste buds tend to be dominated by the flavours of our own honey which tends to create a bias towards what we produce. This is a good thing as others who sample our produce can also get wrapped up in the passion and pride that we show. My favourite honey is a piece of fresh comb just removed from a hive. Warm, oozing in freshness with sticky stuff running down you arms takes a bit of beating.

[Acebird]

Mine also. 
When I had my bees at my Jacksonville house, they made a mixed floral honey that is the best that I have ever had.
Jim Altmiller

And that is what mine was.

[The15thMember]

Honey is a bit like wine. There is so much variety in the flavours available. And like wine, it comes down to a personal choice. As beekeepers our taste buds tend to be dominated by the flavours of our own honey which tends to create a bias towards what we produce. This is a good thing as others who sample our produce can also get wrapped up in the passion and pride that we show. My favourite honey is a piece of fresh comb just removed from a hive. Warm, oozing in freshness with sticky stuff running down you arms takes a bit of beating.

I think the more we can treat honey like wine, in the sense that variety and regional flavors are a selling point, the better.  Many consumers are only aware of that large batch, pasteurized, probably adulterated stuff on the grocery store shelves.  Everyone knows the stigma surrounding "grocery store wine", but honey is really the same way.  You haven't tasted real honey until you have tasted your own honey, or at least honey from a local beekeeper.   

Beekeepers; in your opinion, what is the very best honey you have ever tasted or produced? Examples: Cotton, Clover, Orange Blossom, Sourwood, etc......

By the way, the correct answer is sourwood. 

[Ben Framed]

The15thMemeber
"You haven't tasted real honey until you have tasted your own honey, or at least honey from a local beekeeper."  

True!

Ben Framed
"what is the very best honey you have ever tasted or produced?"
The15thMember
"By the way, the correct answer is sourwood. 

Thanks for your answer..

[Bob Wilson]

Since I crush and strain, I tend to get a lot of pollen in my honey, so it is murky and opaque. I suppose that greatly effects the taste.

[Ben Framed]

Since I crush and strain, I tend to get a lot of pollen in my honey, so it is murky and opaque. I suppose that greatly effects the taste.

Is it a taste that is good to you Bob? From my understanding pollen is LOADED with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You may be on it!!! 

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

Sourwood: Twangy.   You can feel it dancing pleasantly on your tastebuds.  A symphony of flavors all at once.  Like a distorted guitar is a fat sound to your ears, this is a fuzzy, fat taste.  I wakes up all of your tastebuds, not just a few in a well balanced way focused on sweet but with everything else nicely blended in.
Tupelo: fruity and nice with only a touch of spice and a very smooth buttery finish
Thyme: a bit of twang, kind of like sourwood in having a twang but quite a different twang.  Kind of peppery.
Eucalyptus:  still some twang, but less than thyme or sourwood.  menthol and caramel
Orange blossom:  very pleasant floral taste and smell
Black Locust: Smooth.  No aftertaste.  a little bit of vanilla
Basswood:  light taste of mint in the background.
Sumac: slightly tart with a light caramel flavor

[Lesgold]

I wonder what eucalyptus tree you are talking about Michael. With over 700 species of euc?s, the choice is endless. Quite a few of them produce nectar and many are also good suppliers of pollen. Even in my small area, eight of them produce a major flow and there are many others that still contribute to the honey supply. Each honey has different characteristics and flavours.

[Michael Bush]

I only know it was Eucalyptus sent to me by an Australian guy.  It was quite nice.

[Jim134]

Lindy trees.
Basswood trees


               BEE HAPPY  Jim134  😊