>   My wife and I are enjoying (and packing) some of the eastern US varietal
>honeys, and are more and more interested in doing gift packs of these.  We
>also are thinking of doing honey tasting parties, like the wine folks do.
>
>   My question is:  Outside of eastern USA, I'm sure there are many fine
>honeys (and maybe some awful ones too), and I'd like to hear from some of the
>beekeepers on what they consider the finest and worst of their area.  Who
>knows, maybe we'd be interested in buying some of these?
 
   I have had honey from many parts of the world but still consider pure
yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis) the best (what honey should
be!).  The year 1993 had the best crop on record in northern California.
Large ranches can have vast areas of the weed.  If the last rains of the
season come as late as May, the plants can produce an abundant crop in
September, when almost all other plants have dried up in our seasonal
drought.
 
   When pure, yellow star thistle honey has a rich yellow color with a
greenish cast to it when poured, is quite thick, and has no sharp or bitter
component.
 
   The Hill Apiaries [(916) 934-5018; my source] strives to obtain as pure
a crop as possible each year.
 
                                                        Adrian
 
 
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* Adrian Wenner        E-Mail   [log in to unmask]  *
* Dept.Ecol.,Evol.,& Mar.Biol. Office Phone    (805) 893-2838 *
* University of California     Lab Phone       (805) 893-2675 *
* Santa Barbara, CA  93106     FAX             (805) 893-8062 *
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* "Once a structurally complete and closed system of opinions *
*consisting of many details and relations has been formed, it *
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*                                   Ludwik Fleck, 1935 [1979] *
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