> AS far as worst goes.....
> Some friends of mine brought back some "Black Forest" honey from Germany
> from Black Forest pines.......blechhh! I swear it was mixed with
> turpentine.
 
This would have been one of the many varieties of honeydew.  Rather
than being of floral nectary origin, honeydew is a sticky sweet
product that is a waste product of a variety of misc. insects,
gathered by and modified by bees.  There.  I managed to say that
without using an derogutory slurs or offputting descriptions, almost!
 
Many people *do* like it.  I personally only like it in baking, not
using it as a table 'honey', even though I like most strong flavoured
honeys.
 
In New Zealand, large quantities are produced from the beech (often
called birch, though they are not) forests (Nothofagus spp.) of the
South Island.
 
As for the best?  For the dark honeys I go for rewarewa (Knightsia
excelsa), a dark thick reddish honey, with a 'savoury' rather than
sweet flavour and aftertaste.  And for light honey I go for rata
(Metrosideros umbellata), whiter than white, and naturally
granulating (fast!) into a smooth surprisingly strong flavoured
product.
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Nick Wallingford
President - National Beekeepers Assn of NZ
NZ beekeeping: http://www.wave.co.nz/pages/nickw/nzbkpg.htm
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