Honey!

[ledifni]

Yeah, yeah, I know, you've all seen it a hundred times before.  But I haven't!  And it's awesome!  My bees did good

[lazy shooter]

Is that honey are burned motor oil?    It is dark honey, but I have found honey to vary in color from batch to batch.  One thing for sure, it is honey.  Congratulations on what appears to be a bountiful harvest.

[LazyBkpr]

Oh YEAH!   How sweet it is!!  Literally speaking!

[Jen]

Super Cool Led! What are you planning on doing with your sweet bounty?

[apisbees]

It is quite dark, Do you have any idea what they have been foraging on? How does it taste?

[Jen]

I think it's poison oak honey that is very dark and strong tasting, here in upper northern Calif, it sells well here.

[tecumseh]

like your first kiss....  your first honey is always the best.

fall honey here is always dark and packed with flavor and by and large my customers would prefer something that taste great than something that is pretty but taste like nothing.  I myself have long suspected that the USDA method of determining honey quality and price depending on color is simply a way for packers to squeeze a few cents per pound from producers.  we do have some floral source here in the late summer that can impart very unpleasant taste into some honeys. 

[Perry]

That should last you a little while.
Congratulations.

[Papakeith]

  gotta love dark honey!  Looks good, congrats.

[tedh]

Congratulations Led!  Looks REALLY good!  Ted

[riverbee]

very cool led!  the first honey makes you wanna dance! a very SWWWWWWEEEET reward!........

[apisbees]

like your first kiss....  your first honey is always the best.

fall honey here is always dark and packed with flavor and by and large my customers would prefer something that taste great than something that is pretty but taste like nothing.  I myself have long suspected that the USDA method of determining honey quality and price depending on color is simply a way for packers to squeeze a few cents per pound from producers.  we do have some floral source here in the late summer that can impart very unpleasant taste into some honeys.

It is some of these inconsistency in the taste of the darker honeys that can damage the reputation of the darker honeys. some of the best honeys I have tasted have been dark honeys. others were not so good. also some of the dark honeys are not from a nectar source that produces dark honey. but from honey that has been over heated by accident, or capping honey from the wax melter.
As tec pointed out dark honeys at the wholesale level has always sold at a cheaper price. marketing it as a specialty honey will allow one to get a premium price if it is of a wonderful desirable flavor.

[ledifni]

Is that honey are burned motor oil?    It is dark honey, but I have found honey to vary in color from batch to batch.  One thing for sure, it is honey.  Congratulations on what appears to be a bountiful harvest.

It's honey and yes it's VERY dark fall honey.  But delicious nevertheless

[ledifni]

It is quite dark, Do you have any idea what they have been foraging on? How does it taste?

It tastes delicious in my opinion.  It has a somewhat strong, but not at all unpleasant flavor.  Since I live in the city, I think it's probably a wide variety of fall garden flowers as well as tree honey (there are plenty of flowering trees in my area and they've been in bloom for months).

That said, I would guess that the wider honey market, as used as they are to light clover honey with little flavor, might be a bit turned off by the depth of flavor in this honey.  It's probably a matter of taste.  I do like it very much though   It has a somewhat earthy/nutty flavor to it, and very sweet.

[ledifni]

Super Cool Led! What are you planning on doing with your sweet bounty?

Mostly give it away, and I'll keep some for myself   I'd rather let my friends get a taste than make money on this small an operation.  Spreadin' the love, you know.

[apisbees]

If and when you decide to sell some if you have dark honey have a squeeze bear with it so you can give them a taste on their finger. With a flavorful dark honey once they taste it most will buy.

[tecumseh]

I am currently selling some 'aged' 30 year honey* that is extremely thick and as dark as old crank case oil.  as Apis says having some in a squeeze bottle does help sell the product since it is EVERYTHING but pretty.

*we are kind of guessing at the age but we know the beekeeper who harvested this honey has been dead for aboot 30 years. 

[Papakeith]

I tend to compare honeys to wines.  Spring honey is like white wine; sweet with very little complexity.  Fall  honey is like red with multiple flavor notes and a very complex flavor profile. A squeeze bottle definitely helps sell the richer flavor experience.

[apisbees]

Tec Is it capping wax melter honey? that could account for it being so thick. or it the container that ir was stored in was not an air tight seal over the 30 years it may have dehydrated. How much do you have?

[Zweefer]

Congrats!!!!!