Genuine Leatherwood Honey.
This honey is mono-floral...meaning most of its pollen was taken from a single source. In this case the towering Leatherwood trees in the Tasmanian interior and on its West Coast.
To transport to the interior.
Airlifting Hives.
So that these little guys can work their magic.
The type of honeybees used are an Italian Variation which withstand the Tasmanian heat, are better behaved, and produce longer in the season.
Tasmania produced 1000 tonnes of honey annually.
With eBay (and Paypal) we now have 12.3 ounces of a ton. Bringing the world to our fingertips through a mouse-click.
Production
https://youtu.be/5XJpOKbYDXc
Now...let's try the honey.
Arriving in a tin (not glass) was a surprise. When the tin is opened the interior is sealed with the thin oxidized aluminum seal you find on the outer necks and over the corks of wine bottles.
Soft and easily cut through.
At this point I was somewhat taken aback. It didn't resemble any honey I had tried (and I have tried a lot of varieties)
Both the colour, opaqueness and consistency resembled contact cement (rubber glue) rather than honey.
Colour and Consistency.
As a matter-of-fact, if it had not smelled so wonderful...our experiment might have ended right here.
(...says the woman who has put rattlesnake meat, haggis, and octopus in her mouth...)
But it smelled incredible. Really really incredible.
And true to the hype...tasted even better.
There is a rich wildness in this strong uniquely flavoured honey I have never experienced before. It overcame the opaqueness, odd coloration and consistency.
The best description I can give is that this honey tastes just like Honey Locust Trees smell when they bloom in Spring.
Not closely, or similar...exactly like.
So much so, that I stopped to research if our Honey Locust in Indiana were
Leatherwoods...but under a different name...or closely related to Leatherwoods.
They are neither.
The flavour lingers.
An amazing aftertaste- long after you have swallowed.
I have now tried it as a spread on toast, in hot tea, and straight off the tip of a spoon. It is not an overly sweet honey and best in small amounts. Very strong.
Anxious to bake with it and maybe try my hand at honey candy.
Try some for yourself...and prepare to be pleasantly surprised!
More anon...