# Describe Your Honey



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

If you were asked to tell someone how you would describe the Honey you sell what descriptors would you use?

Tell me what kind of honey you have and how you would describe it. Is it "chocolaty"? Does it have a "bite" at the back of your tongue? Is it "smooth"? "Peppery"?

If we bottled our honey in Fancy Bottles and the wording on the label described the "tones", "notes", "subtle flavors" and such a certain clientele would pay a premium price for your honey.

Anybody want to suggest what aught to be on a jar of clover honey from Madrid, NY? Or where you live?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Yummm


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## Bill91143 (Jun 7, 2013)

I harvested my honey early this year, and the honey I got from my hives in the woods was a little darker than normal. It also has a little stronger flavor, Maybe just a hint of molasses taste. I believe it is mostly tulip poplar.


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## MichaelShantz (May 9, 2010)

Local wildflower honey. Raw, unfiltered, unheated, natural wildflower honey from the pristine, open space foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

What does it taste like?


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## MichaelShantz (May 9, 2010)

Sorry, I'm not much help, I'm afraid I'm a total loss when it comes to describing taste. The Wine Spectator descriptions of the taste of wine make no sense to me either. Our honey has hints of lemon, mint, butterscotch, it comes from rosemary, chamise, poison oak, toyon, eucalyptus, star thistle, lavender. One of our customers tells his friends, "You gotta taste this stuff, it's the best honey I've ever had" ... not exactly a description of taste but it sounds good to me.


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## UTvolshype (Nov 26, 2012)

With the rain this year it's runny and darker that normal.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

My early season wildflower honey is usually lighter in color. To customers I describe the flavor as mild or light.
My later season wildflower honey is darker. I describe it as richer….I never use the word strong.
My sourwood…I describe as buttery

I remind my customers that as a result of human selection, most fruits and vegetables tasted different thousands of years ago than they do today. But honey….is unchanged since the times when it was demanded by the Pharaohs of Egypt…and was acceptable as payment for taxes. And today…they too can enjoy a taste that was considered an exclusive treat by the elite of many ancient societies.

And…my customers walk away with a jar….every time.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Dark as motor oil smells of garlic and is sweeter than your sister


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

From the glass lined tanks of
OLD Madrid
We tender this premium honey
for your enjoyment, as a
tribute to your good taste
It comes
from the mountain springs
to you
"33"
If your customers can repeat it perfectly they have to drink the rest of there bottle!


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

No one knows your product better than you.
How do you describe it? 
Tell us this and maybe we can suggest attractive ways to present what you know.

Most people are awful at identifying and describing flavored.
Identify individual flavors in the simplest terms that still allow wiggle room.
You may think your honey has a slight taste of blackberry better to describe it as berry. 
It still allows you to retain credibility if the customer doesn't think the flavor is exactly like blackberry.

What do you believe? Who do you want to sell it to?
How can you describe what you know in a way that appeals to those people

Is your Madrid yard honey a light multi-floral honey with primary flavors of ......
Or is it Biscuit grade.

Biscuit Grade is the good stuff at my house!

Maybe you should label the stuff you bring in the house and describe why you put that on your table.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Beemandan has been at this I while! I learned something, usually my honey starts out light and sweet with the ‘fruit trees and spring flowers’, Medium with the black berries and ‘dark and strong’ with the dearth when they are on the tansy. Now my honey is going to get ‘richer’ as time goes on.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

minz said:


> Now my honey is going to get ‘richer’ as time goes on.


I finally figured it out after about a gazillion customers. Many of those who didn't really care for the dark honey would call it strong...those who liked it would often describe it as rich. The only credit I can claim is listening to my customers.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

And then there were those prehistoric souls who would climb high trees…and without any protection reach into a feral bee colony just to collect a gourd full. Risking life and limb….and certain pain. For what? Maybe a quart of honey?
Same taste in a jar today…..painless and without any danger.


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## dadandsonsbees (Jan 25, 2012)

My last was a very light amber color, taste was sweet as a grandchild's hug. I usually tell people my honey is sweet to the lips and friendly to the hips.
As far as tones like the ones for wine,,, I'm an old country boy, I might be able to compare it with beer or shine....... It is smooth, intoxicating and habit forming.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

My wife tried some as I was extracting yesterday and said it tasted like cough syrup, very medicinal. I was thinking it had a rye taste to it. Neither a good adjective for the label.


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## Bill91143 (Jun 7, 2013)

A friend of mine just sent me some pure rape seed (canola seed) honey from Grand Prairie, Alberta. It has a very distinct taste. I can't quite describe it as I can't relate the taste to anything else I'm familiar with. It is a pleasant taste with maybe a hint of cinnamon. If anyone else out there has tried rape seed honey help me please describe it?


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