@skeggley, have you been to the Bartholomews Meadery (http://www.honeywine.com.au/) down near Denmark? They have a range of local honeys down there you can try. The wildflower cappings tastes like icecream…yum.
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I disagree with their concept that Lavender Honey has a flavor of lavender. 
I have probably eaten around 20 jars of French Lavender Honey over the years, in fact I have one in the cupboard right now, and it really doesn’t smell or taste of lavender to me. I have lavender plants all around my garden, so it is easy enough to compare. 
I suppose it shows how subjective taste and smell can be. 
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I agree with you Dawn. It’s very nice honey but doesn’t taste or smell of lavender. Honey judges will agree with you too.
There is a small lavender distilling outfit in the Cotswolds that sells “Lavender” honey and listed in the ingredients is Lavender essential oil
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I’m amazed about how many flavours I’m getting from each frame of my flow five. I wish I was better at identifying what is flowering in my area and how this is translating into the honey being produced. I’ve tried to buy a lavender honey as Dawn suggested in Australia and the only one I’ve found I suspect is one blended with essential oil as well.
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Yes. Lavender honey that taste of lavender flowers has oil added
For those who have been doing this longer, this was our first season. Two hives (Italians) six feet apart. Midwest United States, no fruit trees in miles.
What really surprised us was the honey in the first hive tasted like peaches. Not a little…a lot. The second hive had a noticeably floral after tone.
- The two hives should be foraging off roughly the same plants so why such a distinct difference in the taste between the two hives? Different plants? Anyone know if there are minor variations in the bees enzymes that would process a different flavor?
- Since the nectar comes from a mix, I don’t think I have to have fruit trees nearby just to have the honey taste like fruit. Do I? I live out in the country. I know the acreages in a 5 miles radius and the fruity flavor was a major (and pleasant) surprise. Any thoughts?
- I think I will enter these in a contest next year. Any words of advice?
Thanks and happy Fall from the midwest United States.
Arvada
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In Northern Alberta, Canada very mild flavored honeys (from clover and alfalfa) are the norm…and these flows occur from our early summer to fall. But if hives have wintered successfully and have two deep Langstroths boiling with foragers, by the end of April, a totally different honey shows up…tree and shrub honey (willow and heather family shrubs from the forest). It’s pungent and so different from the legume forage honeys of mid-summer. Some people love spring honey but it is an acquired taste. Once they are hooked on spring honey they say that our mild honeys are too bland. The attached photo shows the darker, more flavorful honey tree/shrub honey from a conventional hive…the light colored honey is from the same time period and area and is from a Flowhive and we suspect it to be wildrose honey…totally different not only in color but flavor also. This year under the forest canopy, the wildroses were prolific…hundreds of acres of them. Honey flavors can vary from hive to hive…takes more than a lifetime to figure out it all out.
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Because bees forage over a large area. It could be as large as 50 sq. km. The scouts from different hives will be likely find different nectar sources. The secrets stay within the hives. In the the video “City of Bees”, they show in great detail the language of the bees. Once we understand that concept, then we can understand why the flavors of honey from 2 different colonies, side by side can vary considerably at times.
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Thanks Doug
It amazes me the differences the season makes.
Jeff
Is City of Bees somewhere I can find? PBS? Netflix?
Hi Don, you’ll find it on Youtube, my daughter gave me the dvd many years ago for Christmas. I reckoned it was the best Christmas present that I ever got. I was delighted to find it on Youtube. It was produced in the early 60’s. Ignore the preaching at the end unless you’re into it. I’m interested in the bee part of the video.
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Well said Jeff…and from what I’ve also experienced, the beehive is half of the story of honey flavors. The other half is the biota response change to climate variations.
In the past we’ve trapped pollen and witnessed a distinct color variation as floral sources change. Each hive always brought in 1 to 2 lbs of wildrose pollen…grey-brown and tasting of cinnamon…but with the sweet rose perfume…arriving within a two-week period. We had to watch the hives carefully at this time because they could historically starve on us…not this year. The wildroses gifted us with an unexpected surplus of nectar…one other seasoned beekeeper experienced the same and I’m doubtful if I will ever see this happen again. The stars just lined up for the wildroses…and us.
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The two hives should be foraging off roughly the same plants so why such a distinct difference in the taste between the two hives?
Only in your imagination.
Different plants?
Yes.
Anyone know if there are minor variations in the bees enzymes that would process a different flavor?
There are not.
Since the nectar comes from a mix, I don’t think I have to have fruit trees nearby just to have the honey taste like fruit. Do I?
Fruity tasting honey does not necessarily come from fruit. Orange blossom honey tastes very floral. Basswood tastes rather fruity…
I live out in the country. I know the acreages in a 5 miles radius and the fruity flavor was a major (and pleasant) surprise. Any thoughts?
There are multiple sources of nectar. Sometimes one hive is working one while the other hive is working a different one. Bees tend to be loyal to a source until it runs out.
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Honey from different frames, 3 different flow hives, from one apiary, all harvested this week.
All taste different, all beautiful. The lower left we call devine.
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lovely backdrop too…
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Great photo especially since they all came from the same location. Makes the point quite nicely. Thanks!
Actually, races of honey bees have a different length proboscis, so can access different flowers. If you only have Carnies and Italians, there will be a huge difference.
I have been harvesting about 50kg of flow honey just last week and each frame’s Honey tastes quite unique. I keep all frames’ Honey separated. Everyone agrees to the different tastes. The colour variety is easily recognizable.
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I think that is a great idea to keep the honey separate. Gives you great variety.
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That’s interesting. I remember asking before whether the bees affected the taste as well as the flowers, but they thought not.
So, indirectly their body shape does make a difference to the honey.
I wondered about the biochemistry inside their bodies affecting the flavour maybe…?
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That may well make a difference too, perhaps depending on queen line. There is room for plenty more research.
As long as research mainly goes towards understanding and fighting pests and diseases, we have to wait for the time when research into honey flavour becomes important.
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